Can Reading Glasses Make Your Eyesight Worse?

You see it all the time, people whipping out a pair of reading glasses every time they look at something close. And now you are starting to notice that things get a little blurry when you hold them close. So somebody suggested a pair of +1.00 readers, which did the trick for some time. Then, without warning, your pair of readers are not performing as well, requiring you to get a stronger pair of glasses. Can it be possible that by wearing those readers, your eyesight got worse? Well here is the good news, reading glasses do not hurt you eyes. On the contrary, a good pair of eyeglasses will simply bend light in a manner so images focus properly on the back of your eye. In the case of reading glasses, the light is bent in a way that magnifies the image. So if wearing readers did not make your eyes get worse, why all of a sudden would you need a stronger pair? If you are approaching or over 40, congratulations, you are also presbyopic. Presbyopia is a medical term that basically means your eyes are no longer able to accommodate from distance to near vision as well. Basically, there is a lens inside your eye that manages focusing. This elastic crystalline lens has the ability to adjust shape, which allows you to adjust your range of focus. If you watch a little kid read or draw, you will notice that they can hold their paper and crayon a mere inch or two from their eyes and still manage to see what they are doing. Thats because a childs crystalline lens is extremely elastic and can focus that close. As we grow up, the lens gets thicker and in turn less elastic. In our thirties, we cant focus as well as when we were 20. And by the time we are 40, our focusing ability within arms distance becomes more and more of a challenge. This is when we reach for our reading glasses. Our Lens will continue to grow throughout life. What this means is that in our early 40s, a +1.00 reader will perform very well. However, after a few years, we need even more help when focusing at near. So upgrading to a pair of +1.50 or +2.00 readers will become necessary. So you see, the fact that you started wearing reading glasses has absolutely no effect on the continued growth of your crystalline lens. Wearing a good pair of readers is a simple way to magnify an image, which takes the strain off of your eyes. To find out exactly which power reading glasses you should be wearing, you can use a printable eye chart, like the one found at ReadInStyle.com Remember when selecting the correct power, the higher the number, the greater the magnification. For example, a +3.00 will give you great near vision at about 8 inches from your eyes. Using this power you may not be able to see the computer screen. But by decreasing the power to a +1.50, you may still be able to read at about 16 inches, and still manage to see the computer screen. Again, using an eye chart will help you find the correct power. When it comes time for reading glasses, dont suffer through the eyestrain. A quality pair of readers will only help your eyes. And if you pick the right pair, they can also look fabulous.