Why You Should Avoid Drug Store Reading Glasses

My father-in-law, a man in his 60s, had been blessed with 20/20 vision and never struggled to see near or far.  But, as he escalated through his fifties, his ability to read small print began to deteriorate. So, while picking up some medication one day, he decided to grab a pair of cheap reading glasses for some extra help.

Did he visit his optometrist? No. Did he have any idea how his eyes had actually changed? No.  Was this the right call, just grabbing drug store glasses that seemed to work? No!

My response to him: Go see an eye doctor already!

I’ve been wearing glasses for decades and was sure this was a risky move.  Aside from knowing that an adult should get their eyes checked every two years if not annually, I knew that there were a lot of nuances to someone’s personal eyeglasses prescription.

So, I decided to do some research. And, I was right.  One of the worst things you can do for your vision is to just pick up a pair of prescription glasses and start using them without having any doctor examined knowledge of your vision correction needs.

Why are Drug Store Glasses Bad?

As a kid, I remember trying on my dad’s glasses.  In some ways they made things “clearer” but often, after trying to wear them around the house for a few minutes, I’d start to feel a little woozy.

It’s the same with buying drug store glasses.  You can try on a few pairs until you find ones that **seem** to help you see better.  While standing at the store you may even marvel at how wonderful they make everything look.  But, it won’t be until you’ve used them for a few hours or days that you may experience symptoms like headaches, nausea, and eye fatigue.

Eyeglasses’ prescriptions are highly specific.  You could have a different prescription in each eye, astigmatism or other slight differences that make your prescription far too unique to match to a pair of “one-size-fits-all” glasses.  In addition to physical symptoms, wearing the wrong glasses prescription can cause you some serious long- term damage, as your eyes and brain adjust to the wrong correction.

So, if you are tempted to pick up a pair of cheap glasses the next time you’re grabbing some Tums, I hope you’ll reconsider.  Instead find an optometrist you can trust, like one located inside America’s Best, and get professionally made prescription glasses you know will help, not hurt, your vision.