How To Know When It's Time For Bifocals
As part of the natural aging process, the lens of your eyes will begin to harden and become less flexible. This is a normal condition called presbyopia, and it affects most people at some point after age 40. For those who do not wear glasses for nearsightedness, it will indicate the necessity of reading glasses; for those who have already been wearing eyeglasses, it will mean that a switch to bifocals is in order. Here are some signs that it might be time to visit the optometrist to assess your need for bifocals.
You are holding books at arm's length distance.
One of the first signs of presbyopia is that you can't see small print when it's too close to your eyes. In order for your eyes to focus, the material needs to be a foot or two away from your face. If you're finding yourself holding books, magazines or other small-print materials farther away from your face than usual, you might be ready to look into getting reading glasses or bifocals.
You're getting headaches when reading or doing other close-up work.
Your eyes might be able to compensate for the changes in your lenses by squinting, raising your eyebrows or performing other contortions, some of which you might not even be aware of. All of this muscle activity can cause headaches. If you're sewing, reading, writing letters or doing other types of close-up work and it seems to be giving you headaches, your changing eyes might be to blame.
It's hard to see your speedometer and other car gauges at night.
Another sign that you might need bifocals is more apparent in the evening. If you're driving at night and you can see the oncoming cars and road signs without a problem but your speedometer and other lit gauges look a bit blurry, this is a sign that you may need vision correction.
While you can pick up a pair of inexpensive reading glasses at any pharmacy or discount store, it's best to see your optometrist first so you know how much correction you need. Also, many people find that bifocals are a more convenient alternative than constant switching between reading glasses and regular glasses for nearsightedness. Talk to an optometrist at a clinic like EyeCare About Vegas: Dr. R Dougal Morrison & Dr. Christopher Coker about your options when it comes time to make the switch to bifocals.
Share