Important Tips for Buying Glasses After 50
Health concerns and issues become more frequent for us as the years roll along.
In a previous post on ageing healthily, we emphasised the importance of paying more attention to your health as you age.
As we get older, we’re at greater risk of illnesses, injuries, and developing chronic diseases.
These can significantly reduce your quality of life and impact various aspects of your daily routine, from being able to do errands to social interactions with others.
One of the critical health areas we shouldn’t overlook as we age is our eye health.
Today, age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of visual impairments, affecting over 200 million people globally.
The vision loss caused by AMD can manifest in blurry or distorted vision, seeing different colours, or darkened vision.
As our vision declines, engaging in daily activities such as reading, cleaning, and cooking can be increasingly difficult.
An essential tool in dealing with vision issues is proper eyewear. Investing in a pair of prescription glasses can help provide more clarity in your vision, allowing you to go through your daily routine while preventing accidents or injuries.
However, your eyewear needs may vary from younger people’s. Below, we’ll look at some tips for buying glasses after 50:
Identify your face shape
If you’re unsure about a new pair of glasses matching your look, it can help to take the time to understand your face shape.
Choosing glasses that fit your face shape can significantly affect how you look.
As we age, our face shape and features can change.
Foreheads can appear longer as hairlines retreat, and losing fat as we age can also rearrange specific structural arrangements like the areas around our eyes and mouth.
If you have sharper features at 50, you may want to opt for rounder frames and lens shapes to help soften your features, creating a more vibrant or youthful look.
On the other hand, you may want to try larger frames to help balance out your facial proportions if you have a longer face shape.
Try different styles
Of course, if you don’t want to bother with matching your glasses to your features but would still like a stylish pair, it can help to try on different styles of frames.
Thick-rimmed glasses, for example, can make you look younger and put focus on the eyes instead of your wrinkles.
Eyeglasses from the iconic Ray-Ban are known for this style of glasses and can give you a more contemporary look.
Thick, black frames can be a chic match to greying hair for those over 50, while thin wire frames or rimless glasses provide a more minimalist look if you’d like something more subdued.
Consider your lifestyle
It’s also important to consider what you’ll need those glasses for.
For older adults, vision loss or presbyopia generally occurs at age 40 and above.
As such, many adults opt to wear reading glasses to combat age-related vision loss.
Depending on your current eye health, reading glasses vary in strength.
While low-strength reading glasses are usually enough, there are rare cases where individuals may need reading glasses of up to +4.00 to read.
You may also want to consider progressive lenses that help correct vision at near, middle, and far distances, eliminating the need to switch between different eyewear for different purposes.
Get regular eye checkups
Finally, getting routine eye tests is crucial to ensure your glasses fit your latest prescription.
Wearing glasses with the wrong prescription can cause dizziness and headaches and harm you more than help.
In the UK, the NHS offers free eye tests and optical vouchers if you qualify.
If you’re 40 or over with a family history of glaucoma or have been diagnosed with diabetes or glaucoma, you qualify for the free eye tests.
Similarly, adults 60 or over or those registered as partially sighted or blind also qualify.
It may be worth updating your prescription and glasses if you experience symptoms such as blurry vision or tired eyes.
Ultimately, choosing the right glasses after 50 depends on various factors.
Even if you only need it for functional purposes, there’s no reason not to invest in stylish glasses to boost your confidence while helping you see more clearly.
You should also buy glasses that suit your needs and lifestyle and ensure you have them updated routinely so they continue to serve their purpose.
