Cant afford reading glasses?!?

Question

ok wlel when i was in 6th grade (like 12-13) i was given reading glasses in the lowest prescription possible...well im 19 now and i never wore them and i can tell my eye sight is alot worse, things that my mother can easily see i cant see very well, things are blurred a bit, not bad, but jst enough 2 where sometimes i have 2 look a bit hard 2 make out something thats a bit far away/// well i cant afford reading glasses righht now but i always see some sold at the stores , and i was wondering if itd hurt 2 try on some of them and see if maybe the lowest grade of glasses there woul work just for when i read my books at night, u know so itll help a bit.... thanks so much, bye!

Answer 1

This does not sound like you need reading glasses.  Reading glasses would be used for near work such as using a computer or sewing.  You stated the following:

"things that my mother can easily see i cant see very well, things are blurred a bit, not bad, but jst enough 2 where sometimes i have 2 look a bit hard 2 make out something thats a bit far away"

If you are having more trouble seeing close objects, then reading glasses may help you.  If you are having more trouble seeing objects that are far away, then you may be nearsighted or have astigmatism.  Glasses to correct nearsightedness and/or astigmatism must be prescribed by an Optometrist/Ophthalmologist.  Also keep in mind that a person can be farsighted as a child and become nearsighted as an adult and this may be what you are experiencing.  

I suggest that you have an eye exam as soon as you can afford it.  Be sure to get a copy of your prescription from them and then you can order eyeglasses on the internet.  I suggest ordering from Zenni Optical.  Eyeglasses start at $8.00.

http://zennioptical.com/

Answer 2

In the USA, a country-wide organization called The Lions Club has been involved many years in collecting unused eyeglasses from many thousands of people and giving them away free to people who can not afford to buy them.  Look in your phone book for a local Lions Club group and call them, OR call any eye clinic and ask them to give you information about where you could find the Lions Club or other group that gives free eyeglasses to the needy people like yourself.  Good luck!

Answer 3

It won't hurt to try the ones in the store. As long as you don't try the wrong one for too long, it can't do much harm.

Answer 4

Prescription has to do with the shape of the surfaces of your eye, so not wearing your glasses when you were 12 has not made them get worse (they would have changed anyway!) and similarly, trying on the glasses at the store won't make them worse either.  They could feel like they are causing your eyes to pull or strain if they are wrong for you, so then you'd just take them off.  That being said, if you find that your distance vision is a bit blurry, you may be a bit near-sighted or have astigmatism, and neither of those things are corrected in over the counter specs.  :)  But it certainly doesn't hurt to try them in a pinch and see if they help any!