Can Wearing Reading Glasses All the Time Hurt Your Eyes?
Once you enter your 40s, you may become closer and closer to needing reading glasses. Why? People above age 40 are at the highest risk for presbyopia, a refractive error caused by aging eyes.
The idea of needing reading glasses for presbyopia might startle you at first, but there’s no need to worry. Presbyopia affects most people as they get older, so optometrists have the upper hand in helping you find the best vision correction.
Also, you might only need to wear reading glasses while reading your favorite book or performing a similar task. Since reading glasses can help magnify your field of view, you might be tempted to wear them for most of the day.
Can wearing reading glasses all the time hurt your eyes, though? Let’s find out.
Can wearing reading glasses all the time hurt your eyes?
As you age, it may become challenging for you to do near vision tasks that you used to do, such as reading a paperback or using your Kindle. The words may look blurry since presbyopia makes your eye lenses less pliable. Reading glasses can help with this symptom, magnifying your close-up vision.
Can wearing reading glasses all the time hurt your eyes? It’s best to wear your glasses per your optometrist’s recommendations, as they’ll have the best assessment of your eyes and vision, so stick to the schedule they give you. Reading glasses are unlikely to hurt your eyes, though they can affect your vision if you have the wrong prescription.
The purpose of reading glasses is to enhance your visual acuity, despite presbyopia symptoms. If you feel like your reading glasses are doing more harm than good, get in touch with an eye doctor today. An eye appointment may be beneficial to ensure you have the right prescription.
What should you know about using reading glasses for the computer?
Using the computer or other digital devices at close range for long periods may contribute to computer vision syndrome (or digital eye strain). While you might wear reading glasses to clear your near vision, these glasses aren’t meant for computer use.
Reading glasses might not have a prescription. However, if you’re presbyopic or have another refractive issue, a prescription might be essential. To make your glasses work, you may need a higher level of power.
For computer time, we recommend using your regular prescription lenses and/or blue-light glasses. Blue-light glasses can reduce your chances of getting eye strain due to exposure to blue light from your devices and the environment. (Keep in mind that these glasses won’t improve your eye health. They work by helping to prevent digital eye strain symptoms.)
Summary: Do reading glasses weaken your eyes if worn all day?
Wearing reading glasses for the first time might feel odd–but not for long. Many people develop presbyopia as they age, which makes reading glasses helpful for improving near vision (as that’s what presbyopic people struggle with the most, in general).
Can wearing reading glasses all the time hurt your eyes or weaken them? No, it’s unlikely that reading glasses will affect your eyes in those ways. They’re designed to support your vision–not harm your eyes.
If you’re considering using reading glasses for the computer, we encourage you to think twice. Your eyes might experience digital eye strain symptoms during focused screen time, and blue-light glasses are better suited than reading glasses to help with these symptoms. Also, if you need a prescription, corrective eyewear is an excellent choice, too.
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