If you find it increasingly difficult to read words on a page and battle to focus when threading a needle, or doing other intricate close-up work, you may well have Presbyopia.
Don’t panic, it sounds worse than it is. Presbyopia is age-related and is a gradual loss of the eyes’ ability to focus on nearby objects, also called farsightedness.
This usually becomes noticeable in your 40s and gets worse from 65. Fortunately, this condition is easily corrected with non-prescription or prescription glasses.
We asked SpecSavers to give us the lowdown on what you need to know when it comes to buying over-the-counter readers vs prescription glasses.
Here’s what you need to know:
- Wearing reading glasses does not worsen your vision. You become accustomed to clear vision when wearing reading glasses, so without them, your vision seems to have deteriorated. But, it is simply the contrast between corrected and uncorrected vision
- Even if over-the-counter readers work for you, you should still have an eye test as the optometrist can prescribe the correct lens power for your eyes
- Inform your optometrist about your occupation and hobbies you enjoy, as your daily activities impact the power your eyes need. For example, the power of the glasses prescribed for spending eight hours a day on the computer will be different to those prescribed if you spend a lot of time reading or working with fine details
- Finding the right over-the-counter reading glasses can solve the problem, however, it is important to have your eyes checked every two years to ensure they don’t develop glaucoma, cataracts and muscular degeneration.
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