Magnifying Glasses for Reading
Magnifying Glasses for Reading
I guess you could use a magnifying glass for reading if you don’t mind being compared to Sherlock Holmes. It certainly isn’t very convenient to carry one around with you. I do have a little one that I take to flea markets to visualize maker marks on silver and china, but for other uses, reading glasses fill the bill.
As we age our near vision is most commonly affected. You hear people say that their arms are too short because they cannot get the newspaper far enough away to read it.
Reading glasses magnify things in increments of 25% and most people begin to have problems with their near vision after age 40. For me, it started with the phone book.
Those tiny little numbers had me calling 411 instead of just looking a number up. I fought against wearing glasses to read for as long as I could, but I love to read and it was not any pleasure to squint. I found that I was no longer able to read for hours at a time, so I gave in and bought some inexpensive reading glasses. I bought the weakest pair and found that they made a tremendous difference. I could enjoy my books and magazines again and read recipes from my many cookbooks with ease.
There are other types of magnifying glasses that are useful for hobbies and crafts. My grandmother used to quilt and she had one that hung around her neck. She wore prescription glasses but that magnifying glass made it so much easier to see those tiny stitches. People who tie flies for fishing lures or work on miniatures also find this type of glass helpful. I have seen lighted page magnifiers to read with but they don’t look very convenient. Of course if you’re fast reader you’ll get a little hand workout moving it from page to page.
If you don’t require prescription glasses for other eye issues but just a little magnification, magnifying glassses for reading will most likely do the trick. Don’t use them as an excuse to skip a visit to the eye doctor though. If you experience headaches, nausea or eye strain while using them, make an appointment. You may need prescription readers.
