The hassle that comes with the conventional way of determining your glasses prescription is pretty daunting. Also, the population of people that wear glasses worldwide makes it necessary to find more convenient ways to go about the process, and this is where the use of technology comes in. There are quite a few prescription scanner phone applications that do a decent job in providing users with their glasses prescription, although they differ based on the degree of reliability.
However, it is worth noting that these applications are not meant to replace eye specialist appointments; They have their limitations, i.e. an ophthalmologist or optometrist. So it will be better to set an appointment with your eye doctor if it has been a while since you did so.
Some of the options for these applications include;
- Prescription Lens Scanner by SmartBuyGlasses USA.
- Eyeglass Prescription Scanner by Lensabl.
- GlassesUSA Prescription Scanner.
- Lingo RX Reader.
- GlassesOn app.
Let us go through one of these options, the Glasses USA prescription scanner app. But first, go through the following steps to find out how it works:
- It uses your smartphone camera to scan the current prescription of your glasses.
- It requires you to upload a selfie picture to measure your pupillary distance.
- First, you need to download the application from the official website or on your smartphone from the App Store for iPhone users and the Play Store for android users.
- Once you’ve downloaded the app, open it and click start scan. It uses voice prompts to take you from one step to another.
- To continue, you’ll need a computer with a screen measuring 12” x 27”.
- You’ll also need your current eyeglass.
- A standard magnetic card for scaling (Magnetic stripe cards are cards that use magnetic labels to transmit financial information to the card issuer), be sure not to use something with sensitive information on it.
- The next step is to set up and calibrate, and this works by scanning a QR code after logging in to an address you’ll receive on your laptop, which also allows you to sync your phone to your computer. Once the code is scanned, you’ll then scale the exact size of your computer screen using a magnetic card. You’ll need to exercise patience because it may take several tries before calibrating successfully. If you experience any delay, you’ll have to hold the card flat against the screen. Adjusting the screen back and forth should also help.
- Once you’ve completed the setup explained in the bullet points above, it’s time to scan your glasses. You do this by placing your glasses between your phone and computer. You’ll be required to tilt your eyeglasses for approximately three minutes until they read correctly.
- The next step is measuring your pupillary distance(PD) by snapping a selfie with the magnetic card between your eyebrows, which enables your eyewear's lens power to be centered correctly.
The Advantages And Disadvantages Of The GlassesUSA Scanner And Its Likes.
Advantages: It saves you all the time and money involved with visiting your eye specialist to acquire your prescription. It is also user-friendly, so you don’t need anybody’s assistance.
Disadvantages: It doesn’t solve the problem of the possibility of your prescription changing over time because it can only read the prescription from your current eyeglasses and not your eyes.
Recommendations About The GlassesUSA Scanner And Its Likes
Using scanner applications to acquire your glasses prescription is undoubtedly handy. However, having learned about their general limitations, it is essential to know in what instances to use these applications for accurate results. You don’t want a situation where the results you’re getting from the scanner are inaccurate.
In addition to being healthy, 18 years and older, people who are satisfied with their current prescription and consider it stable are good to go when it comes to finding their glasses prescription. In addition, single vision prescriptions between -6.00 and +3.00 and a cylinder measurement of -2.50 are good to go.
On the other hand, these scanner applications do not cover strong or weak prescriptions, prism prescriptions used to correct double vision, and contact lens prescriptions. They also don’t cover bifocals or multifocal.
Importance of Regular Eyecare
Several diseases and disorders are associated with the eyes, so individuals must carry out eye exams to detect early signs of these diseases and conditions. Some of these diseases include;
- Age-related macular degeneration- also known as blurred vision.
- Diabetic Retinopathy- damaged blood vessels at the back of the eyes.
- Cataracts- can lead to vision loss.
- Glaucoma- a group of conditions that can destroy the optic nerve.
The Whole Point: Phone scanner applications used to check eyewear prescriptions are helpful, and several online retailers can be chosen. They can only measure the prescription of your current eyeglasses. In addition, i.e., they aren’t close substitutes. So always check in with your eye specialist at the required intervals.