Does Wearing Glasses Make Your Eyesight Worse: Common Misconceptions
August 9, 2024 • 6:31 PM
It’s a misconception optometrists hear frequently. Just like pulling one gray hair from your head won’t actually make two more appear, wearing eyeglasses won’t make your vision worse — in fact, wearing eyeglasses with the right prescription will help improve your vision and make your life much more comfortable.
If you’ve heard that wearing glasses will worsen your vision, it’s time to learn the truth. The team at Pair is here to set the record straight and help you understand your vision. We’ll explain some of the most common vision problems and explain how wearing the right prescription can correct these issues and help you see clearly.
Afraid to wear glasses? Don’t be. Eyewear is hip, and we’ll show you how finding the perfect pair of eyeglasses can help elevate your style (and even your mood).
What Should You Know About Vision Issues?
Most vision problems requiring glasses or contact lenses are due to refractive errors. Refractive errors are problems with how your eyes bend light and see images.
Due to these errors, your vision may be blurry, you may have trouble seeing objects up close or far away, and you may see halos or starbursts around lighted objects like lamps or headlights.
The most common vision issues are myopia, presbyopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism.
Myopia
Myopia is also known as nearsightedness. A person with myopia can see objects close up (like a book or a tablet) with clarity, but objects in the distance are blurry or difficult to see. Myopia is very common, and nearly 40% of people in the United States have it.
Hyperopia
Hyperopia is also known as farsightedness. A person with hyperopia can see objects far away with clarity, but can’t properly focus on objects that are close up. Hyperopia is common, but less common than myopia.
Astigmatism
Astigmatism causes problems with both distance and near vision. A person with astigmatism has an incorrectly curved eyeball, which causes halos or starbursts to form around lights, especially at night. A person with this condition may have problems seeing while driving at night.
Presbyopia
Age-related vision problems are usually a result of presbyopia. This condition affects everyone at some point in their lives. Presbyopia is the gradual decline of your near vision. If you find yourself buying dollar store reading glasses to see your phone or book and you’re over 40, you’re probably experiencing this age-related ailment.
There are, of course, other reasons why a person may need eyeglasses. The best way to know what you need is to get regular, yearly eye exams to check your eye health.
Your eye doctor can scan for diseases while also giving you a prescription for corrective lenses that can help you see better and will not further damage your vision.
What Are Some Myths About Eyewear?
Although eyewear myths are somewhat dated, they still get passed from generation to generation and end up causing damage.
If you need corrective lenses but have put them off because you are afraid they’ll somehow hurt your eyes, have no fear. Wearing the right prescription lenses will only help make your life better.
Let’s debunk some common myths about eyewear.
1. You can correct your vision on your own.
We’re not sure where this rumor started or why there are so many creative hacks to “fix” your vision without corrective lenses. You cannot correct your vision on your own. Vision issues are more related to the shape and length of your eye than its strength, so even if you do numerous eye exercises, your vision will not improve. People who are myopic have a longer eye, and people who are hyperopic have a shorter eye.
Some eye exercises may help with vision, but this is only the case in the instance of a muscle issue (such as a lazy eye).
Likewise, you cannot correct your vision through your diet. If you have a particular deficiency in a key vitamin or mineral, you definitely need to address it, but blurry vision is rarely related to your diet.
2. Wearing glasses will make my vision worse.
Wearing prescription glasses isn’t like using a crutch. It will not cause your eye muscles to atrophy, nor will it cause your eyes to rely on your prescription “too much.”
Instead, it corrects for the abnormality in the shape of your eyes, makes your vision in both eyes even, and helps address eye conditions that could cause vision problems.
Vision problems do not happen due to wearing glasses, but it is important to wear the correct prescription. Having regular eye exams every year helps avoid wearing the wrong prescription. Wearing the wrong prescription can lead to eye strain, headaches, and frustration. The reason your vision feels worse after wearing your glasses is because your eyes get used to seeing well, and when you remove your glasses, your eyes might strain to focus.
