Using Bifocal Reading Glasses

Author: Susan Slobac

Telescopic glasses are among the latest of the numerous low vision aids used to help people in dealing with macular degeneration symptoms. While there is no cure for age related macular degeneration (AMD), there are macular degeneration treatments available that can assist such patients in maximizing what sight they do have; telescopic glasses are possibly among the most effective, both in terms of cost and effectiveness.

In some ways, these remarkable devices – also known as bioptics - are similar to bifocal reading glasses. They essentially work the same way; patients utilize these macular degeneration devices by tilting their heads forward. These particular macular degeneration devices are different however in their construction. Unlike bifocal reading glasses, which integrate two different prescriptions into single lenses, telescopic glasses actually consist of miniature telescopes that sit atop the frames.

The marvelous aspect of telescopic glasses – also known as bioptics - is the fact that they can be adjusted in the same way as many full-sized telescopes. As low vision aids for the relief of macular degeneration symptoms, telescopic glasses can be adjusted for a variety of activities requiring far, mid-range and near vision.

In fact, some states actually allow those who cannot pass the eye test for driving to operate a motor vehicle as long as bioptics are used. While there are usually restrictions, the use of telescopic glasses can help the patient to regain some measure of independence. These low vision aids are of great help in seeing road signs and other objects on the highway.

Telescopic glasses are like regular glasses, and if you plan on driving with them, you’ll need an optometrist’s prescription. Even if you’re not planning to operate an automobile (and admittedly, this is not appropriate for everyone – or even very many – people with macular degeneration symptoms), the use of these remarkable low vision aids can greatly add to your quality of life.

With the use of bioptics, people who use such macular degeneration devices can once again enjoy watching television and motion pictures, engage in artistic pursuits such as sculpture and painting or music requiring reading, and engage in their favorite sports.

Of course, because macular degeneration symptoms affect one’s central vision and because different activities in life require different kinds of vision, there is no one single solution. Bioptics are only one part of a comprehensive solution that will most likely require several different types of macular degeneration devices. Only your optometrist can advise you as to which of these prosthetic devices can be of most good in helping your particular case.

As is the case for prescription bifocal reading glasses, you will need to be examined by and have a prescription from a qualified optometrist in order to make sure that bifocal reading glasses are right for you.

Article Tags: Bifocal Reading Glasses, Low Vision Aids, Macular Degeneration Symptoms, Macular Degeneration Devices, Telescopic Glasses

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/internet-articles/using-bifocal-reading-glasses-363189.html

Vision After 40 - Sneaky Ways to Hide Those Reading Glasses

By Suzanne Hughes

So you have decided against wearing reading glasses. You have noticed your near vision declining for years, but you are dead set against perching granny glasses on the end of your nose. As far as you are concerned, aging is hard enough; you certainly do not want to make yourself look older before your time. Luckily, there are many alternatives to conventional reading glasses.
A magnifying lens is a convenient answer to reading up close. This little gem is the size and shape of a credit card, so you can tuck it in a pocket or wallet for easy access. At a moment's notice, you will be reading away, without glasses.
Another great choice for making reading easier is the pendant magnifier. Wear it around your neck and make a statement. With a wide variety of styles and materials available (some trimmed with sparkly stones!), this is a beautiful, yet practical addition to your jewelry collection.
Lorgnettes are not just for the opera anymore. This choice affords you the ease and comfort of effortless reading, with the style and look of a trendy accessory. You can find frame in shiny metallics or bright plastics, mounted on handles or hung on chains.
As modern technology gets more advanced, some gadgets have gotten smaller. Cell phones, for instance, now weigh just a few ounces. With the benefit of a compact size comes the detriment of a harder-to-read display. Numbers and symbols are difficult to see on the tiny screens. Reading texts is next to impossible if you are presbyopic. But with a phone monocle, these problems are a thing of the past. This device fits over a phone display to magnify the data underneath. It fits both cell phones and cordless home phones, so if you are relaxing at home, you won't need to guess who is on the other end of the phone. You can just glance through the phone monocle and know for sure.
With all the stylish, yet functional choices in magnifying eyewear, maybe you will think being presbyopic is not so bad after all.
Suzanne Hughes believes reading glasses should be fun and fashionable. And she understands that sometimes an understated or more compact reading option is in order.
Visit her at http://www.ReadinStyle.com to see a full assortment of devices to help you read easier.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Suzanne_Hughes

Do Reading Glasses Really Weaken Your Eyesight?

By Suzanne Hughes

Are you at the point that things up close are not as sharp as they used to be? So somebody suggested a pair of reading glasses to help out. That pair of +1.00 readers worked great for some time, then without warning they seem to fail, requiring you to get even a stronger pair of specs.

