If you’re over 40 and experiencing difficulties reading books, labels, messages on your phone, or small fonts on your computer, you’re not alone. This common issue is known as presbyopia, a type of age-related farsightedness that causes nearby objects and fine print to become blurry.
While it may be tempting to purchase over-the-counter reading glasses, using them for extended periods can lead to eye strain, nausea, and headaches. These drugstore reading glasses should not be seen as a replacement for custom-made prescription reading glasses from your eye doctor, which are tailored to address your specific visual needs.
At Westpoint Optical in Brampton West, we specialize in prescribing custom-made eyeglasses and range of contact lenses to correct presbyopia and other eye conditions. Our goal is to provide you with the best possible solution for your vision needs.
What is Presbyopia?
In younger individuals, the natural lens of the eye has excellent flexibility. This allows the lens to adjust its shape effortlessly whenever light enters the eye. This flexibility enables the lens to focus incoming light accurately onto the retina, which is a thin layer of nerves at the back of the eye responsible for converting light into signals processed by the brain.
However, as people reach middle age, typically around 40-50 years old, the eye’s lens begins to lose some of its flexibility and becomes more rigid. This change in the lens causes difficulties in focusing on nearby objects, leading to blurry vision when reading, sewing, or performing other close-up tasks.
This condition is called presbyopia and gradually makes everyday tasks like reading the text on food packaging or sewing on buttons more boring. If you are 40 years old or above and find yourself holding items at arm’s length to read them clearly, it is a sign that you may benefit from reading glasses.
How is Presbyopia corrected?
Age-related farsightedness, or presbyopia, can be effectively corrected through various means such as reading glasses, bifocals, multifocal, progressives, and, in some cases, eye surgery.
There are two primary types of reading glasses available. First, there are ready-made readers sold over the counter at drugstores, which have limited strengths. The second type is optometrist-prescribed readers, where the lenses are custom-made in an optometry lab based on your optometrists precise prescription. Both types of reading glasses function by bending incoming light onto the retina before it enters the eye, thereby improving near vision.
While ready-made readers found in
– pharmacies are suitable for occasional use, they may not adequately address other refractive errors like nearsightedness, astigmatism, or non-age-related farsightedness.
Additionally, if your eyes have different needs or desire custom features such as super-thin lenses or special coatings, customizable prescription readers are recommended. These custom-made reading glasses provide a more precise solution tailored to your unique visual requirements.
What Are the Advantages of Prescription Reading Glasses?
- Most people have different prescription requirements for each eye, a level of precision that drugstore readers cannot provide. In contrast, prescription glasses are custom-made with meticulous attention to detail for each eye’s specific needs.
- Prescription reading glasses offer the advantage of accommodating not only presbyopia but also addressing astigmatism if present.
- These custom-made reading glasses are crafted using durable and high-quality materials by skilled technicians, ensuring superior craftsmanship compared to over-the-counter readers.
- If you are bothered by glare from digital devices, your optometrist can include a special anti-glare or anti-reflective coating on your reading glasses.
- Beyond functionality, style is also essential. If you rely on glasses for extended reading sessions, you’ll want a pair that provides crisp and clear vision and looks and feels great.
Eyecare Services in Brampton West
If you need clarification on whether you require custom-made reading glasses, the most effective way to determine this is by undergoing a comprehensive eye exam. During this examination, our eye doctor will assess your prescription and the overall health of your eyes. The risk of developing age-related eye conditions such as cataracts, glaucoma, and macular degeneration increases as we age.
If it is confirmed that you have presbyopia or any other eye condition, we will provide recommendations on how to address the issue. At Westpoint Optical in Brampton West, our priority is our patient’s well-being and vision. We are dedicated to providing exceptional eyecare services to meet your individual needs.