Reading Glasses – What to Ask your Optician

Reading Glasses - What to Ask your Optician

You may be one of the thousands of people who don’t need any vision correction until you experience presbyopia. This is the condition that reduces the focusing ability of your eyes, meaning that you can’t read things clearly unless they are held away from you. If this is happening to you, it’s time to go and see an optician to find out if you need reading glasses.

Get Tested for Reading Glasses

Once you notice a deterioration in your vision, you need to make an appointment to see an optician. You should get an annual check up anyway, but if you have been missing out on these, get a friend or family member to recommend an optician to you, so that you’re confident from the very start. Make an appointment for a general eye test – this will give the optician a chance to take a good look at the health of your eyes as well as the vision, and give you the chance to ask questions. When you have your eye test, don’t try and cover up vision problems by answering the questions the way you think the optician would like you to – being absolutely honest about what you can see and what you can’t is the best possible way to get the right prescription for your eyes. Once you get to your eye test, you could ask the following questions:

• Why is my vision a problem? If you haven’t had problems with your sight before, it can be worrying for things to be out of focus. Asking a straightforward question like this gives your optician the chance to explain everything to you.
• Is it likely to get worse? Your optician will do a full eye exam to determine the extent of your vision problems. If it’s an age-related condition like presbyopia, you are likely to get a prescription for reading glasses and recalled each year or every 6 months to be re-checked. If the optician finds other problems, he or she will be able to talk you through the best solution for you and give you an idea about if and how the condition will progress.
• What does my prescription mean? Optical prescriptions give very specific details about the vision in each eye. You don’t need to understand your prescription, but anyone making lenses for reading glasses or testing your eyes in the future will be able to see exactly what your prescription means. You will be given a copy of your prescription so that when you buy reading glasses you’ll be able to give the right information.
• Will I need stronger reading glasses in the future? It can be difficult for your optician to predict what is going to happen to your eyesight. You may eventually need to wear glasses all the time, or you may only experience slight vision loss as you get older. The wise thing to do is to make sure that you go back to the optician as soon as you notice a change in your vision, so that your prescription can be changed if necessary.

Prescription and Reading Glasses at Sight Station

Once you’ve been to your optician, had your eyes tested and received you prescription, you can order your reading glasses from Sight Station. We have a fabulous range of frames for men and women, in many different styles, colours and patterns, so you’re sure to find something that works for you. Simply put in your prescription and buy online, or call us on 01322 318511 to find out more.