It can be frustrating when you can no longer read small print or make out fine details like you once did. One option would be to go down to your local department or drug store and pick up a pair of readers, but this isn’t really the best choice for a number of reasons. For reading glasses in Knoxville, your best choice is to visit our eye care center in Hardin Valley.
Reading glasses from an optometrist ensure that you get the right fit for your frames. It also guarantees that eyes with different prescriptions are treated correctly. With comprehensive eye exams, other vision issues are treated, as well. These glasses are common as you get older due to presbyopia, the hardening of the eye’s lens.
Reading Glasses in Knoxville — Why Going to the Optometrist is the Best Choice
Purchasing reading glasses from a drugstore may not address specific vision needs. Optometrists offer solutions and comprehensive exams to catch vision problems and health issues. This helps promote overall well-being.
Get the Right Fit
Buying reading glasses from the drugstore is a lot like when you buy a bag of socks. Sure, they may last you a long time, but their one-size-fits-all approach won’t always meet your unique needs and can be more trouble than they’re worth.
This is especially true if you have:
- Astigmatism
- A different prescription in each eye
- Eyes that are closer together or further apart than average
Astigmatism causes light to bend in more than one direction, leading to issues such as blurry or wavy distance vision. It’s a common problem that is easily treated with prescription lenses, whether it’s prescription glasses or contact lenses. Unfortunately, readers aren’t designed to treat astigmatism. This means you’ll still need prescription eyewear for the clearest vision.
While readers can help magnify your vision to see smaller print more clearly, they can’t be adjusted to support the needs of both eyes if they require a different prescription in each eye. This means that you would need reading glasses that are adjusted to strengthen both eyes in order to see clearly.
Eyes that are closer together or further apart than average are another common problem. The distance between eyes can vary from person to person, making it difficult to find the right fit. This means that you may find a pair of readers that help you see smaller details more easily, but they can also cause eye strain and headaches due to a poor fit.
Hardin Valley Eyecare and Optical can help determine what’s causing your vision problems. Let our team help you find frames that fit perfectly on the first try, won’t strain your eyes, and fit your personal style.
Comprehensive Eye Exams in Knoxville, TN
Another benefit of going to the optometrist is comprehensive eye exams. Dr. Travis Thompson and Dr. Catharine Abbott can check your vision for any other issues. Comprehensive eye exams are the best way to catch vision problems early so you can get treatment before they become a major problem.
Comprehensive eye exams allow your eye doctor to check for:
- Cataracts
- Glaucoma
- Macular degeneration
- Autoimmune disorders
- Dry eyes
But the benefits of comprehensive eye exams don’t stop there. They also provide us with a look into your overall health. With these in-depth eye exams, we can also check for signs of:
- Heart disease
- High blood pressure
- Diabetes
- Blocked arteries
Comprehensive eye exams keep an eye on your overall health. This make
s them just as important as your annual physical and regular dental visits.
Do I Need Them?
Your vision changes as you get older and will require new treatments to help you see clearly. For many people, this means developing presbyopia in their 40s. Presbyopia is the natural hardening of the lens as you get older, making up-close objects appear blurry or out of focus. This isn’t to be confused with myopia (
nearsightedness), which is usually present at birth and makes faraway objects appear blurry.
Other signs that you may need reading glasses include:
- Needing brighter light when reading
- Experiencing eye strain while reading or working on the computer
- Frequent headaches
- Seeing halos around lights
Needing brighter light when reading is a common sign of presbyopia. It can sometimes even seem like there’s never enough light to help you see better. According to one study, the average 60-year-old eye receives one-third of the light that a 20-year-old does due to presbyopia.
Presbyopia can also result in you experiencing eye strain while reading or working on the computer. A temporary fix is to take more frequent breaks so your eyes have time to rest. However, a pair of glasses for reading is a better long-term option since they will help you see small print more easily.
Constantly straining to see can tire out your eye muscles, causing you to experience more frequent headaches. While tricks for digital eye strain can help, getting a pair of reading glasses is your best bet to see more easily and get rid of your headaches.
Seeing halos around lights is common when you have presbyopia. They occur when the lens of your eye can’t focus light onto the retina properly. This can cause glowing circles, or “halos,” to appear around headlights or other sources of light. Halos can also be a sign of astigmatism.
Going to an optometrist in Knoxville for readers addresses more than presbyopia. It’s also an opportunity to check for astigmatism, your eye prescription, and perform a comprehensive eye exam. It’s common to need reading glasses in your 40s due to the natural hardening of the eye’s lens, known as presbyopia. For a comfortable fit that is designed for your unique eye needs, visit Dr. Travis Thompson or Dr. Catherine Abbot at our clinic in Hardin Valley.
Hardin Valley Eyecare & Optical has been serving Knoxville since 2009. Located at 10904 Spring Bluff Way, you can schedule an appointment online or call us at (865) 888-0892.
