Digital Magnifiers (Held Magnifying Glasses) For Low Vision

Hand-held magnifiers can be a great asset for low vision patients on the go, and provide more features than traditional handheld magnifying glasses used by low vision patients.

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Digital Magnifiers (Held Magnifying Glasses) For Low Vision in Olympia

Advantages of Handheld Digital Magnifiers for Low Vision

There are plenty of low vision devices available for patients who need them. However, many can be bulky and expensive. For patients who only require additional vision aid for certain tasks, small handheld magnifiers can be a great tool while out and about. For example, if one is at a store and needs to read something too small for them to make out on a label, or at a restaurant and needs to read something on a menu, it’s easy to just pull out.

Additionally, since handheld magnifiers essentially function like the magnifying glasses we’re all familiar with (just being electronic instead of manual), there really isn’t any challenge to learning how to use them. Being digital and having a screen, they have built-in illumination so you can use them even in a darker environment such as a restaurant with dim lighting.

Digital magnifiers have the additional benefit of being able to magnify more text than a simple magnifier held over text, and may allow you to scroll on the screen, or adjust for contrast.

Hand-held digital magnifiers also come in a range of sizes, shapes, and strengths, and may offer different features, so a patient can choose a model that works best for them to make it more comfortable to do things like read small text.

Disadvantages of Handheld Magnifiers for Low Vision

Due to the fact that they are handheld, they can become tiring to use for extended periods of time. Additionally, since they’re handheld, they can be difficult to hold steady, and some adjustment may be necessary to ensure they are at the right distance to provide optimal magnification, which can make using them more challenging to use.

If your magnifier doesn’t have a built-in light, it can catch reflections or shadows, and make things harder to read. Also, since these magnifiers tend to be small, if you don’t hold them close to your eyes you’ll have a smaller field of view, which can make reading things like labels take longer.

How Do I Get A Handheld Digital Vision Magnifier?

Handheld vision magnifiers can be freely purchased online. However, it is highly recommended to speak with a doctor and to have a comprehensive vision exam first. This will help you better understand what you need in a vision magnifier, and the doctor will be able to make a recommendation based on their evaluation of your vision and knowledge of the features offered by various models.

Summary

While they have their limitations, handheld digital magnifiers can be a great portable low vision aid for patients. However, it is advised for you to first see a doctor for a vision evaluation, to ensure you make the best purchase for your needs. If you are experiencing low vision and are interested in a handheld digital magnifier, you can contact American Family Vision Clinic at (360) 491-2121 to schedule an appointment for a consultation or to ask any additional questions. Patients with low vision visit our clinic from all over Washington, and we are proud to be a leading provider of low vision services for patients from Olympia, Lakewood, Tacoma, and Lacey.

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Testimonials

Such a nice optician. My grandson is only 4 and needs glasses. We were so sad, but he explained the issues, and we will follow up as he suggested.

Anna P.

I had such a good experience with the clinic. Very friendly staff and doctor, did not have to wait for long to be called, and was treated respectfully. Thanks, American Family.

June S.

Dr. Zurcher has gone above and beyond what any other eye doctor has ever done to figure out what is going on with my eyes. Very happy with American Family Vision.

Christine R.

Family Vision Clinic changed our lives! My daughter was frequently car sick, and she was getting headaches every day, often painful enough that they brought her to tears. We saw a string of doctors and therapists, but we made no progress. Finally, we found Dr. Levi Zurcher and his eye therapist Rain. After ten weeks of eye therapy my daughter no longer gets headaches, and she no longer gets car sick. Daily tears are a thing of the past. I really can’t say enough about this clinic. It was fascinating to watch Dr. Zurcher work. For the first time, someone who knew what they were doing was intently studying my daughter, really trying to figure out all of her eye issues, and his therapist Rain is one of the most patient and lovely people that I’ve ever had the good fortune to meet. We’re finished with eye therapy—yay!—and I have switched to American Family Vision Clinic for all of my family’s other eye health needs.

Lars Wulff

Very professional, yet kind and helpful. They do what they can to make the appointment comfortable. I was running a bit late, I made sure ti call. They were able to switch me with a patient who was already there, they treated me with respect, and helped my son have confidence by getting him the eye care he needed that day. Thank you so much! Would recommend to anyone. It's a blessing that they care enough to work with people who have all different types of insurance from work to state coverage.