Ian wrote:
I am 74 years old and need glasses for reading. My present glasses as prescribed by the optician are a magnification of 4. These are not very effective unless the print is a very bold black on white. What is the limit of magnification available for reading glasses?

ANSWER

Dear Ian,
It is very difficult to answer to your question without knowing your ocular and visual condition. Near vision should be addressed after a proper evaluation of your distance vision and of your ocular health, to make sure that there is no pathology involved, such as cataracts, glaucoma or macular degeneration. These diseases can limit the level of visual acuity and no glasses can help to restore it.
My best advice would be to consult an optometrist, not an optician, and to have a thorough ocular and visual examination. Your optometrist will determine the cause of your visual deficiency and will prescribe, if possible, the best power to you. You have only 2 eyes, working together as a team. It is unwise to play with them by juggling with the powers without knowing the underlying ocular conditions.

Good luck
Dr. Langis Michaud, Optométriste, MSc, FAAO (Dipl)
Associate Professor – Université de MOntréal

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