The BBC estimates that 18 million Brits are affected by poor eyesight and require the aid of reading glasses.
It is estimated that 18 million people in the UK need reading glasses to help them read. Long sightedness is common with advancing age, and with millions affected in Britain, the market has never looked better for reading glasses, frames and opticians.
‘Hyperopia’ or long-sightedness is present with one in four people over the age of forty five, and one in three of those over the age of fifty five. By the age of sixty, almost half of all people should wear reading glasses to aid their close-up vision. Although long sightedness is increasingly common with age, it can affect those who are very you. Many children are, in fact, born with the condition, and many can develop Hyperopia during early childhood.
It is also believed that some cases of the eye disorder could be hereditary – but further research into genetic causes is still needed. So are there any alternatives to wearing reading glasses?
Will Millions of Brits Be Able to Ditch the Reading Glasses?
A new treatment called Conductive Keratoplasty, otherwise known as CK, is painless procedure which can reverse the damage caused by ageing. This form of corrective treatment is now available in the UK, costing between £1,000 and £1,500. Expensive as it is, could this be the end of reading glasses?
Laser eye surgery has fast become a popular option, but it is not suitable for everyone. Doctors believe that Conductive Keratoplasty could completely take over laser treatments in Britain. Lasting just five minutes, and causing no pain or discomfort, small radio waves gently reshape the cornea and return perfect eyesight to those who have lost it through ageing.
Reading Glasses – Fashion and Function
As well as the procedure being extremely expensive, reading glasses have also become a major fashion item over the years. Whilst some will be delighted to say goodbye to an agonizing visual impairment, others who have a manageable level of long-sightedness are probably less happy to let their fashionable frames go.
Reading glasses are not only a practical aid for those who need help seeing things close up, but they are a wonderful fashion accessory, as sported by celebrities and Hollywood stars.
The new CK procedure, developed in the US, can deliver immediate results. But fashion can dictate the fate of reading glasses and the market for fashionable eyewear.
A Sight For Sore Eyes…
Sight Station offers a large selection of fashion eyewear – fashionable, funky and up-to-date. Choose from a wide range of colours and styles. Shop online today, or call 01322 318 511 for more information.