You already know you need to get glasses to help you see better, but a question many people don't fully consider until they're sitting in the optician's chair is the number of pairs they should buy. How many you need depends on your lifestyle and preferences. Here are a few things you should consider when making a final decision.
Are You a Klutz or Do You Live with One?
Eyeglasses break for a number of reasons, but possibly the most common one is user error. Considering they are probably your most-used accessory outside of your cell phone, it's not surprising they would get dropped, sat on, or have things fall on them; and that's just by you. If you have young children, pets, or spouses who constantly trip over their own feet, the risk of your glasses breaking rises exponentially.
Thus, it's a good idea to get at least two pairs of glasses so you have a backup you can use whenever your primary pair need to be fixed or have been mangled beyond repair. If your glasses are frequently damaged, you may want to invest in an extended warranty plan that can reduce the cost of repair or replacement. Be aware, though, that these warranties may require you to get certain features for your glasses (e.g. scratch resistant coating), so be sure to weigh the various costs to ensure this option make financial sense for you.
How Many Viewing Distances Do You Need?
This may seem like an odd question to ask but, depending on your vision and lifestyle, you may need help seeing up to three distances: close up, far away, and midrange or computer-length (between 20 to 26 inches). For instance, if you're near-sighted (i.e. have trouble seeing things far away) then experience age-related degeneration of your near-sighted vision and you work at a computer all day, you could potentially need up to three pairs of glasses so you can see stuff at all these distances clearly.
Bifocal and trifocals are one way to pack multiple viewing distances into one pair of glasses. It's important to note, though, that it can take awhile to get used to wearing these types of glasses if you've never worn them before. Additionally, you must get lenses that are big enough to fit all the prescriptions you need, so you may be limited in the styles you can buy.
An alternative option is to break up your multiple prescriptions into the ones you use most vs. the least or to address specific tasks. For example, you can get bifocals to address your nearsighted and farsighted issues and have a separate pair of single-vision glasses you use only when you're doing computer work.
Take a few days to consider how you use your vision and then discuss the different options available with the optometrist.
How Do You Wear Your Glasses?
A third thing you want to consider is how often you wear your glasses. If you primarily wear contact lenses, then you can probably get away with only buying one pair of glasses to uses as a backup for days when you run out of contacts or your eyes are too irritated to wear them.
On the other hand, you probably want to get multiple pairs of glasses if you must wear them every day. As noted previously, the more you wear your glasses, the higher the risk that something will happen to them. Therefore, it's good to have a backup pair on hand if you can't use your primary ones. Additionally, you may want to consider having a pair of glasses in more than one location (e.g. your office and at home) just in case you forget yours one day or the ones you are wearing are damaged at an inopportune time.
For help selecting the right prescription glasses for you, contact an optometrist, like one at Master Eye Associates.
Share26 March 2018
When a friend of mine started experiencing cloudy vision, they decided to put off a trip to their optometrist's office. Unfortunately, three months later, they found themselves completely blind in one eye—a condition that ended up being permanent. It turned out that they had an undiagnosed eye infection that destroyed their vision. After hearing about that problem, we realized that it might be smart to visit our eye doctor early—before permanent problems set in. Check out this blog for reasons not to skip out on early vision appointments, so that you can protect your family's vision and keep everyone happy and healthy.
