Prescription VS. Ready-to-Wear Glasses. Which One Should You Choose?

Walk into any pharmacy in New York and you’re bound to find an entire rack full of ready-to-wear reading glasses. After a quick do-it-yourself eye test, you can pick a frame, buy it and go. But, should you really be wearing them? Ready-made glasses seem like the easiest way to correct vision problems, since they don’t require an exam with an eye doctor. Yet, while they may be easy to buy, they’re actually pretty hard on the eyes. When compared to prescription glasses, ready-made glasses may be doing more harm than good.

Between the ages of forty to sixty, most people begin to notice negative changes in their vision. Things close up become blurry, prescription eyeglasses start becoming weaker, and small print almost seems unreadable, especially in low lighting. Once this happens, glasses become a necessity, and people’s first stop is to the glasses rack. Ready-made glasses are made for everyone, so they’re not going to have your exact prescription. Wearing glasses with the wrong prescription not only worsens your eyesight, but can cause headaches, nausea and tired eyes. When buying these glasses, most people tend to buy glasses that are too strong for them because they assume stronger prescriptions are better. And many people require separate prescriptions for each eye, but, ready-made glasses only come with one prescription in both eyes.

Instead of putting your eyesight in jeopardy by wearing low-quality glasses, it’s better to just visit an eye doctor and receive a thorough eye exam. Not only do eye exams help you find your personalized prescription, they also test to see whether your vision may or may not be a side effect of cataracts or glaucoma. Your vision is always changing, so finding the perfect eye doctor for yearly check-ups is important.

Once you receive your prescription, it’s your choice which visual aid to choose. For those who prefer not wearing glasses, prescription contacts are a good alternative. But, for those who are not comfortable or cannot wear them, glasses are a better choice. When choosing a pair of glasses, make sure they’re in a shape and style you like. While there are many tips on choosing the right frame based on face shape, hair, age, complexion, and so on, just remember that as long as you love the look and feel of your glasses, then that’s what makes them right for you.