Reading Glasses

Reading glasses can be great for those who don’t need prescription eyeglasses all the time.

Person with reading glasses in front of a laptop

With an increase in age, many people reach a point when they are not able to read things up close anymore. This is where reading glasses can help cut down on errors, embarrassment and discomfort.

Styles of Reading Glasses

Full Reading Glasses

Full reading glasses are great for people who spend a lot of time concentrating on close-up reading material. If you look up and try to see something further away, it will appear blurry. It is only when focusing on the close item that you are able to see clearly.

Half-Eye Reading Glasses

In contrast, half-eye reading glasses let you see clearly when you look up and across a room while still being able to read what is right in front of you. Reading glasses are commonly a stepping-stone to bifocals for those who have never worn glasses before.

Magnifiers

Some people use smaller, inexpensive accessories for reading before they decide to get reading glasses. Small magnifiers that fold and are easy to carry in a pocket, wallet or purse are commonly a first step. This is because reading restaurant menus is a common activity for people who have some trouble with when they first realize they may need reading glasses.

These tools are temporary and you should really address any issues you have as soon as possible to make sure you are taking care of your eye health. Tinted reading glasses are also available and offer UV protection for those who want to read outdoors in the sun. Find out more information on prescription sunglasses.

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Benefits of Prescription Reading Glasses

Your local pharmacy or department store usually sells ready-made reading glasses. These gained popularity in the 90's because they are cheaper and people could get various glasses to keep in various places - at home, in their office, in the car.

They are available in lots of styles, colors and shapes, many of them fun and vibrant. They were often mix-and-match accessories, even for those who didn't need glasses.

Drawbacks of Ready-Made Reading Glasses

1. Ready-made reading glasses are not tailored to each person and that can cause some issues for the person wearing the glasses. Vision can vary greatly and many people even have different prescriptions in each eye.

2. Ready-made glasses also do not address astigmatism whereas your prescription eyeglasses do.

3. If the ready-made reading glasses differ greatly from your prescription, you could experience headaches, nausea, and tired eyes, especially if you wear them for a long period of time.

If you're in doubt, just schedule an eye exam with one of our eye doctors. The optometrist can easily determine the best option for you so you can see your best no matter what the situation may be.