It is estimated that 12 million Americans over the age of 40 have some form of vision impairment. Magnification devices can be helpful for these individuals. Handheld and hands-free versions of these devices are available. In this article, we will discuss hands-free magnification devices.

Why aren’t standard reading glasses enough? How can telescopic reading glasses help?

Macular degeneration is one of the factors that contribute to vision loss. When that happens, you have difficulty reading, especially smaller print. Standard reading glasses with higher magnification are not very comfortable. It is because the stronger they are, the closer the object has to be. This is like using a magnifier and holding it close to an object, or wearing reading glasses and holding the reading material closely. For some people, that's fine, but others want to be more comfortable and sit further back like they normally would when reading.

That's when telescopic reading glasses come in handy. These have a longer range of vision and magnifying power of these glasses is actually even greater than that of standard reading glasses. As a result, you can actually hold the reading material further away and read comfortably. Telescopic glasses can be for one eye (monocular) or two eyes (binocular).

What are microscopic and prismatic glasses?

• Microscopic glasses - Unlike other types of strong lenses, these glasses provide crisp, clear vision without blurriness. There are magnification options for patients between 2x and 8x depending on their needs. They are frequently used for close-up work such as reading, writing, and sewing.
• Prismatic glasses - Prism glasses use prismatic lenses in order to provide higher magnification and make reading easier. These can best be described as powerful reading glasses. Using these glasses can reduce, or even eliminate, problems such as double vision, eye strain, and chronic headaches. Having fewer symptoms will help you concentrate better and improve your productivity.