Prescription vs Non-Prescription Reading Glasses

“You are only as old as you feel” - ever heard of this phrase? While it is absolutely true, I bet our eyes beg to differ. Even when you feel young and alive, your eyes may still be struggling to function normally.

Ageing doesn’t sit well with your eyes. As soon as you hit the milestone of 40, they seem to be going through a midlife crisis. I never knew this until it happened to me.

Those who are over 40 don’t realise what a blessing it is to read a book or mail without scrunching your forehead and nose.

Our vision goes through some changes during our 40s. And before you know it, all the nearby things become a blurry mess. This process is known as presbyopia. If you’ve recently developed presbyopia, you must be looking for a pair of reading glasses as your hands have started to hurt from holding reading materials too far. Good decision!

While shopping for reading glasses, you have two options to choose from- prescription reading glasses and off-the-shelf readers. But, what’s better for you? Let’s break the curiosity.

How do Our Eyes Age?

As we hit 40, sooner or later the crystalline lens in our eye starts to lose its elasticity. As a result, it becomes difficult for us to focus on close-up objects or small prints.

People with presbyopia often need to hold the thing at arm’s length to see it clearly. They have also come up with a funny name for it “short arm syndrome” because you always feel that your arms are not long enough.

The crystalline lens turns stiff as we age. It becomes less able to change shape in order to let the light focus properly.

But, it isn’t only presbyopia that troubles you as you grow old. Ageing eyes are at a higher risk of developing serious eye conditions. Make sure to have your vision tested once every year to check for these conditions. Also, see an optometrist and get your first pair of prescription reading glasses online.

While an eye exam is the best way to know it’s time for readers, the following signs hint towards a similar outcome:

• You always feel that the lights aren’t bright enough
• Computer or near-vision tasks require extra effort to read the text
• You start to see halos around everything from light bulbs to Christmas lights
• You get pain in your eyes and frequent headaches from doing any work that requires focus
• You are over 40

Prescription Reading Glasses vs Ready Readers

Can you buy glasses online without a prescription? Well, you can. But that doesn’t mean you should do that.

Readers are available in both prescription and non-prescription glasses. Some of us just visit our nearby chemist shops and buy a pair because it’s so convenient, time-saving and economical.

Where non-prescription reading glasses only magnify your field of vision, prescription readers do a few more good things.

If you have any type of refractive error be it myopia, hyperopia or astigmatism, you need something more than just magnifiers. As online prescription reading glasses are customised for your optical needs, they correct any type of vision error that you may have.

On the contrary, off-the-shelf readers have a one-size-fits-all approach. They can be best described as two magnifying lenses mounted on a frame. They are not meant to correct vision disorders and only magnify the images in front of you.

Do You Need Prescription Reading Glasses?

Non-prescription reading glasses are meant to be worn only when you are reading small texts or doing near-vision tasks. However, prescription readers can be worn throughout the day as it gives you improved vision for all the tasks that require you to focus at a similar distance

You should go for prescription glasses online when you need different vision corrections for each eye. For instance, if you have astigmatism, you must have an eye test to determine the best and most suitable optics for your respective vision problem.

If you are nearsighted, your eyes aren’t able to focus on distant objects as well. So, instead of wearing two different glasses to read and to see things far away, you can get a single pair of bifocal or varifocal glasses.

Varifocal glasses correct your vision at every distance. Where the bottom part of the lens acts as a magnifier, the top section will correct your nearsightedness and a small section in the middle will give you a good intermediate vision.

It’s important to know that indulging in computer work can make your presbyopic eyes even worse as they become more vulnerable to the strong blue rays. It’s fine if you don’t want another pair of blue light glasses. You can add this filter to your prescription reading glasses or varifocal lenses.

Are off-the-shelf Readers Safe?

I know that the thought of getting affordable reading glasses is in your head but you are also puzzled about whether they would be safe.

Even when you buy non-prescription reading glasses, your eyes are safe (unless your prescription is too strong). If you use them only while reading something, you can buy them off the rack.

But, if you’ve been experiencing headaches or eye strain after using these glasses, it’s best to let an eye doctor inspect your peepers. Plus, your doctor will also screen your eyes for severe conditions such as cataracts or glaucoma that become more common as we age.

Prescription readers are more expensive than OTC glasses. If you wish to buy online prescription reading glasses at affordable prices, check out our products. They all are made to the highest lens and frame quality to care for your ageing vision.

How to Safely Use Ready-Made Readers?

Wearing non-prescription reading glasses won’t make your vision worse. But, here are a few things that will make the experience safer and more comfortable:

• Do not go for strong magnification strengths. Choose any power that helps you see clearly at a comfortable distance.
• When you buy reading glasses online, make sure you give correct facial measurements. A frame that doesn’t fit won’t help you see any better.
• If you are using your glasses for computer work, you will need a lower magnification strength than you would if you were using them to read a book.
• Talk to an eye doctor about how long you should wear your glasses in a day.

Even when these off-the-shelf readers work fine for you, do not ignore the annual eye exam. Your ageing eyes are prone to developing potentially serious problems. Eye exam will rule out the possibility of these disorders so you can take action while there’s still time.

And don’t worry about the cost of these glasses. You can find premium quality prescription reading glasses at 70% lower prices than the high street delivered to your home at a record-breaking time.