are over-the-counter reading glasses (2.5 diopters) doing any damage? I recently switched to 2.5 from 2.0?

Question

I find it much easier to read (no strain) with 2.5, but -- when I take them off after, say, a half hour, I notice a strain to see "regular" without any glasses.

I can read without glasses, but at 61, I am noticing a strain, and blurring, when I do.

I was precribe glasses 7 years ago that supposedly corrected for an astigmatism. They weren't very strong at all.

The patient should be held to the same principle as doctors, who are advised, "First, do no harm!"

Answer 1

Your eyesight may be progressively deteriorating as you age. (It's normal for eyesight to change with age.) Your OTC reading glasses are not ones that are measured for your particular eyesight, but apparently are helping you read without strain.

Since you are "noticing a strain and blurring" when you read without glasses, it's perhaps time to be fitted by an optometrist or ophthalmologist. These providers will measure each eye and the prescription glasses will then be made and fitted to your face. (For people who wear glasses, it is seldom that both eyes are the same vision; one eye generally has a better refraction than the other. OTC glasses are made with both lenses the same.)

Answer 2

Those vision who are 6/6 or (20/20) from 40 yrs and below will require reading glasses at age 41 onwards to read fine print at near.
This condition is called presbyopia where people can see clearly at far but sight is blurry when reading at near. Its due to aging.
The power of reading glasses will eventually increase when one ages.

When a certain point, the reader can read clearly at near but blurry at far. Take note this is a symptom of cataract and it occurs at least 50 years above but it varies with every individual.

You mentioned you switched to +2.5 from +2.00 D:
i have to ask you several questions:
1. Did you experience the same eyestrain when you are still using +2.00 D?
2.+2.5D over the counter has no astigmatic power, this could cause the eyestrain since your glasses of 7 years have astigmatic power and your eyes are used to it.
3. As mentioned above, if you can suddenly read at near but blurry at far, its a symptom of cataract.

Its better to go to a nearby optician to have your eyes checked. Better safe than sorry.

Answer 3

I would suggest you go to your eye doctor if you haven't been for awhile. He would be better at answering that question. Let him know up front you are not planing on buying your glasses from there you just want to know what is going on with your eyes. I'm 49 and I am starting to have a few more problems. My eyes are the opposite though. I can't see far away.

Answer 4

Get your eyes checked! I was using over the counter glasses and found the same things you are when taking them off~ slow to focus, straining to see. I had my eyes checked and found I needed different strengths for each eye. Since then things have improved a thousandfold. Get your eyes checked!

Answer 5

they are fine if you can use the same script in each eye if not then it will cause a problem