Why does squinting help you see farther, if you are near sighted?

Question

Just something I always wondered about....

Answer 1

This is related to a well-known aspect of lens theory. There is a tradeoff between lens aperture size and focal acuity. The smaller the aperture opening, the better the focus. This is due to the formation of what are called "circles of confusion" as the aperture of a lens gets larger (Google that term for further explanations).

So what is happening when squinting is that the effective aperture of the eye lens is being restricted, so it gets smaller, and these "circles" are reduced, and focus is enhanced.

In a camera, there are tradeoffs between aperture size, shutter speed, and film speed (e.g., if you want a more focused picture, the shutter needs to be opened longer to allow more light to flood the film in order to get a bright enough image). But our optical system has the amazing ability to adapt to varying amount of light automatically, so we can usually see clearly even if there is little light entering our system.

You can do fun experiments with this concept by taking a piece of opaque paper and punching various size holes in it. If you are nearsighted, you will notice your ability to see increases as the hole gets smaller (start with a paper punch size and work down to a pinhole). In fact, for folks who are severely nearsighted, it might be a good idea to keep such an object in an easily locatable spot, so if their glasses are ever misplaced, they could at least have a way of seeing more than blurs as they look for their glasses!

Answer 2

It's an optical thing...Anytime light waves are confined into a narrow gap, the waves act differently ( this is a very simple explaination)...The light waves line up and focus is infinate. You can demonstrate this yourself, take something like a black poster board and put a tiny pinhole in it and hold it to your eye. You will see everything in focus. Or, have a completely dark room, and make the light from outside come through a pinhole (you will need a bright sunny day) ...You will actually see the outside scene projected on to the opposite wall. It will be upside down. In the early days of photography they used a pinhole camera. It took awhile to get the film exposed, because the pinhole does not let much light through. That is why glass lenses were developed.
So, when you squint, you narrow the light apature.
Hope this helps
Milt

Answer 3

Near-sightedness or Myopia can be one cause of blurred distance vision. The ideal way to correct blurriness is of course with an updated prescription glasses from your Doctor of Optometry.

Squinting can help clear vision a little because light travelling to your eyes gets partly filtered through the narrow slit created by narrowing the space between your eyelids. You can get the same effect by looking through a pinhole made in a piece of cardboard, or for that matter looking through a saltine cracker hole.

Are these practical ways to get by? Not really. You get limited peripheral vision looking through a pinhole, and squinting can create muscle spasms, tension around the eyes, and even headaches. It can serve in a pinch if you lose your glasses but is no alternative to a good eyewear from an updated prescription.

Get your eyes examined every one to two years with your Optometrist to be sure your eye health is good, and that you can see clearly. Good Luck !

Answer 4

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RE:
Why does squinting help you see farther, if you are near sighted?
Just something I always wondered about....

Answer 5

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So you wear your glasses all the time when you are reading? If you need them only for reading but can read signs, a blackboard and go about your day just fine without them, you are probably Far Sighted (hyperopia): you can see things from far, but need glasses to focus small, up close reading (you may be able to read a little if you hold the writing/ screen further away from you, but it causes strain). The +2.75 means you need a positive/ convex lens to correct your vision. Near sighted people (myopic) on the other hand, need to wear glasses all day to navigate the world (they would have a -2.75 negative/ concave lens to correct the problem). Though we typically can read small if we hold the paper/ screen really close, we usually keep our glasses on to read at a comfortable distance as well (nearsighted people without glasses will often squint to try to see a sharper image--that also causes strain). Does your lens prescription have other parts in addition to the +2.75? If so, you may also have astigmatism (irregularly shaped cornea), which commonly accompanies myopia or hyperopia and is also corrected for in the lens.

Answer 6

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Answer 7

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Answer 8

It adjusts the amount of light to your eye, which reduces glare and blurriness.

Answer 9

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Answer 10

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