Even if you've always enjoyed perfect eyesight, there will probably come a time (around the age of 40) when you'll need prescription reading glasses. As we age, the lenses in our eyes are less flexible, which means it's harder to read materials that are up close. Of course, you can adjust to some extent at first by holding reading materials further away from your eyes, but eventually, there will come a time when it will simply be necessary to get reading glasses.

What about "off the rack" no-prescription reading glasses?

Although you can get drugstore "reading glasses" without a prescription, it's best for the health of your eyes, in general, to go to your doctor, get an eye exam, and get glasses specifically fit for you. This is necessary for a couple of reasons. Number one, even if you have perfect vision, it's a good idea to see your doctor every couple of years to make sure the health of your eyes is still good.

And secondly, although you may certainly find an "off the rack" pair of reading glasses that let you see adequately when you read, prescription glasses are generally better because they're customized exactly for you. This means less strain for your eyes. It may also be advantageous because you'll have no headaches (literally) from wearing these glasses, unlike some of the "off the rack" glasses you might purchase that aren't quite right.

Getting "reading glasses" if you already wear glasses because of nearsightedness

If you already wear glasses because you're nearsighted, you'll need to switch from single vision lenses to bifocals. These glasses let you focus both at a distance, as you always have, and then provide specific prescription parameters at the bottom of the lens, for close reading material.

Which type of glasses will you choose?

If your vision is fine for distance viewing, you may be fine with just getting glasses that you keep in your pocket or purse for reading purposes. These glasses can be full or half lenses, and either is fine. They simply look different. With full lenses, the bottom half of the lens is set with a prescription that will allow you to read things up close, and then the top half of the lens is simply glass or plastic, with no prescription.

There are also "half lens" prescription reading glasses, similar to those you might have seen Benjamin Franklin wearing in portraits or depictions. These glasses are very small, literally a "half lens" in size. They allow the wearer to "look down" through the lens to read close material, and then simply look up over the top of the small lens for distance viewing.

Regardless, remember that getting prescription reading glasses does not need to be a hardship. It simply means that you need a little extra help when you read, and that help is easy to get.