Do you need bifocals or reading glasses?

As everyone ages, so his or her need for bifocals increase. What exactly is this phenomenon in scientific terms and why, as people age, do they require glasses to help them read?

As the inventor of bifocals, the renowned creator and forefather of our great nation, Benjamin Franklin, had some insight into this interesting condition, often associated with aging.

Bifocals are dual-vision glasses that permit a patient to see through two prescriptions at one time. Old-style bifocals were easy to identify, with their half-moon shape resting clearly over glasses’ lenses. Today’s newer styles blend seamlessly with the main lens, making them almost impossible to detect.

Typically, patients who require bifocals suffer from nearsightedness and also develop presbyopia – this is the inability to focus on close objects – which often occurs during middle age, in one’s 40’s.

With the advent of modern refraction surgeries, many older adults have eliminated the need for day-to-day glasses and simply need reading glasses as they age. How then, does an older adult determine if he/she needs reading glasses and/or bifocals? This step-by-step guide will help provide some valuable insight and answers.

1. How far away must you hold your reading materials? If you must hold reading material at arm’s length, you may want to consider seeing an eye doctor about reading glasses.
2. Are you squinting while reading or viewing the computer screen? Sometimes people are not aware they are having difficulty reading, so ask someone around you if they have noticed you having difficulty focusing on close objects.
3. How old are you? It is most common to develop presbyopia between the ages of 40 and 60 years old.
4. If you hold a newspaper approximately 12 inches from your face, then move it father away, does the text become clearer or blurrier? If it becomes clearer as it moves away, you may need bifocals or reading glasses.
5. A routine eye exam will help determine if you have developed presbyopia and need bifocals and/or reading glasses. There are a number of treatments available in today’s modern world, including bifocals, bifocal contact lenses or laser surgery.

Olympic Eyewear offers a wide range of wholesale sunglasses, including U&ME Readers that are available in powers ranging from +1.25 to +3.0, in increments as low as +0.25. Additionally, they offer wholesale sunglasses cases, making carrying reading glasses easy and stylish.