10 Astonishing Facts to Know Before Purchasing Reading Glasses.
Knowledge is power.
The health of your vision is important. Are you aware of ALL the true facts about Reading Glasses?
1) Reading Glasses Will Not Cause Your Eyes to Weaken.
Reading Glasses do not damage eyes. Instead, Reading Glasses improve one’s vision by magnifying words or objects that appear blurry. Eyestrain and fatigue result when individuals are unable to view objects clearly and wearing Reading Glasses prevent this from happening.
Refraining from using corrective lenses does NOT help strengthen the muscles around the eyeball or slow the progression of refractive errors. Instead, not using corrective lenses when needed can cause harmful eyestrain and fatigue.
After wearing Reading Glasses for one year, it is not unusual for vision to decline. It’s important to note that this decline in vision cannot be attributed to wearing Reading Glasses. Instead, declining vision can be attributed to age. With age, the lenses of the eyes become less flexible; making it more difficult to focus on close objects, a condition called presbyopia.
According to the American Optometric Association (AOA), presbyopia will become more advanced with age, with or without the use of Reading Glasses. Changes in near vision traditionally begin at age 40 and stop at age 60.
2) All Reading Glasses are Not Created Equal.
There are many different types of Reading Glasses on the market today. Selecting the right pair of Reading Glasses depends on one’s eyesight, face shape, budget, and lifestyle.
Although most Reading Glasses are available without a prescription, a consultation with a certified optometrist or ophthalmologist is always recommended. Experts recommend a yearly eye exam to check for problems like glaucoma, cataracts, and macular degeneration, even after you’ve selected Reading Glasses.
The quality of Reading Glasses varies, with pricing ranging from $1.00 to over $1,000.
Selecting your first pair of reading glasses can be confusing since there are so many different choices. It can be difficult to know where to start and that is why ReadingGlasses101.com is an invaluable resource.
There are five different options for lenses when selecting Reading Glasses: Single Vision Reading Glasses (most popular), Progressive Lenses, Bifocal Reading Glasses, Blue Light (Computer) Reading Glasses, and Trifocal Reading Glasses.
Different variations of Single Vision Reading Glasses include: Reading Glasses with Stylish Chains, Foldable Reading Glasses, Reading Glasses for Cell Phones and Wallets, Magnetic Reading Glasses, Armless Reading Glasses.
3) Cheap Reading Glasses Will NOT Damage Your Eyes.
Should you purchase Reading Glasses at the Dollar Store or in a designer boutique?
Experts say that lower-quality, less expensive reading glasses are made with low-quality lens materials. Sometimes Reading Glasses made from low-quality lens materials can cause vision distortion, color distortion or glare, and this can negatively impact one’s ability to focus properly when reading. On the other hand, sometimes they are fine.
Quality control of Dollar Store Reading Glasses varies. Therefore, before purchasing Reading Glasses from the Dollar Store, it’s very important to try them on in the store and check your ability to focus properly.
VERY IMPORTANT: The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) maintains that “Reading glasses from a drugstore are perfectly safe. Over-the-counter reading glasses, including low-cost dollar store options, can help you focus up close and will not damage your eyesight”.
4) Wearing Reading Glasses Can Positively Impact Your Success.
Yes, it’s true. Reading Glasses can help you succeed!
Reading Glasses provide people with the ability to read all the fine print which, in turn, will improve the ability to make better and more informed decisions.
A study performed by the British College of Optometrists concluded that people who wear eyeglasses are perceived as being smarter and more professional than people who do not wear eyeglasses. Favorable impressions accelerate success.
5) All People Can NOT Wear Reading Glasses Sold in Drugstores and Online.
Over-the-Counter Reading Glasses are Reading Glasses sold in drugstores and online without requiring a prescription. These Reading Glasses can only be worn by individuals with the same vision in both eyes.
If the vision in one’s right eye is stronger than the vision the left eye (or vice versa), wearing over-the-counter Reading Glasses is not an option and prescription Reading Glasses are required.
