Q…Dr. Deb,
Is it ok to share reading glasses? My customers at Sidetracks are always wanting to borrow my reading glasses to see the menu. Mary F.
A…Great question Mary! A little background first–There are so many “standard readers” or “cheaters” being sold without prescription these days that my patients frequently ask if they are ok since the cost is so much less than a prescription pair. The short answer is that if your right and left eye are about the same power and you don’t need them for extended periods of time then they may work.
One knows pretty fast if they are no good because a person will get headaches,eyestrain or just be blurry. They are good when we are in a “pinch”. For most of us in the work force prescription is the way to go. “Cheaters” do not correct for astigmatism and they don’t balance the eyes properly. I find that progressive addition lenses most closely simulate the natural zoom capability of our eyes that we start losing at age 40(the blended bifocals). They are not perfect, but they offer simultaneous distance, intermediate and near vision. Not everyone is able to adjust to them.
For those of my patients that work on the computer for hours a single vision glasses prescription may help alleviate some of the fatigue. Sharing glasses may not work as we tend to wear different prescriptions in our glasses. Another reason not to share too much is just good general hygiene dictates that it’s not a good idea. Do we want to chance getting sick from someone else’s glasses? It’s important to have comprehensive eye exams in addition to getting checked for glasses(refraction). Many eye diseases creep up on us…early detection helps save vision. My next Saturday office hours is May 21st!! Come by and say hi!!
