Do I really need prescription glasses?

Question

Hi, my question is do I really need prescription glasses, or can I get away with those really cheap reading glasses you get in the pharmacy?

My eyesight has deteriorated quite a bit over the last year or so (pregnancy-related, or just sleep deprivation?!). I am increasingly farsighted and am having trouble with reading (blurriness) or viewing other objects up close, though everything else is fine.

I went to an optician about 18 months ago. Can't remember the details, but one eye was more problematic than the other. Since then things have got worse in both, of course.

Cheapo reading glasses seem to work fine, but could they cause damage to my eyes somehow? Could they damage the rest of my vision, apart from the reading problem?

Thanks!

Answer 1

Pregnancy can change your vision, and sleep deprivation will of course, make you tired. Over the counter reading glasses are fine...if that's all you need. Only an eye doctor can tell you if you need a prescription or not. Getting cheap glasses from an optomitrist is fine, if you have no medical problems. but since it sounds like you might (pregnancy changes etc.) it's best to go to an ophthalmologist, an actual medical doctor. good luck

Answer 2

What you need to do is go to an eye doctor to see how bad your eyes are. The doctor will tell you whether you need prescription glasses or just reading glasses(and what strength you need).

An ophthalmologist is a doctor for the eyes. He can not only write prescriptions for glasses, but also treat eye diseases and do surgery on the eyes when necessary. I go to an ophthalmologist, but I've also had eye surgery in the past.

An optometrist is an eye doctor but can't do surgery on the eyes.

An optician can only dispense, help choose frames, fix glasses, and make suggestions. An optician cannot treat or diagnose eye problems.


The cheapo reading glasses may work fine but it's best to get your eye's checked.

Answer 3

I would go to the doctor and get prescription glasses, yeah those reading glasses are great for people that have the same vision level in both eyes but you said you have one eye that is worse than the other so the reading glasses will end up damaging your eye sigh more than if you go with out glasses all together.
you will need to diffrent levels of lenses for your eyes.
Hope I helped!!!

Answer 4

Get the prescription from your eye doctor then talk to someone at the pharmacy or wherever you get the cheap ones from and see how similar they are. If one eye is different from the other, you might be better off with prescription but your eyes will continue to deteriorate over the years (sad but true...what a pain it is too!) and so if you can see well enough with the cheapo ones go for those. I got prescription and I hate them. I'd rather read without, but it means taking my glasses off to read as I need them for distance. Without them I read ok...but with them on I can't read and I HATE progressives, never ever will get those again. Can't even see going down the stairs and often they are not even made correctly in those cheap labs.

Answer 5

The best thing is for your optometrist make that decision for you. If they think that you should be wearing glasses, then do it. If you try to pull off one of the cheap glasses at the grocery store you might end up doing more damage than good to your eyes. If you really want to go that route though, I would suggest asking the doctor about what perscription of those glasses would work best for you. Then maybe he/she can give you an idea which ones to go with so you aren't doing damage to your eyes.

Answer 6

It depends on if your prescription is stable or not. If it's stable you could go a couple years before getting new glasses. If your prescription is not stable you may need new glasses every year.

Answer 7

Poor glasses won't affect your eyes ,but you are obviously not happy with your vision and should seek professional help. Costco got the best rating for optician service ,but 4Eyes and other discount opticians did well also . You would be amazed at how little glasses can cost if you stick with inexpensive type lenses and frames and ignore all the hitech add-ons

Answer 8

If the eye doctor thinks you need glasses, I would get them. If you don't and depend on the dime store eye glasses for too long it will damage your eyes. My mother did the same thing years ago, when she needed glasses and what would have turned out just being reading glasses ended up being perminent glasses, because it damaged her eyes by not getting reading glasses, so if you need glasses get them and maybe your eyes won't get any worse.

Answer 9

I can't speak for anyone else; But here's what I did. I had problems reading so I went to get reading glasses and one of the lenses was too weak so I bought two pairs one strong for my right eye and one weak for my left. Both pairs had the same frames so all I had to do was swap out the lenses and I have one pair that works great.

Answer 10

Reading glasses will work just fine. You will need several pairs. They are hard to keep up with when you don't wear them all the time. There is no way they can damage your eyes; they are just magnifying glasses.