History And Other Information On Reading Glasses

  I have often wondered who intenveted reading glasses.  I know why reading glasses were invented but often wondered who thought of this wonderful idea.  It amazes me how much reading glasses have changed over the years.  There are so many options available for people that require reading glasses.  I hope that you find the following information as interesting as I did.

  Sometimes known as readers, reading glasses help change the focal length of the eye to alleviate myopia, hyperopia, or astigmatism. There is much debate on the that year glasses were invented but by most accounts, they were in use in China in the 12th century. Wide use of reading glasses weren't reported in Europe until the late 13th century. Ben Franklin invented bifocal lenses in 1784 to prevent him from having to switch glasses. George Airy invented astigmatism glasses in 1827.

Diopters are the unit of measurement used for the power of a lens. Over the counter reading glasses are usually in the +1 to +3 diopter range. The diopter range for those with nearsightedness (myopia) will always be in the negative range. Prescription lenses are those that are prescribed to an individual by an ophthalmologist or optometrist. They're designed to conform to a specific level of myopia or hyperopia.

Computer eyewear is another form of glasses taking the market by storm. With over 88 million people using a computer regularly for work or school, this type of vision correction is a burgeoning market. Computer glasses help to cut down on monitor glare as well as help prevent strain on the eyes since you read at a different distance and size than normal printed material.