Crafting Glasses Can They Hurt My Eyes?
 

I dont wear glasses but need something that magnifies while I do my cards...Esp. the coloring...Does anyone know if it will hurt my eyes? Anyone else have to wear them?

I wear contact lenses but my eyes are changing. My eye doc suggested that I can use the drugstore/discount store purchased magnifying eyeglasses for close work. I have been using them to trim my daughter's nails, read fine print on labels, etc. I recently started using them for some of my artwork.

I suggest you start with a lower magnification and be careful that you don't overdo it and cause eyestrain. It never hurts to check with your optometrist/ophthalmologist.

Just to let you know, depending on your age, it is not unusual. After age 40 (remember, I have no idea how old you are ;) ), everyone experiences presbyopia ~ that's when people start to need reading glasses. My doc actually changed my Rx a bit on my contacts to buy me some time. But it won't be long before I'll either need magnifying glasses for all close-up work if I want to wear contacts - or just switch to glasses more of the time.

Good luck :)

I'm an optometrist. Magnifying glass do just that-magnify. I use a pair when I'm stamping to get better vision for details. You can get them from +1.00 to +4.00 in power. Just check and make sure your pupils are about in the center of the lens horizontally, If the glasses are too wide or narrow, on the higher powers, it can induce a prism effect that is uncomfortable. I highly recommend them to my patients who just need a little magnification. If you get the stronger glasses it just moves the focus distance closer to your eyes.

I wear bi-focal contacts for everyday but when I'm working with small work (papercraft, jewelry, etc) I do wear a pair of the non-rx glasses. I keep 2 on hand - a 1.25 & a 1.50. The 1.25 is the one I use the most. Talk with my eye doctor the the last time I had my vision checkeded and the non-rx glasses is what he recommended - & he said to use the lightest magnification possible.

By all means, do get an appt. w/ a good eye Dr. It doesn't hurt, only takes up a little time. You can't detect the onslaught of Glaucoma or other conditions, but your Dr. can. My exam came out great. I do need help w/ wee reading, like the phone directory or counted XStitch. My Dr. said wearing the magnifying glasses was fine and told me what power to buy AND to only wear them when doing close up work.
My Mom has worn glasses all of her adult life. Her vision started rapidly going bad which alarmed her Dr. They did tests and she had an anuerisum behind her eye, but not in her brain. It was stretching her optic nerve. She did have surgery, but the nerve was ruined and she lost sight in that eye. Thank God her Dr. found it. If it had blown, she could have easily died.
So, everyone needs basic care. Its a great jump start for the Dr's if something does go wrong. They'll know where your body was 6-12 mos. ago.
May God bless, Sandi

What Nancy says in Post #2 I can verify. My Eye Dr. said the same thing many years ago when I turned 40. I'm now up to +250 over my contacts or script glasses.

It is important to take a short break every few hours and take off the glasses.

Patti

Small sidetrack! For those that have bifocal contacts, do those work well? I need bifocals, but hate using the bifocal glasses as I have to hold my head in an awkward position to use the reading portion. My doctor suggested the contacts, but I was skeptical.

Yes, I love my bi-focal contacts. Mine are the kind where I wear one for distance and one for up close. It seems weird but works really well. This year my Dr. even tweaked them enough so I seldom need the magnifying glasses.....only if the light is bad, and, of course, for reading the phone directory.....LOL.

Love love love my bi-focal contacts - one is setup for distance & the other for close work. I didn't have any adjustment problems but some people do - the trick is that the brain has to learn to make the adjustment. The doc said he could tweek the rx to make it a bit better for the teeny work (stitching, etc) but he thought it would throw off how I use the close vision the most (reading, computer) so we left it alone & I wear the low mag drug store glasses. Tip: Buy good ones - the first pair my DH bought at the $$store were terrible & gave me headaches.

bifocal contacts
 

I have been wearing progressive contacts for the last 9 years (gas perm), not the soft CLs.
They are quite effective, since I work on the computer, etc.
I do however, wear 'readers' (drugstore) glasses for stamping and beading work over my contacts. Many times, I work with my reg. glasses for close work.

good luck

I'm in the same boat as Phantom. Got the same advice from my eye doc. I got bifocal contacts this past spring and I hate them. Have only worn them a couple of days since. If they are not in the exact proper position, my vision is screwy. They're supposed to float into position, but mine don't.
I wear my prescription glasses (I'm nearsighted) all the time. But when I'm doing detail work, I have to take them off or look under them.

It's gotten to where I need my cheaters so often that I keep them on top of my head. I had great vision til 45, then pffft!

Costco has multipacks of the magnifying glasses. I got my faves at Walgreens about a year ago, but they don't carry them anymore. I bought enough to leave all over the house, car, various purses/bags, etc. so I'm good for a while (until I need to move up in magnification).

I'm nearsighted, and have bifocals now (for the last couple years). However, I usually take my glasses off for computer work, and mostly around the house. I'm thinking about starting to use one of the magnifying lamps that clamp on to a desk edge to illuminate and magnify detail work. Has anybody tried that? I can read quite well without the glasses, it's just teensie detail is getting harder to cope with.

Randa....you should go back to your Dr with those contacts....sounds like you don't have a proper fit. With the right fit they would center correctly and be comfortable to wear. You might still need readers for some things but your far distance would be good.

Thanks, Kathy. I did spend the better part of March and April going back and forth. I've tried several different brands and the ones I have were the best fit (Clinasoft Toric). I only wear them if I'm taking a road trip and need sunglasses. My glasses have transitional lenses, but not as good as sunglasses. My distance vision is better with the contacts if I can get them aligned just right. Part of the problems is I also have a mild Fuch's Dystrophy. For now, since I'm no longer working, I prefer to wear my glasses and just take them off when I'm doing "close" work. I tend to keep up with my prescription glasses better than I do my readers :-D . I appreciate your concern, though.

as most have stated, with age; we see change. I have the start of cataracts and find myself having problems, which another eye exam did not help, so I am starting to use a magnifying glass, may have to try those cheap glasses for close work. My eye doctor had no suggestion, which really pleased me (not) with cataracts.