Are Glasses Bad for Your Eyes?

The concept of glasses has been around for hundreds of years. Having gone through many iterations in that time – such as handheld lenses and monocles – it is only in the last hundred years or so that glasses as we know them today have become the norm. Yet, the speed with which glasses have taken on endless styles, colours, and prescriptions is extremely impressive.

Since new methods and materials made it possible to produce glasses on a mass scale, these visual aids have played an important role in society and in the lives of individuals all over the world, surviving even the introduction of the more discrete contact lenses.

Glasses have long granted the gift of sight to individuals who may otherwise be unable to see clearly. Countless people rely on them every day of their lives – yet, you might have heard it said that wearing glasses can actually harm your vision in the long run. But is this true? Could the tool you rely on to help your vision actually be hindering it?

Let’s find out.

Accounting for the adjustment period

There are two main reasons people may believe their vision is getting worse when wearing glasses – the first one being the adjustment period.

The adjustment period is the time it takes for your eyes to get used to their new way of seeing. For example, when you get a new pair of glasses with a new prescription, you may need a period of adjustment. During this time, you may experience eye strain and headaches as your eyes get used to the new prescription. As a result, you may be tempted to curse your glasses for making your vision worse.

However, these issues are considered normal and should only be temporary. In most cases, they will resolve themselves within a few days or weeks as your eyes gradually adjust to their new lenses.

The second reason is more psychological. You see, once you start wearing glasses, you will soon become used to your improved vision when you are wearing them. But when you take them off, it can seem that your sight is worse than it was. But this is just the contrast between your corrected and uncorrected vision.

You see, by wearing your glasses often, your brain no longer has to spend effort trying to interpret the blurry images delivered by your uncorrected eyes. So, rather than thinking of your glasses as making your uncorrected vision worse, it would be more accurate to say they are simply making it easier for you to see clearly.

Won’t my eye muscles get weaker?

But doesn’t relying on glasses mean that the muscles in your eyes will get weaker over time? This is another common belief. After all, our eyes consist of literally millions of working parts – including many muscles. These muscles allow our eyes to focus on different objects, both near and far.

Surely, when we don’t use these muscles, they will begin to weaken and, as a result, our vision will degrade faster than it usually would, right? Well, not exactly.

The fact is, your prescription – whether you are long-sighted, short-sighted, or astigmatic – will progress over time, regardless of whether you wear glasses or not. Moreover, wearing glasses will not affect the muscles in your eyes – so don’t worry about weakening your vision!

Others believe that wearing glasses containing the wrong prescription can damage your eyesight. Both of these claims are inherently incorrect. While wearing the wrong prescription – such as opting for cheap readers from the supermarket – can cause eye strain headaches as your eyes and brain try to compensate, this shouldn’t cause any permanent damage to your vision.

The fact is, choosing not to correct your vision is not going to do your eyes any favours. Wearing glasses or otherwise correcting your vision takes the strain off your eyes and allows you to see the world around you more clearly.

Can I improve my vision without glasses?

With the internet being such a vast “place”, it shouldn’t be surprising that it is full of supposed “natural” ways to improve your vision – for example, by performing a few exercises every day.

Palming – placing your palms over your eyes to block out light and give them a chance to rest – is touted by some as an easy way to improve your vision.  Sunning – closing your eyes and facing the sun while swaying your head from left to right (of course, avoid looking at the sun directly as this can be very harmful to your eyes) – is said by some to be beneficial. However, other than giving your eyes a well-needed rest, there is little evidence either of these practices helps in any meaningful way.

One thing is for sure, though – such techniques will never be able to rid you of your refractive error. If you want to do this without glasses, your only other options are contact lenses or refractive surgery – including Laser Eye Surgery.

Unlike glasses or contact lenses, however, Laser Eye Surgery is not a temporary intervention but a permanent change that can give you clear vision for years to come – without the need for questionable eye exercises…

If you’d like to learn more about your options for vision correction, why not get in touch with one of our friendly clinic coordinators today? Alternatively, Book a Consultation to check your suitability for Laser Eye Surgery and start your journey to clear, glasses-free vision!