Doctor Annie Debunks Myths: Reading Glasses

It’s time to set the record straight and debunk this myth!!!

Does wearing reading glasses make you more dependent on them?

NO!

If you put off reading glasses in your 40’s will it make your eyes stronger?

NO!!!

This is a question I tackle with my patients almost every day. My typical patient is 45, has never worn glasses, and is now realizing that their arm can’t get long enough to see clearly up close, or they need more light to see up close – and they do not want to accept the fact that they now need glasses.

They may scowl at me when I explain it is age – but it’s the truth, and there’s nothing we can do about it.

Why?

There’s a muscle in our eyes (all of us!) that changes shape to focus at near; this is called accommodation. Around age 40, this muscle starts to lose elasticity (like the rest of our bodies), and this loss of elasticity makes it harder to focus up close. THIS HAPPENS TO ALL OF US!

If it happens to all of us, why does your colleague who is the same age or older than you who does not need glasses to read? She most likely needs glasses for distance, called nearsightedness. She still has less focusing ability up close, but because she has a prescription for distance, this just hasn’t manifested yet for her. Being nearsighted means her focal point is much closer than the rest of us. But don’t worry, she will need reading glasses eventually.

What about your elderly dad who can read without glasses? This could be be due to one of 3 reasons:

1. He has cataracts that have made his reading vision better but his distance vision cloudy,
2. He has had cataract surgery with bifocal implants (implants to help you read), or
3. He hasn’t needed cataract surgery yet and is nearsighted (like your 50 year old colleague).

SO, GIVE IN AND WEAR YOUR READERS IF YOU NEED THEM!

This means that you may need them for close up print but not for your computer. Or you may need them for both. Trust me, you will know it when you need them, and you aren’t doing yourself any favors by not using them.

In fact, I often see patients for the first time in my office in their mid-40’s, complaining of headaches that get worse as the day go on, or blurry vision that gets harder to focus as the day goes on. This is almost always due to the fact that they aren’t wearing proper readers to help out their accommodative muscles. They are using every last bit of muscle function they have all day at the office, and by 2 or 3pm, they are miserable.

Readers come in steps of magnifications, usually starting at .50, going up by .25 steps (.75, 1.25, 1.50 and so on). Why does the magnification increase? Because our muscle function steadily decreases over time, with the biggest drop in our 40’s and 50’s. When we are 44 we may only need +1.25, but by the time we are 54 we may need +2.00.

By the way, the readers you can buy at the drugstore or online without a prescription are perfectly fine! In fact, the 1.50 readers you buy for $10 at Target are the same as the readers you spent $200 for in Gucci frames. It’s all about your style and price point.

I often tell my patients to go to the rack in the drugstore and hold a book or magazine at the distance they’d like to read clearly, and try out a certain number and go up and down a step of magnification. What they like best is what they should buy!

What’s the catch?

To know which of these categories you fall into and which number readers you should be wearing (or if you need prescription readers), you need to visit your ophthalmologist. Your eye MD can tell you exactly what is going on with your eyes and be sure that you wear the right pair.

Please don’t shoot the messenger! None of us like getting older but facts and knowledge make us stronger, so I’m happy to debunk this myth today!

Gone are the days when you had no choice but to wear ugly magnifiers. There is so much choice out there and every brand is getting in on designing readers.Don’t want to wear a chain around your neck but afraid to lose them? Just find cheap pairs online and buy many!

A few of my favorite sites online that have great choice and customer service:

• ReadingGlasses.com
  • Carries high-end brands like Kate Spade and Maui Jim
• Peepers.com
  • Carries all price points, even reading sunglasses so you can read outside!

Want to try them out in person before committing?

• WarbyParker.com
  • Will let you try on up to 5 pairs at home and you just return what you don’t want – for free!
• Large Drugstore Chains
  • Don’t forget – large drugstore chains like Target and Walmart have great selections in most stores!
  • Costco and other big box stores have the best prices out there, like 3 pairs for $10. So you can put them in every room in the house, carry them in your bag, and can afford to lose them!