Our sense of sight is so effortless throughout our waking hours that most of us are unaware of the mechanisms behind this incredible and complex process. The interaction of light with our biology enables us to SEE far and near as well as perceive colors, contrasts, shades, and so on.

One structure that enables us to see is the LENS. Light waves pass through the lens and converge on the back of the eye, where specialized nerve endings send the picture of the outside world to our brain, thus enabling us to see. The important thing here that the lens does is REFRACT light.

Why does the LENS refract (bend) light? The back of our eyes, which are our little "movie screens" onto which the outside world projects, are always the same size. The objects we look at, however, vary greatly. Whether we're looking at a word on a page, or a six foot wall across the room, these objects still end up on the same little back-of-the-eyeball movie screens, or RETINA.

In a sense, the LENS has the job of CONVERGING or REFRACTING these images (which come to us in the form of reflected light) so they fit onto our RETINA. Depending on whether we are looking far or near, or at objects small or large, muscles and ligaments around the lenses actually control their thickness. The thickness of the lens, in turn, controls just how much the lens will refract the light.

For close up vision, or reading, the lens is more convex, or more globular, to converge the light rays more.

However, as we age, the protein that makes up the lens starts to denature, and they are not as responsive when the muscles try to force them to "assume the reading position." Thus the image that hits our RETINA missed the mark, and we either perceive text as blurry or begin to hold our reading material farther and farther from our faces.

The natural aging process of our internal lens can be overcome by the use of external lenses, usually in the form of glasses. Unfortunately, the lenses are hard and immobile and don't respond to our need for accomodation. However, they are available in all different strengths, depending on a person's need.

There are other conditions that can effect a person's vision, including gloucoma, cataracts and macular degeneration, so people should always consult with their eye doctor before purchasing glasses. However, once given a clean bill of health, the options for presbyopia, or the normal close up vision loss associated with age, are like never before.

Ready-to-Wear Reading Glasses can be purchased without a doctor's prescription and there are hundreds of affordable styles available. Even via the internet, people can purchase glasses and read again without leaving the house.