If you feel your vision worsening rapidly, it could be due to the glasses you’re wearing, according to experts.
There are a few possible reasons for this, say ophthalmologists in the United Kingdom and Australia.
First, when you switch between putting on and taking off your glasses, it may appear that your pre-corrected vision has decreased.
However, this is simply because you have become accustomed to good vision and it will suddenly become more noticeable when you have difficulty seeing.
“Once we get used to seeing clearly, our tolerance for blurred vision will be lower and we will turn to glasses to see well again,” wrote James Armitage, associate professor of vision sciences, and Nick Hockley, eye health expert. , both by Deakin. University in Australia.
The second reason is that you are most likely using the wrong prescription, Armitage wrote for the conversation.
This includes using recipes that are too weak or too strong, which could be the case for 72 million Americans, according to some studies.
Many people believe that wearing glasses worsens vision, but it may be due to a psychological trick.
This can cause you to develop worse vision over time. A controversial 2004 study found that even 19 percent of children You may be prescribed glasses unnecessarily.
History has demonstrated this enigma, Doctors used to prescribe Children with poor distance vision, also known as myopia, receive weaker prescriptions than they really need.
The theory was that doing so would prevent their eyes from becoming dependent on glasses and help them avoid further vision problems in the future.
But a series Several groundbreaking studies conducted in the early 2000s proved these recommendations wrong, as it was revealed that students using weaker prescriptions than necessary developed worse vision than those with correct ones.
But when people wear the correct prescription, their vision doesn’t get worse, studies show. And the benefits of optimal vision are incalculable.
A recent study found that giving reading glasses to workers in Bangladesh was associated with a 33 percent increase in their income.
This is consistent with previous findings, such as a 2018 study which found that giving cups to tea pickers in India produced a 31 percent productivity increase.
“It is a myth that wearing glasses can weaken the eyes, and it is potentially harmful to claim that people who have been prescribed glasses or contact lenses do not need them,” Roshni Kanabar, clinical advisor at the Association of Optometrists. Mail.
Experts say regular eye exams are crucial for eye health
Over time, everyone’s vision worsens with age, Armitage and Hockley wrote. But this is no worse for people with glasses, they wrote.
Instead, the flexible lenses in our eyes that control vision become rigid with age, resulting in difficulty seeing up close, known as presbyopia.
There is no treatment for this condition except correcting vision with glasses.
Researchers recommend annual eye exams to monitor the condition and keep your eyes in the best shape possible.