Differences Among Reading Glasses

Reading glasses are not necessarily prescription glasses. They are often worn to assist a person with reading materials that are held a normal distance from the eyes. Reading glasses are needed when written materials have to be held far from the face in order to be clearly read. Reading glasses magnify written documents and can be purchased in pharmacies or large retail outlets without a prescription.

Types of Reading Glasses

• Reading glasses come in three basic types. There are half-frame reading glasses, full-frame reading glasses and prescription reading glasses that can also be bi-focal lenses. Though magnifying reading glasses can be purchased without a prescription, it is always good to visit an optometrist to ensure that the right magnification is purchased. Reading glasses that are too strong or too weak can harm a person's vision. Non-prescription reading glasses come in strengths of +1 to +3, and both lenses are the same strength. However, the strength needed for each eye may differ, and an eye doctor can determine if different strengths are needed for each eye.

Half-Frame Reading Glasses

• Half-frame reading glasses sit lower on the nose.

  Half-frame reading glasses are for people who just need the glasses to occasionally see a written page. The person wearing half-frame reading glasses will look down to read a document and then will need clear vision when looking up or straight out. A person giving a speech will want to refer to her notes, but will also have to make eye contact with her audience. Half-frame reading glasses are appropriate for this situation. A person reading for a long period of time or doing intense close-up work will want to wear full-frame reading glasses.

Full-Frame Reading Glasses

• For the individual doing work that requires magnification of written documents for a long period of time, full-frame reading glasses are appropriate. He may be reading books, organizing papers or looking at a computer screen. Full-frame reading glasses will magnify everything in the field of vision. A person wearing full-frame reading glasses will have good vision close up, but if she looks away at objects in the distance, the vision will be cloudy and/or blurred. The glasses will have to be removed to see things at a distance or even to talk to someone standing a desk's length away.

Prescription Reading Glasses

• Prescription reading glasses are tailored to each eye and can be made with a different lens correction for each eye. If the magnification needs to be changed, the same frame can be used. The prescription lenses are centered to the front of the eye so the prescription will be more accurate. This will prevent eye fatigue. Prescription reading glasses can be made as bifocals so the wearer does not have to constantly take them off and on when looking at objects at a distance.