Can reading glasses knacker your eyesight further?
Discussion
I'd been struggling more and more to read the text on my phone, and small print on tins etc, so picked up some reading glasses in the chemist, basic 1.00 models. It was like I could see each individual pixel on my phone screen, made such a difference.
But over the last couple of months my closeup eyesight seems to be getting worse, and my eyes more tired at various points of the day. I've struggled with sleep recently so that might be making a difference, but can the act of using reading glasses make your eyes worsen/get lazy, especially if I'm sometimes reading closeup without them on because they're back in the house or I'm in the supermarket or wherever? If I've used them at a screen for a couple of hours, once I take them off to get some lunch there can be a bit of tiredness and blur.
I'll be getting an eye test anyway, and at 46 I'm probably prime age for normal deterioration, but just wondered if anyone else had any experience of this.
But over the last couple of months my closeup eyesight seems to be getting worse, and my eyes more tired at various points of the day. I've struggled with sleep recently so that might be making a difference, but can the act of using reading glasses make your eyes worsen/get lazy, especially if I'm sometimes reading closeup without them on because they're back in the house or I'm in the supermarket or wherever? If I've used them at a screen for a couple of hours, once I take them off to get some lunch there can be a bit of tiredness and blur.
I'll be getting an eye test anyway, and at 46 I'm probably prime age for normal deterioration, but just wondered if anyone else had any experience of this.
I've been suffering the same recently, the joys of getting older, I'm 48.
I had an eye test last month as I wanted to check that I did need prescription reading glasses, and he confirmed I still had 20/20 vison, and using off the shelf 1.0 reading glasses wouldn't affect my vision going forward.
I had an eye test last month as I wanted to check that I did need prescription reading glasses, and he confirmed I still had 20/20 vison, and using off the shelf 1.0 reading glasses wouldn't affect my vision going forward.
rfsteel said:
I've been suffering the same recently, the joys of getting older,
I had an eye test last month as I wanted to check that I did need prescription reading glasses, and he confirmed I still had 20/20 vison, and using of the shelf 1.0 reading glasses wouldn't affect my vision going forward.
Ah interesting. I've always had slightly imperfect vision but was told if it wasn't causing any problems with screens then I could carry on without glasses; have noticed a big difference over the last year or so though.I had an eye test last month as I wanted to check that I did need prescription reading glasses, and he confirmed I still had 20/20 vison, and using of the shelf 1.0 reading glasses wouldn't affect my vision going forward.
So if I have an eye test and the prescription comes back 1.5 or 2.0 or whatever, that's fine to use reading glasses? I don't want to be sold £££s of glasses that I don't need. I've not noticed any difference in distance vision or while driving.
They can weaken the eyes but only if you pick a power that is stronger than you really need, you want the eyes doing as much as they can and just take the strain off them. Go for the weakest power that does the job. This only really works if the eyes have the same distance prescription (close to zero) and you have no astigmatism, anything more complex you need a proper test and RX made up.
I also don't recommend ready readers with higher powers or for office work as the optical centers are just set at an average value and this can strain the eyes with prolonged use, from +1.00 to +2.00 it doesn't matter to much if you only used them for a few minutes though.
I also don't recommend ready readers with higher powers or for office work as the optical centers are just set at an average value and this can strain the eyes with prolonged use, from +1.00 to +2.00 it doesn't matter to much if you only used them for a few minutes though.
AJBek said:
I also don't recommend ready readers with higher powers or for office work as the optical centers are just set at an average value and this can strain the eyes with prolonged use, from +1.00 to +2.00 it doesn't matter to much if you only used them for a few minutes though.
Are you in the industry? What's an optical centre, and do the various filter layers make much of a difference when working with screens?This is possibly what it is, been using +1.00 for a few hours at a time. Will give them a break and go and have a test and see what comes out of it.
