Typically, people over 40 require reading glasses. As we age the lenses within our eyes naturally lose elasticity. Without that flexibility the human eye has difficulty focusing on close objects. Physicians call the condition “Presbyopia.”
Presbyopia usually becomes more pronounced as people age requiring stronger reading glasses. Presbyopia is not a disease nor can it be prevented.
Some signs of Presbyopia include needing to hold reading materials at arm’s distance, blurry vision in low light, and eye fatigue or headaches when working up close.
Reading glasses have come a long way since today’s senior citizens started using them. Seniors are accustomed to buying bland styles of reading glasses at drug stores. But Baby Boomers have embraced readers in a way that could never have been anticipated. Boomers view them not simply as a vision aid but as items that help make fashion statements. That’s caused a lot of cool new styles to be introduced into the marketplace at many different price points.
Reading glasses are the first juncture wherein health care meets fashion.
Major department stores carry an assortment of stylish glasses, as do many specialty stores. There are even web sites dedicated to offering a terrific and diverse selection of fashion and designer reading glasses for men and women such as VisAcuity.com.
Those with presbyopia typically know the strength of reading glasses they need. An ophthalmologist will generally tell patients which “diopter strength” is right for them (be careful about asking an optometrist, though. They’re in the business of selling glasses and will often tell customers they need glasses that are much more expensive than are actually necessary.)
Other ways to determine the strength required include using properly an eye chart at a store or one posted on a web site and simple experimentation: try several different strengths until you find the one that’s most comfortable to use. Since Eye MDs advise no damage can be done to your eyes by experimenting with different diopter strength glasses, you’ve got nothing to lose.