How Do Eyeglasses Correct Our Vision?

How do eyeglasses correct our vision? Eyeglasses or contact lenses work so well because they can correct refractive problems. In other words, they bend the light rays in a way that lets you see more clearly. (Refracting is a big word that means bending light rays.)

In each of your eyes there is a lens that bends the light waves entering the eye. This focuses a clear picture of what you see on a retina. (The retina is a special layer of light—sensitive cells at the back of the eye.)

Some people’s eyes cannot do this very well, and this result in blurry vision. Eyeglasses and contact lenses are extra glass or plastic lenses put in front of the eyes’ own lenses.

The eyeglasses or contact lenses correct the eyes with blurry vision by bending the light waves so that the picture on the back of the eye focuses sharp and clear.

Do your eyes become dependent on glasses? Wearing glasses makes your eyes dependent on them. Eyeglasses correct blurry vision whether near or far. You may want to wear your glasses more often so that you can see clearly, but your glasses aren’t changing your eyes so that they become dependent on your eyeglasses.

Should I wear my glasses all the time? If you are more comfortable wearing your glasses all day, then do it. If you need them only for reading or driving, there may be no reason to wear them all the time. If you don’t wear your glasses as prescribed, you may experience eye strain and spend your day squinting to see clearly.

Content for this question contributed by Paul Farinha, JR., resident of East Taunton, Massachusetts, USA