IMHO you're far better getting a prescription and then ordering two pairs of glasses from Glasses Direct for £15 than the cheapo poundshop readers. Chances are you're eyes won't be identical in terms of correction and as mentioned any astigmatism along with the correct PD can only be supported by prescription lenses. Once I got the readers from GD the vision compared to an off the shelf pair highlighted how crap the 'one size fits all' glasses are.
I made do with supermarket readers for about 10 years until vison up to about 2m started to go and realised varifocals would be required
My distance vision has always been and still is perfect.
My optician said that folk with otherwise good vision are the worst offenders for delaying their check up. Don't forget that you'll also be checked for glaucoma (which can make you go blind without symptoms); have an retinal exam which can pick up diabetes and blood pressure as well as retinal disease and also might be offered other tests.
Varifocals are a game changer for me and are really useful for activities I do that involve a bit of map/display reading. Quality readers are a cut above Amazon/Supermarket jobs and I find that I can manage 0.5 - 1 dioptre less with a good lens. Optician warned against choosing maybe +0.5 more than I needed to make my specs last longer. Wonder if she calculates that, if I order to prescription, I'll be visiting again sooner or whether it isn't an old wives' tale.
My distance vision has always been and still is perfect.
My optician said that folk with otherwise good vision are the worst offenders for delaying their check up. Don't forget that you'll also be checked for glaucoma (which can make you go blind without symptoms); have an retinal exam which can pick up diabetes and blood pressure as well as retinal disease and also might be offered other tests.
Varifocals are a game changer for me and are really useful for activities I do that involve a bit of map/display reading. Quality readers are a cut above Amazon/Supermarket jobs and I find that I can manage 0.5 - 1 dioptre less with a good lens. Optician warned against choosing maybe +0.5 more than I needed to make my specs last longer. Wonder if she calculates that, if I order to prescription, I'll be visiting again sooner or whether it isn't an old wives' tale.
Ive been struggling to find the answer to this question for a few years..
If a good optician can get the glasses to fit perfectly to your eyes, with correct distance from the eye, pantoscopic tilt, wrap etc, then what do they do exactly to achieve this?
When I went to Specsavers and chose my frames they put a felt tip mark on the blank lenses to indicate my pupil position, then used some kind of scale and made some notes, and that was about it. When my glasses were ready or collection I put them on and they told me to look left/right, said they were ok, and I walked out of the shop.
So I have no real idea if they fit perfect or not. So what does the process actually involve?
If a good optician can get the glasses to fit perfectly to your eyes, with correct distance from the eye, pantoscopic tilt, wrap etc, then what do they do exactly to achieve this?
When I went to Specsavers and chose my frames they put a felt tip mark on the blank lenses to indicate my pupil position, then used some kind of scale and made some notes, and that was about it. When my glasses were ready or collection I put them on and they told me to look left/right, said they were ok, and I walked out of the shop.
So I have no real idea if they fit perfect or not. So what does the process actually involve?
ScotHill said:
Are you in the industry? What's an optical centre, and do the various filter layers make much of a difference when working with screens?
This is possibly what it is, been using +1.00 for a few hours at a time. Will give them a break and go and have a test and see what comes out of it.
The centers are just where the center of the lens is in relation to the center of your eye. They should match up close to perfectly otherwise there will be an induced prismatic effect that can "pull" the eyes and feel very uncomfortable after a while. Prismatic effect is directly related to power though so at +1.00 is doesn't matter that much unless you are wearing them or ages. It will also vary from person to person as our eyes are all different distances apart so can work fine for some folk and not others.This is possibly what it is, been using +1.00 for a few hours at a time. Will give them a break and go and have a test and see what comes out of it.
As far as coatings go this is massively personal. Some folk can't do without them while others hate them as they fell they make the lenses dirtier. I am not convinced by some of the arguments for blue light filters etc but I do like an MAR on my specs as it makes them look a lot better.
Edited by AJBek on Wednesday 15th May 13:54
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