Magnifying Reading Glasses

Magnifying reading glasses can be a helpful low vision aid if you have macular degeneration.

It is possible to continue reading with macular degeneration - however, along with reading glasses, you will need good lighting, and large print books.

Macular Degeneration Glasses

As your macular degeneration progresses you will need more magnification. Often it is easier to use high-powered reading glasses rather than a hand held magnifier.

Reading glasses come in different powers or strengths. Keep this in mind - the higher the power of the lens, the closer you must hold the reading material.

Typically, the average person holds their reading material at a distance of about 18 inches. As the magnification increases, the closer you must be to your book or magazine. A person with say 8x reading glasses must hold the material at a distance of 5 inches.

Using higher powered reading magnifiers is an adjustment and it takes time to get used to this new way of reading.

To try to minimize the magnifying power of your reading glasses, purchase large print books or magazines, or try an electronic reading device where you can adjust the font size.

New Glasses for Macular Degeneration

He has worked with hundreds of patients with low vision. Low vision is defined as those with 20/60 vision that cannot be corrected with prescription glasses or surgery.

Not only will people with macular degeneration benefit from these glasses, so will those with other low vision conditions like diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, or cataracts.

What will make these magnifying reading glasses so unique is that they will be available without a prescription or seeing a low vision specialist.

Low Vision Readers will be much easier to use than other reading aids and relatively inexpensive.

According to their website, "Low Vision Readers use high powered LED lighting built into the spectacle frame, magnifying high powered lenses, and prism correction to fix the reading distance."

Low Vision Readers will have a rechargeable battery which will last around 7 hours between charges. The light used in the first prototype was not as strong as they wanted, so a second prototype was developed with a brighter light.

This newer version will be used in a clinical trial,(pending approval by the Vanderbilt University Institutional Review Board).

The study will "compare reading speed and a reading activity index (standardized way of determining if the glasses benefit people). This study will use the updated prototype with 1,000lux lighting."

The cost of these reading glasses has not yet been determined but according to their website, "they will be more affordable than a standard set of bifocals."

The estimated availablity of the glasses is summer of 2010.

To sign up to be notified when Low Vision Readers are available go to their website by clicking here: Low Vision Readers

For Additional Information:

Large Print Books
Electronic Reading Device
Go from Magnifying Reading Glasses to Low Vision Rehab

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