Is it possible that by wearing reading glasses your near vision deteriorated? Ready for the good news, you are only helping your self be wearing reading glasses. Correcting your vision does not make it worse, glasses simply bend light in a manner so it hits the back of your eye properly.

So when and why do you need reading glasses? If you are approaching 40, congratulations, you are also approaching presbyopia. Presbyopia is the medical term for loss of accommodative near vision. Basically, there is a lens inside your eye that has been doing all the focusing for you. The lens is elastic and has the ability to adjust shape and, much like a camera, focus your eye from far to near.

When you were a little kid, it was possible to focus on objects as close as a couple inches away from your eye. Try that now, go ahead and try to read this print closer and closer. Depending on your age, it may be blurry anywhere from a couple inches to almost a couple feet! Or perhaps you are already wearing reading glasses to help you see up close.

The reason you notice this is because of that focusing lens, inside your eye, that we mentioned earlier. There are three parts of the body that continue to grow throughout life: Your nose, your ears, and your crystalline lens. Your lens grows in layers, much like an onion. As it grows, your lens slowly loses its elasticity making it more difficult to focus up close. Because it is so gradual we really don’t notice it until we reach our 40’s and at that time, we reach for a pair of reading glasses.

What do reading glasses actually do? They simply magnify the image which adjusts the focal length. This allows you to see the fine details again while holding your reading material at a comfortable distance. By simply magnifying an image, it is not possible to weaken your eyesight. What many people notice is that at age 42, a pair of +1.00 readers may work great for the newspaper and dinner menus. They are happy with their new readers and not overly inconvenienced to pull them out occasionally. But then, after a few years, they seem to need them more and more. And all of a sudden that pair of +1.00 readers is being upgraded to +1.50 or +2.00.

This progression is very natural and has to do, again, with the lens inside your eye losing its accommodative ability. So what are we to do now that we need readers? That’s simple, have fun with them. Reading glasses are a fact of life today for most people over the age of 40. And the great news is that eyewear designers have made tons of fun and funky frames designed specifically for you and your reading glasses needs.

So accept the fact that you will read a lot easier with a great pair of reading glasses, and most important, realize that magnifying an image is perfectly healthy and only relaxes your eyes. Have fun with it, make sure your next pair of frames make you look and feel fabulous.

This article was provided by http://www.readinstyle.com, your supplier for optical quality designer reading glasses and accessories. Have fun with your next pair of readers when you visit Readinstyle.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Suzanne_Hughes

Reading Glasses For The Fashion Savvy Boomers

By Suzanne Hughes

Remember when a pair of hand painted reading glasses was all the rage? You might not have been wearing readers at that point, but if you did, these glasses looked like someone took the time to personally place their artistic talent on your eyeglass frames.
In reality, there were a few stamped designs placed on a cheap pair of plastic frames. Yet they were in style. Well today, the available styles have caught up with the fashion savvy marketplace.
Practically everyone over the age of 45 needs some sort of additional reading correction. And the 45 year olds today are a lot younger at heart than their parents were at age 45. With this new generation have come innovative senses styles and fashions. This includes everything from shoes and tops to sunglasses and, of course, reading glasses.
The over 40 group today is not ashamed of the fact that a little extra reading correction is needed. They revel in it. With funky, fun colored reading glass frames, and gimmicky new devices we are constantly amazed at the latest reading novelty.
For example, a company called pocket peeper has a credit card sized magnifying lenses that slip right into your wallet. These cards come with flashy designs and some even have embedded rhinestones. Another great item that has been brought back in a great new way is the lorgnette, or reading glasses sans frame. These wonderful pieces are the perfect accessory for that trendy woman.
When it comes to actual reading glass frames, there are colors and designs galore to choose from. You can find more styles of reading glasses to choose from at an online boutique like http://www.readinstyle.com, than you can find shoes in your best girlfriends’ closet.
Frames are designed off styles made famous by characters of the generation, such as Clark Kent and other nostalgic concepts. Or even colors that match that shag green carpet you grew up playing on. Eye Bobs in particular has brought back some colors in a whole new manner that will make you smile and reminisce each and every time you put them on.
Reading glasses have truly become the latest fashion accessory. So what are you doing still wearing those “hand painted” plastic frames? Or cheap metal frames from the dollar store with the missing nose pad? Put your fashion foot forward and enjoy a real pair of reading glasses.
Suzanne Hughes is a fashion expert and buyer of designer reading glasses. You can see many of the great styles she has found at http://www.readinstyle.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Suzanne_Hughes

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