Eyeglasses are a fashionable way to improve your eyesight and, when you find a style you like they also improve your confidence. If you are one of those lucky people who never needed vision correction until later in life, the options and terminology may be confusing. So lets demystify the lingo and get you seeing clearly again.
Chances are, if you saw clearly up until you reached your early forties you are noticing a condition called presbyopia. Do not worry; everybody experiences presbyopia at some point. Let us skip all the scientific reasoning presbyopia is doing this to you and just accept that it is natural, it happens, and this is reality. Easiest thing you can do is get glasses to correct for your new found fuzzy reading vision.
There are three general styles of eyeglasses you might be interested in using.
1) Single vision reading glasses are easy to use and are easily available. Readers have your reading correction covering the entire lens. This means that they are to be used only for near vision. If you look off in the distance through your reading glasses it will be blurry. If you see better in the distance through your reading glasses, go visit the eye doctor. Chances are you need a prescription pair of glasses or contact lenses.
2) Bifocal reading glasses are split lenses with no correction through the upper portion and your reading correction throughout the lower portion of the lens. Commonly referred to as Ben Franklin Glasses, these eyeglasses are perfect the reader who wants to leave glasses on for an extended period of time and still be able to see clearly in the distance.
3) Progressive reading glasses have the same benefit as bifocals, except rather than having a split style lens; they have a gradual channel of increasing reading add. To achieve an optimal graduated effect with your progressive readers, you may want to pick out a nice frame and bring them to a qualified optician to have the progressive lenses added in your correction.
For most presbyopic readers, either single vision or bifocal reading glasses makes the most sense. Remember that your new vision is natural, but that does not mean you can skip the visit to the eye doctor. Consider presbyopia a wake up call that you should have your eyes checked and get yourself a nice pair of readers that you will be proud to wear.