While it’s generally a good idea to see an eye doctor about any vision problems, Dr. Davidson says that it’s possible (and not harmful) to purchase and wear reading glasses without getting a prescription for them first. “Prescription reading glasses may give you slightly better vision due to higher lens quality and the ability to correct any astigmatism you may have,” he explains. “However, over-the-counter reading glasses are perfectly fine if you are comfortable with the image quality.”