Individuals with astigmatism (an eye cornea or lens that is not perfectly round) are unable to wear over-the-counter Reading Glasses and require prescription lenses or contact lenses.
Prescription Reading Glasses are also recommended for individuals experiencing computer eyestrain or double vision.
6) Reading Glasses Should NOT Be Worn for an Extended Period of Time.
Experts recommend removing Reading Glasses after a few hours of reading to provide eyes with the ability to refocus.
Taking a 5-minute break for every one hour of screen time gives eyes a rest and is also recommended.
Reading Glasses should not be worn when focusing on objects that are far away, watching television or driving.
7) The Average Person Owns Three Pairs of Reading Glasses.
It’s important to note that the average person owning three pairs of Reading Glasses, also loses three pairs of Reading Glasses every year.
Why do so many people lose so many pairs of Reading Glasses?
A 2021 study by Take5Research found that the most common frustration that wearers of Reading Glasses experience is misplacing and losing their Reading Glasses.
The Take5Research study revealed that Reading Glasses wearers remove their Reading Glasses an average of 10 or more times a day. The frequent removal of Reading Glasses increases the chance of losing/misplacing Reading Glasses, and negatively impacts productivity.
To avoid losing Reading Glasses, some Reading Glasses wearers use attractive chains to keep Reading Glasses on hand when needed. Read more about Chains here.
Wearing Prescription Reading Glasses or Multi-Focus Reading Glasses with different magnification zones in the lenses of a single pair of Reading Glasses also decreases the frequency of losing Reading Glasses since users can keep Reading Glasses on for the entire day without having to remove them to refocus on objects far away. Read more about Multi-Focus Reading Glasses here.
8) There is No Scientific Evidence that Blue-Light Reading Glasses Are Better for Eyes.
In March 2021, the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) stated that “There is no scientific evidence that the light coming from computer screens is damaging to the eyes. The best way to avoid eye strain is to take frequent breaks from the screen.”
Right now, Blue Light Reading Glasses are very popular. Decreasing blue-light rays will not harm eyes but, at the present time, there is no study that proves that blue light harms eyes.
9) Reading Glasses Are Different from Magnifying Glasses.
A magnifying glass is a double convex lens that makes objects and words appear larger than they really are.
In addition to magnifying the text on a page, Reading Glasses move your clearest point of focus to a distance closer to you. Unlike magnifying glasses, Reading Glasses are available with different magnification options.Read more about selecting the correct Reading Glasses magnification here.
10) Wearing Reading Glasses is Easier, Safer, and More Affordable than Surgery or Eye Drops.
Will Surgery or Eye Drops soon replace Reading Glasses?
At the time of this post, wearing Reading Glasses is easier, safer, and more affordable than Surgery or Eye Drops. Many Reading Glasses can be purchased for under $20 and do not have side effects.
Surgery modifying the optics of the cornea or replacing the crystalline lens, improves close-up vision. Per a recent 2021 investigative report posted in the Journal of Clinical Ophthalmology, however, even though patients undergoing surgery initially reported favorable outcomes with surgery, many patients eventually required Reading Glasses.
Any kind of surgery has risks, especially if patients have underlying health conditions. there are other Surgery could disrupt the corneal epithelium and ocular surface, which could cause dryness in eyes.
During cataract surgery, multifocal lenses can sometimes be implanted inside the eyes.
LASIK and other forms of refractive surgery could also be used to treat presbyopia, but success is not always possible since a patient’s natural focus will most likely change over time. New Eye Drops recently approved by the FDA is a promising option for replacing Reading Glasses. Read more about these Eye Drops here.
Even though Eye Drops are less invasive than surgery, there is a risk of side effects. It’s important to note that the FDA approved Eye Drops are NOT over-the-counter Eye Drops and do require a prescription. At the time of this post, health insurance does not cover the cost of these prescription Eye Drops.
Overall, Reading Glasses are currently the best solution for improving one’s close-up vision.
