When you find yourself squinting at signs, struggling to read menus, or needing to get closer and closer to your computer screen as the day goes on, you may be wondering if you need reading glasses. Is it time to look into reading glasses? If so, then don’t worry. This guide will explain how to know if you need reading glasses and provide some tips on choosing the right pair for your needs.
Do I need reading glasses?
Are you squinting more when reading?
If you find yourself squinting more when reading, it might be time for reading glasses. Here are five other signs that point to the need for your eyesight to be tested. 1) You find yourself sitting closer to the TV or computer screen than usual. 2) You’re having a hard time finding things on grocery store shelves. 3) Your partner is telling you they can’t read what’s on your computer screen. 4) You have difficulty judging distance when driving and 5) You keep running into things when walking around your home or office. The best way to know if you need reading glasses is to get an eye exam.
You experience headaches after reading for long periods of time
If the letters on your screen start to shake or if everything has an inverted-halo effect and text becomes blurry, this means that your eyes are straining too much and that they are not getting enough oxygen. Constantly forcing your eyes to focus is how a headache is born, so it’s important to give them a break. Additionally, you could get headaches if your prescription (level of visual correction) needs adjusting. With these five points in mind, try to be mindful when reading and use these self-checks as reminders to keep it up for the sake of both your physical health and mental well-being.
You experience eye strain after using digital devices.
It’s natural to experience eyestrain after prolonged periods of time spent staring at devices—which makes sense because such screens emit blue light, a wavelength that reduces eye fatigue but can also make any surrounding lights look duller. A pair of prescription glasses designed for extended screen use will protect your peepers from further damage by filtering out some of the harmful wavelengths—and who doesn’t want their favourite movies to look even more awesome than before! You don’t have to just rely on prescription lenses from your Mississauga area optometrist, however; certain smartphones like Apple’s iPhone 13 now come with what’s called 3D Touch technology, allowing users to zoom into pictures or video without losing image quality.
You hold books or other reading materials closer to your face.
Perhaps the most obvious sign that you might have a vision problem is that your reading materials seem too far away. You might hold books and other reading materials close to your face in order to read, or lean in closer to the computer screen than usual. If this sounds like a familiar situation, it’s possible that you’re experiencing presbyopia, an age-related eye condition characterized by difficulty focusing on near objects. Presbyopia can be corrected with a prescription for reading glasses, bifocals or multifocal lenses.
Another sign of presbyopia is when the print is no longer crisp and clear but appears blurry and distorted, even if it’s just a few inches away from your eyes.
You experience eye fatigue after reading.
The first sign that you might need reading glasses is that your eyes feel tired after reading for a little bit. This can be caused by the distance between your eyes and the words on the page, as well as how much light is around you. It’s important to get up from the reading position at least every 20 minutes and look at things from different distances.
If this doesn’t fix it, try removing all of the external lighting around yourself to see if it makes a difference. If your eyes still hurt after this, it’s time to investigate whether or not you might need reading glasses.
You notice a change in your vision when going from near to far objects.
Many people who are starting to get older will notice a change in their vision when going from near to far objects. This is due to the muscles in your eyes becoming weaker and your eye’s natural lens becoming less flexible as you grow older. Some other factors that can cause this condition are diabetes, cataracts, glaucoma and high blood pressure. If you notice yourself squinting or having trouble seeing small print on labels or electronic devices, it may be time for reading glasses.
There are many different styles of reading glasses that can make reading more comfortable for people with this condition. For example, magnifying reading glasses allow you to read things without having to bring them up close. Computer reading glasses work great for someone who spends most of their day working on a computer screen. Multifocal lenses can help by bringing objects into focus at various distances.