3. I’ll have to wear bifocals.
Getting a new prescription is always slightly nerve-wracking if you’re afraid you’ll need multi-vision lenses. Just so you know, very few people who need vision correction are able to get by with single-vision lenses. Most of us need multi-vision correction to ensure our distance and near vision are crystal clear.
Thankfully, you don’t have to worry about wearing those same lined bifocals your grandparents wore. Progressive lenses are line-free, look like simple, single-vision lenses, and can contain up to three different vision correction fields in one lens.
4. I can’t afford new glasses.
Eye care is expensive, and if you don’t have vision coverage as part of your medical benefits, getting the vision correction you need may seem inaccessible. Vision changes yearly, and ensuring you keep up with these changes may seem too expensive.
Thankfully, there are options for affordable eyewear. Many providers and programs offer low-cost or no-cost comprehensive eye exams so that you can get a new prescription for eyewear. By law, your optometrist/ophthalmologist has to give you a copy of your prescription, whether you ask for it or not, so you can take it to a lower-cost provider to purchase your eyewear.
Just so you know, Pair Eyewear is committed to making sure people have access to affordable eyewear. Not only do our Base Frames start at just $60, but a portion of your first Base Frame purchase goes toward the Eyelliance program, which helps children in developing countries get the eyewear they need to see clearly.
5. Glasses will make me look boring.
Rounding out our eyewear myths is this little gem that couldn’t be farther from the truth. In fact, at Pair, we guarantee that “boring” won’t even make your list of adjectives used to describe your glasses.
At Pair, you get one Base Frame in a shape that suits you best. Choose from the classics, like rectangle or square, or from hip round frames or cat-eye. Once you’ve chosen your Base Frames, you can select your lens. We handle prescriptions for both single-vision and multi-vision lenses, so we can offer you a great pair of glasses with the prescription you need. Last, you’ll get to choose your favorite Top Frames.
Top Frames clip onto your Base Frames magnetically to change their look. Our Top Frames have unique patterns, licensed characters, and even UV-protective suncare. We offer hundreds of designs to fit your style and personality, so you can change them daily… or even hourly if you prefer. No judgment.
No matter what your preconceived notions were about glasses, we hope we’ve eliminated some of them. With so many creative options, there’s really no better time to take care of your eyes and get the vision correction you need.
What To Expect During an Eye Care Visit
If you haven’t yet visited an eye doctor, it’s time to schedule a visit. Getting routine eye exams can help prevent vision loss, correct your vision, improve your quality of life, and scan for underlying illnesses.
Here’s what you can expect the first time you have an eye exam.
Tests
Your eye doctor and their staff members will take you through a series of vision tests. These include reading numbers and letters in machines at various distances. They may also involve tests to determine the amount of peripheral vision you have.
Retinal Health Scan
Some eye doctors also scan your retina by photographing the back of your eye. This shows them the health of your retina. If your doctor deems it necessary, they may dilate your eyes with special drops. This process is not painful and allows them more visual access to your eye.
Selecting Eyewear
Your entire visit will consist of the vision care team looking into your eyes and making notes about how much vision correction (if any) you need. When you’re done, your eye doctor will likely introduce you to their in-house optician, who can help you select a pair of eyeglasses from their shelves.
Keep in mind that you don’t have to purchase your glasses from your eye doctor. There may be less expensive (and we’d argue incredibly more aesthetically pleasing) options available.
Once you have your prescription, you can take it anywhere to get your glasses, including Pair Eyewear, where you’ll find some seriously fun options.
Get Your Glasses
If you’ve been avoiding eyewear because you feared it would harm your eyes, don’t put off your corrective lenses any longer. You can see clearly and enjoy improved vision without risking the health of your eyes.
Glasses won’t harm your vision, but not wearing glasses could cause you harm if you aren’t able to see clearly. Consider calling your eye doctor today for an exam, then join us at Pair Eyewear to go on a shopping spree for the most iconic frames available.
Sources:
Refractive Errors | Kellogg Eye Center | Michigan Medicine
Refractive Errors | National Eye Institute
Myopia (Nearsightedness): Causes, Symptoms & Treatment | Cleveland Clinic