How Can High Powered Readers Help With Age-Related Vision Problems?

The Science Behind High-Powered Readers

As we get older, a natural process called presbyopia begins to affect our vision. Usually starting around age 40, the lens in your eye, much like a muscle, becomes less flexible. This makes it harder for your eye to change focus from a distant point to a near object.

If you have presbyopia, your prescription will likely include an “add power,” which represents the amount of focusing ability you’ve lost. For many people, this add power tops out around +3.00, which is why you’ll see reading glasses in pharmacies in powers up to that point.

However, for those with conditions like macular degeneration, your central vision may be so impaired that even a +3.00 lens isn’t enough to help you read. This is where high-powered readers become an essential tool.

High-Powered Readers and Focal Distance

High-powered readers go beyond standard prescriptions to provide the magnification you need. They work by shortening the focal distance, which allows you to hold reading material closer to your eyes while keeping it in focus. As your low vision progresses, you might need stronger readers with a shorter focal length.

For example, a +4.00 diopter has a focal length of about 25cm (less than a foot). As the power increases, the focal distance shrinks. A +8.00 diopter has a focal length of only 12.5cm, which is just over four inches. This allows you to bring the object of focus much closer to your eye.

The Role of Prism in Comfort and Clarity

When we look at something up close, our eyes naturally turn inward to focus on it—a process called convergence. The closer the object, the harder our eyes have to work, which can lead to eye strain and fatigue. Eventually, it becomes impossible to maintain a single, clear image.

To solve this, we add prism to our high-powered readers. Prism bends light to help your eyes converge more easily, reducing the strain and allowing you to maintain single vision at a much closer focal distance. You might notice these lenses are thicker in the center, which is the prism at work. It allows you to comfortably read at a close distance that would normally be impossible without them.

Charlie Saccarelli

President, Chadwick Optical

As President of Chadwick Optical, Charlie Saccarelli is the driving force behind the company’s mission to help every patient left behind by the current health care system. Under his leadership, Chadwick has grown from a simple optical lab into a trusted resource for practitioners around the world looking for ways to help the patients that “can’t be helped.” He is a master optician, a father, a bit of a nerd, and a passionate patient advocate who has lectured worldwide on all things optical.