Guest post by Tina Patel

For a lot of people, Wearing Glasses is an easy and fashionable way to correct their vision, but there can be some drawbacks. Glasses aren’t always the best option in every situation; however, some may also have concerns about whether or not glasses can change their vision in a more permanent way. In this article we discuss the negative effects of wearing glasses as well as some of the commonly believed myths about wearing glasses.

Does wearing glasses make your vision worse?

There is a common misconception that wearing glasses can cause eyesight to deteriorate, but this isn’t true. The belief comes from the fact that sight changes over time, therefore prescriptions will change, but that doesn’t mean that glasses are changing your vision. Everyone’s sight changes over time and presbyopia is a common eye condition in those aged over 40. Unfortunately, no one can escape their eyesight declining, however, blindness and infection is very preventable with good eye care and following best practice for contact lenses (if you wear them).

Can not wearing glasses damage your eyesight?

There is limited evidence to show that children who do not wear glasses, or who wear a weaker prescription than they need, had a faster progression of myopia. More trials would be needed to draw a more accurate conclusion, however, even with the limited studies, it suggests that children should not be given weaker prescriptions, as this could potentially have long-term effects on the health of their eyes.

Glasses aren’t great for playing sports

One of the drawbacks of wearing glasses is the issue of playing sports. Flying objects such as cricket ball or volleyball can easily knock your glasses off and break them. This can harm not just your glasses but also your eyes if you aren’t careful. There’s also the possibility that your glasses might fall off from jumping or running around the pitch.

It’s much safer to play sport in contact lenses. If you prefer to wear glasses, daily disposable contact lenses are perfect for the odd game of sport because they can be worn for a full day before being disposed of, before going to sleep. For those who play sport more often, monthly or 2 weekly contact lenses offer a more affordable solution, however daily disposable lenses are the most convenient as they don’t require a daily lens cleaning routine.

With new prescriptions, there is an adjustment period

It’s very common to have an adjustment period of about 2 weeks when you get a new prescription. The eyes need time to get used to the new prescription, in which time discomfort and poor vision may be experienced. If there was a significant change to the prescription, then the adjustment period may take longer.

It is possible that the prescription may be too weak or too strong if dizziness or other vision issues persist after 2 weeks. If this is the case, the individual experiencing the visual discomfort should visit their optician to explain their symptoms. Wearing the wrong prescription won’t cause any physical harm to the eyes, however it could make tasks more difficult and cause headaches, fatigue, blurred vision, and/or dizziness.

Do glasses affect your eye shape?

It’s not possible for glasses to physically change the shape or size of the eyes. Glasses can, however, give the illusion of bigger eyes, especially high prescription glasses as the lens tends to be a little thicker, giving a magnifying effect to the eyes.

Can eyesight be improved by not wearing glasses?

Some believe that by not wearing corrective eyewear when they need to, they will strengthen their eye muscles and make them less reliant on assistance, but that is a myth. Although not wearing glasses or contact lenses when you need them will not hurt your eyes, it will not improve vision either. Although glasses may not be the right choice for everyone for many reasons, it’s important to note that wearing glasses:

• Won’t harm your vision
• Cannot change the shape or size of your eyes
• Won’t make your vision worse

Where can I buy affordable prescription glasses?

Those who want to save money can order prescription glasses online for much cheaper prices than the high street. There are often a lot more styles and brands available online. There’s a broad range of styles to choose from online retailers, such as classic Havana print, modern transparent frames, timeless black and many more. There are also all the classic shapes along with more contemporary shapes like hexagonal and oval. With just a few clicks shoppers can find the perfect pair of glasses for them.

All the usual lens packages that are found on the high street can also be found online, such as thin lenses, blue light/digital protection, transitions lenses and prescription sunglasses.

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