Is It Time To Buy A Pair Of Reading Glasses?

No one likes to confront the reality of aging, but the truth is, as we get older our bodies start to wear out.  Parts of our bodies that worked well when we were 20 may not work so well once we hit 40, or 60.  Two-thirds of people between 45-55 need glasses, and almost 80 percent of those over 55 should be wearing them.

At LOOK OPTIC, we want everyone to have great stylish reading glasses when the time comes.  In all likelihood, you are going to need reading glasses someday.  That being the case, it's good to know the signs of failing close-up vision.  If you know what to watch out for, it'll be easier for you to find the best corrective glasses.

5 Signs That You Need Reading Glasses

1 - Constantly holding objects at arm's length

This is the number one biggest sign of failing close-up vision, particularly among people over the age of 40.  If you find yourself having to hold items at arm's length to be able to see fine details, or read text, that's not just a red flag - it's all the flags.

This is actually due to a condition called presbyopia.  Basically, after a lifetime of use, the muscles controlling your eyes and irises start to wear out.  Focusing down on fine details becomes difficult because your eye muscles don't want to contract that much.  So, rather than fight it, people start instinctively holding things further away to read them.  They might not even realize they're doing it!

So next time you try to read a text on your smartphone and find yourself sticking your arm out, realize that there's an easier alternative – high-quality reading glasses!

2 - Your eyes constantly feel tired

It's hard to put into words, but we all know what it feels like when our eyes are tired.  We want to constantly rub them, close our eyes, or stare off into the distance without focusing on anything in particular.

If this happens frequently after you do a lot of close-up reading, it's another big sign that your vision is weakening.  Sadly, it's not something you can power through.  If anything, that'll only increase the strain on your eyes and speed up their decline.  Once presbyopia sets in, it's a one-way trip.

Of course, that's not the only issue eye strain can lead to.

3 - Frequent headaches

For some people’s  eyes will keep focusing on small text or objects - but at great cost.  Like working out at a gym, this puts a real strain on the eyes, and that strain turns into pain.  Unfortunately, there's no gain here.

Frequent eye strain will lead to headaches, those sharp bright ones in the front of your head.  This is your eyes saying, "enough already, we need a break!"  Again, trying to power through or popping a lot of painkillers won't do any good in the long run.  You simply need to invest in a good pair of reading glasses to take the strain off your eyes and make it easier to see close-up objects again.

Even if they take a little getting used to, that's so much better than having headaches every day - especially if you do a lot of work on computers or smart devices.

4 - Difficulty seeing in low-light conditions

If trying to read small text in regular lighting strains your eyes, then trying to see objects in low light will really strain them.  Your eyes have to work extra hard in dim light, which only makes all the above problems worse.  

This is actually one of the more subtle signs of declining close-up vision, at least at first.  People might still be able to read small text in daylight without too much problem, but then struggle to read the dinner menu in a dimly-lit restaurant.  This effect can also be disguised if you're using your smartphone a lot since it produces its own light.  

Of course, if you only have problems seeing in low-light conditions, at least then you may only occasionally need to wear your reading glasses, rather than wearing them all the time.

5 - Seeing halos or light smears, especially at night

Finally, as your eyes begin to lose their ability to focus, particularly bright objects may not come into focus easily.  This can show up as halos in your vision, or a 'smeariness' when looking at bright things.  Such issues can be especially bad when you're driving at night since it can become harder to properly see things around you.

However, this particular problem can be a sign of other vision disorders as well - such as cataracts beginning to form.  Reading glasses can correct the haloing, at least at first, but you should discuss this with your optometrist if it starts to happen.  That way they can check for any other issues.

A Note On Blue Light

Vision specialists are beginning to recognize the abundance of blue light in our environment as being bad for our eyes.  Blue light is at the very top of the visible electromagnetic spectrum.  It's the most 'high energy' form of light that we can see.  It's all around us naturally in sunlight - but it's produced in high amounts whenever we look at computer screens.  This can make vision problems worse, or potentially even harm the eyes directly. 

So more and more people are now buying reading glasses with blue light filters.  These shift the frequency of light you see downwards a bit, cutting out those high-energy blue light waves.  This can potentially help slow down the decline of your eyes or make you less prone to eye-strain headaches when looking at screens all day.

LOOK Your Best With Great Reading Glasses

LOOK OPTIC knows that many people need reading glasses, but they still want to look good wearing them.  We carry a wide range of sustainable, fashionable frames, with advanced features like Italian spring hinges for extra comfort.  Our lenses are also high quality, resistant to breaking and scratching. You can up your fashion game while still taking care of your eye health.

Click here to use our Virtual Mirror and try on a few pairs!