Are you nervous about needing reading glasses? Let’s face it, most people associate reading glasses with being old.

And presbyopia is a decreased ability to focus on close-up objects is an age-related condition. But needing reading glasses doesn’t make you old.

In fact, you don’t even need to be middle-aged to need them. Presbyopia is also extremely common.

Don’t stay in denial and make your life harder than it needs to be! Look out for these signs that it’s time to get a pair of reading glasses. Keep reading for 6 signs that it’s time for reading glasses!

1. You’re In Your Forties

By being in your forties, you’re at an increased risk for all kinds of age-related eye conditions. This includes both presbyopia and cataracts.

That doesn’t necessarily mean that you need reading glasses if you’re over 40. Lots of people in their forties and even those that are over 40 don’t need reading glasses.

But if you find it harder to see things that are up close and you’re over 40, it’s likely that you have presbyopia. If this is the case, there’s a good chance that you’ll find using reading glasses helpful.

If you’re under 40 and having issues seeing things that are right in front of you, it could be a sign of something else. No matter what your age, if you start having any kind of problems with your vision, you should see your eye doctor.

They can diagnose you and recommend proper treatment. This will not always be reading glasses. It’s always a good idea to receive an early diagnosis whenever possible to rule out anything more serious.

2. You Hold Reading Materials Further Away

Presbyopia is a lot like farsightedness, which is a common refractive error. The causes of both conditions are different, but they both make it easier to see things that are farther away.

If you’ve started holding your phone or other reading materials further away to see them rather than closer, this is a sign associated with presbyopia. Reading glasses can help your eyes focus better so you can read at a shorter distance.

3. It’s Harder to Do Close Work

Not everyone does a lot of reading. Many people who do read these days use their phones or ebooks rather than reading physical books.

It can be a little harder to tell if you have presbyopia if you’re used to reading on a tablet that has a large font. After all, it’s easy to increase the font size if you can’t see what you’re reading on a tablet.

You can’t do the same if you’re reading a real book! But presbyopia makes it hard to do any close-up task, not only reading.

If you struggle with fine motor tasks like sewing, you may be in need of some reading glasses. Reading glasses, after all, aren’t something that you can use for only reading.

The name is a bit misleading since they can help you focus on anything up close. Note that cataracts can also make it hard to see up close.

This is not because cataracts make it hard to focus, but because they make it harder to see in low-lighting. But a direct light can help you see up close better whether you have cataracts or not.

People also frequently have presbyopia and cataracts at the same time. If you experience symptoms of either cataracts or presbyopia, see your eye doctor.

You may even need cataract surgery, which can actually also help your presbyopia. Intraocular lenses (IOLs) are used to replace your eye’s natural lens during cataract surgery.

Some can function in place of reading glasses, helping you see better up close. Only your eye doctor can perform tests to confirm if you have cataracts or not.

4. Your Eyes Hurt From Strain

Another indicator of presbyopia is eye pain. You may even experience headaches as you struggle to see things up-close because you’re straining your eyes.

The muscles in your eyes overwork when you have to strain to see things. If you’re constantly straining to see anything up-close, those muscles become sore.

Headaches, of course, can be a sign of many issues, some of which have little to do with your eyesight. But usually, you can tell when you’re straining your eyes.

If you’ve been getting more headaches lately, consider how well you’ve been able to read and complete other close-up tasks lately. Reading glasses could relieve all that pain.

5. You See Halos

One unusual symptom of presbyopia is seeing halos around light sources. Lights may also appear blurry, and you may be more sensitive to light as well.

Keep in mind that these are also cataract symptoms. Cataracts can even make it hard to drive at night. This is due to increased glare and halos from street lights and headlights.

Again, you can have both presbyopia and cataracts at the same time. The only way to know what’s going on is to see an eye doctor. They can recommend reading glasses. They can also provide you with recommendations about cataract surgery if you have cataracts that need removing.

6. You Get Tired From Reading

It may sound strange that an issue with your vision can make you tired, but it’s true. If you’re straining your eyes while trying to read, they can start to droop after a while.

When your eyes get tired, the rest of your body also starts to feel tired. If you find yourself constantly dozing off while reading, it may mean that you need reading glasses.

Reducing the strain on your eyes can enable you to read for longer without getting sleepy or causing your eyes unnecessary strain.

Have concerns about reading glasses? Schedule an appointment at Sugiki Portis Yim Eye Center in Honolulu, HI to discuss your options for reading glasses and presbyopia now! If you’re suffering from eye strain and other frustrating symptoms, wearing reading glasses is an easy solution!