Are there good reading spectacles everywhere?
There are now reading spectacles almost everywhere. If visual acuity in the near range declines, one can find a remedy at the nearest chemist or even more practically at the service station en route to work and purchase an "off-the-peg" pair of reading spectacles. Why is there a need then to visit an optician?
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We asked the experts for lenses at Rodenstock: Individuals who buy ready-to-use spectacles normally choose their reading spectacles by quickly trying them on and skimming a passage and quickly end up with the "wrong" or higher prescription. In the long run wearing reading spectacles with higher values can cause the visual acuity in the near range to deteriorate faster.
Only an optician can make the optimal adjustment
"Off-the-peg" reading spectacles also have the same prescription in both lenses. However, most people need lenses with different prescriptions as no two eyes have the same dioptre strength. For that reason alone it is worth visiting the optician because he individually adapts the reading spectacles to the wearer. He determines the personal prescription in the initial step.
Roughly 80% of the spectacle wearers have, for example, a corneal curvature, which can only be detected by a refraction at the optician and then corrected with the spectacles. In the second step the optician measures the centring data, such as the interpupillary distance, with which he positions the lenses in the spectacle frame properly when grinding.
In contrast, ready-to-use reading spectacles are manufactured with a standard centring. In most cases, however, the fit of the spectacles deviates from this standard.
For instance, in the case of greater deviations it can lead to complaints, such as headaches, in the long term.
According to Butz, in terms of the quality of the lenses as well as the spectacle frame reading spectacles from the specialist shop are always preferred over cheaper ready-to-use reading spectacles. The lenses often have a poor quality anti-reflective coating or none at all, the material as well as the finishing of the spectacle frame are inferior.
Individuals who purchase a pair of ready-to-use reading spectacles as a spare pair of spectacles or only use these when out and about, e.g. reading a menu or price tag, can by all means also get along with an off-the-shelf product. However, for periods of prolonged wearing and comfortable reading Christina Butz recommends reading spectacles from the optician in each case. Individuals who want to avoid the hassle of putting reading spectacles on and taking them off again are best advised to choose progressive lenses, which offer infinitely variable sharp vision in all distances.
