If you wear glasses, do your eyes deteriorate?

Question

When you start wearing glasses to correct short sightedness, is it true that your eyes progressively get worse and you need stronger and stronger prescriptions?

I found out today that I need to start wearing glasses, and when I told my flatmate she said that if I wear them all the time my eyes will just adapt to the lenses and then they won't be strong enough. Is that true?

I know in young children when they start wearing glasses they tend to go through a period where their eyes just deteriorate and they always need stronger prescriptions, but I thought that was to do with growing? I'm 24 now, so won't be growing much!!

Answer 1

Well, it's kind of no and yes.

No, your eyes shouldn't deteriorate simply because of wearing glasses, (unless of course it's not the right prescription in first place, but that'd be rare).

However, it is also true what you flatmate says, if you wear the glasses all the time your eyes would naturally adapt to them because that strength of lens would be what your eyes are used to.

Your eyes adapting would 'counter-act' the effect of the lens of the glasses. Your eyes would go 'back to normal' strength. Your eyesight would be comparitively the same amount worse than before. But the actual amount would be worse than wearing no glasses. i.e. the lens of the glasses would no longer have the same effect, because your eyes would be used to looking through them

However, this is mainly because of wearing glasses for long periods of time. If you don't need them 'all the time' then don't.

It's like most things, if you get used to something being there, then, you start to rely on it, so if it's not there any more, the absence is a lot more noticeable.

Answer 2

As you age your eyes will naturally decay. I'm sure youve noticed most people over sixty need some kind of glasses.

You are right as a child your eyes change, and at a certain point they quit. I've had glasses since the third grade, and my prescription changed almost every year until I was 22 and since then it has remained a constant.

I can't tell you for sure that it won't worsen your condition, but I can tell you that even if it does, you will be able to see far better than without. Not wearing glasses when you need time will DEFINENTLY worsen your eyes as you squint to see better. Not having the correct prescription can cause you to get headaches as well.

I think you should discuss these fears with an optomitrist and not your roommate!

Answer 3

Hi. I have pretty much the same condition. I was never near-sighted until I entered college. In the years since my eyesight deteriorated somewhat, forcing me to wear slightly stronger prescriptions.

Technically, wearing the glasses should not deteriorate your eyesight if you are using them properly. Since you are nearsighted, you should not wear your glases for near point, up close visual tasks. That will place strain on your eyes. But for distance that is not a problem.

Your eyesight mainly deteriorates because nearsightedness is a genetic condition. There are certain activities you can do to help increase your eye's ability to focus. The military has used these for a long time. These activities involve focusing your eyes on near and distant objects, alternating between the two. The idea is that your ciliary muscles- the ones involved in focusing- will get better at focusing and therefore you will see clearer. You should also avoid stressing your eyes too much up close. Your eyes will become better adapted at up close vision and less well adapted at longer distance. Some studies have shown that with so many people using computers and doing up-close tasks, nearsightedness has risen to near epidemic proportions. On the other hand, in societies where up-close activities are less coommon, the problem is not as widespread. Therefore, try not to exacerbate your condition by wearing glasses intended for distance at short ranges, or overworking your eyes by staring at a computer screen for hours. Occasionally take a break, relax your eyes, and look at a distant object and focus on it.

Answer 4

Your eyesight begins a natural deterioration at around age 40. Even if you never wore glasses. Wearing glasses doesn't make your eyes deteriorate faster. It just slows the process down. It's called a hardening of the retina. Children can take certain vitamins to prolong their natural eyesight.

Besides you probably look cute in glasses.

Good luck mate,

Answer 5

Your eyesight tends to change with age because of the elasticityof the cornea, etc. and the health of the person.

Some eyes change a LOT, others change very little. Wearing glasses does not necessarily mean your eyes will get worse. A person I know has been wearing the same prescription for 30 years.

Answer 6

I dont think its that the glasses or contacts are ruining your vision, but it could be... my prescription gets stronger and stronger every time I go back, but if I didn't go back and get new ones I wouldnt see very well... maybe its just that with age your eye sight deteriorates regardless, thats why you weren't born needing glasses in the first place. Listen to your doc and wear the glasses provided if you think the prescription is too strong see a different eye doctor, everyone makes misstakes, but your glasses shouldnt hurt you they should help you!

Answer 7

Your eyes may change throughout your life. My prescription actually got BETTER at my last exam.

The reason most prescriptions get worse for nearsighted people is that they didn't learn the first time. The reason they are probably near-sighted is from sitting too close to the TV or some other object while focusing on it. They keep doing it even while using glasses or contacts and so their eyes get progressively worse.

Answer 8

Nope, I've been wearing glasses since I was a baby and I'm 37 now. My glasses are no stronger than when I was little, and I'm nearsighted and have asthigmatism. Without glasses, my vision is 20/70, which is pretty much what it's always been ever since I can remember.

Answer 9

I strongly agree with your flatmate.

Everytime I go in they make them stronger. So I finally have kept the same pair for five years they are all scratched up but I can still see fine my eyes get worse when I'm tired. This was especially apparent in Dental school around final exam time. Then I'd get a weeks sleep and miraculously my I sight seems better. So I figure Opticians are trained to make everyone's eyesight perfect at the time of the exam. But, my eyes, I think, are naturally lazy so they are used to being slightly out of focus. When I go in for an exam the Optician interprets this as the need for a stronger prescription and now my eyes are shot.

Answer 10

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