Many patients will ask “if I purchase a pair of reading glasses at the drugstore will using them weaken my eyes?”

We’re happy to reassure you that using over-the-counter readers — or any kind of corrective lenses, for that matter — will not weaken or damage your eyesight. However, if you find you need to move to a higher level of magnification does indicate that your vision is changing. And considering that many adults begin to experience changes to their ability to see clearly at close range after age 40, it’s not all that surprising.

The change in close focus is known as presbyopia, which occurs when the lens within your eye gradually becomes less flexible. This is believed to be the result of age-related changes to the proteins within the natural lens in the eye, and to the tissues of the surrounding muscles that cause the lens to focus. The loss in flexibility to the natural lens results in blurred vision when doing close-focus activities such as reading.

While you could certainly opt to buy a new pair of drugstore reading glasses with a higher level of magnification, we recommend that you use this shift in vision as an opportunity to visit an eye care professional.

One-size-fits-all reading glasses are certainly affordable, and a quick trip to the store is more convenient than a medical appointment. But chances are the generic readers will not correct your eyesight to the highest level of accuracy. That’s because, for most of us, the prescription in each eye is at least slightly different. Many individuals also have a small amount of astigmatism correction in their prescriptions as well. Wearing the wrong glasses can lead to headache and fatigue as your eyes strain to achieve optimal focus.

A comprehensive eye exam not only yields a corrective prescription tailored to your specific needs, it also includes several other tests to detect vision problems, assess eye health and screen for eye disease along with other disease or illnesses such as High Blood Pressure and Diabetes. For example, your eye care professional will use special drops to dilate your pupil and examine the important tissues at the back of the eye, including the retina, the macula and the optic nerve. A test of the pressure within the eye, known as tonometry, screens for glaucoma.

If you already wear glasses to correct farsightedness, you have the option of blending the two prescriptions in a pair of bifocals, trifocals or progressive lenses. A pair of multivision glasses for life on the go, and a pair of reading glasses for sustained close work, will give you the best of both worlds. If you prefer contact lenses, multifocal contacts correct near, intermediate and far vision.

Age-related changes to vision, once begun, will continue. However, these changes can occur so gradually that they may be difficult to notice. That’s why it’s important to schedule regular eye exams and safeguard your vision.

The Danger of Forgoing an Eye Exam

The other, more serious problem with using pre-fabricated reading glasses has less to do with the glasses than with one of the reasons that people purchase them.

Some people head to the drugstore instead of the eye doctor when they notice that it’s time for a stronger correction. In fact, a recent survey of presbyopes revealed that 17 percent purchased readers because they “didn’t want to bother with an eye exam.”

Common sense and good eye health dictate that you should consult your eye doctor when you need a change in prescription, or at least once every two years. The need for a new pair of reading glasses may be nothing more than the natural aging process at work. But it might also signal a serious problem with your eyes that can be treated if caught in time.

Glaucoma, for example, is a serious eye disease that has no symptoms at first but can steal your vision if it’s not controlled with medication. A simple test can detect glaucoma in its early stages, but you’ll need to visit your eye doctor for an eye exam in order to have the test.

 

 

Sources:

http://www.allaboutvision.com/over40/readers.htm

http://auburnpub.com/onlyinprint/dr-k/visit-the-eye-doctor-instead-of-buying-drugstore-readers/article_e6ce8c5e-da8b-5819-a2be-df432b1269c1.html