If you’ve been told you need to start wearing glasses, but you’re worried that they will make your eyesight worse, you’re not alone. Many others like you often avoid wearing prescription glasses for as long as possible, after hearing that they can weaken your eyes and worsen your eyesight.

We’ve created this post to offer some insight into where this idea comes from, as well as the best steps to take to keep your eyesight as clear as possible.

Wearing glasses makes your eyesight worse – does it?

We’ve heard this statement from countless people but at the end of the day, it’s a common misconception that’s developed over time.

It stems from two myths – that wearing glasses long-term can cause your eyes to depend on them, and that the incorrect prescription glasses weaken or damage your eyesight. Together, these two misconceptions are causing an awful lot of people to avoid wearing glasses, when they could be benefiting greatly from them.

Prescription glasses will help to improve your eyesight

It’s very common for your eyesight to reduce over time. In fact, the vast majority of adults will develop a refractive error at some point during their lifetime, whether that’s nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism, for example.

When your eyesight changes, it’s likely that you will have to strain your eyes to see clearly. You may find it difficult to read signs when driving, and a lot of people also have more headaches than usual. There isn’t much you can do to improve your changing eyesight, other than to begin wearing contacts or prescription glasses, which should work to significantly improve each of these symptoms.

If you have recently been told that you need to start wearing glasses, why not browse our range of men and women’s prescription glasses? You’ll find a variety of frames in different shapes and styles, each of which can be tailored to your own specific prescription.

Why do people believe that wearing glasses weakens your eyes?

The first misconception – your eyes rely on prescription glasses

The first root cause of this misconception comes from the belief that your eyes will adjust to you wearing glasses for the long-term and that, over time, they will begin to depend on them. This leads people to believe that, without glasses, your eyesight will be much worse than it used to be. In fact, the truth behind this misconception is that you simply get used to how much clearer you see things when wearing glasses, compared to when you were initially told you need to start wearing them.

It all comes down to your mind playing tricks on you – your eyesight is probably very similar to what it was, but you’ve gotten used to a high-definition view of things, thanks to your prescription glasses.

The second misconception – the wrong prescription can cause permanent damage

The second misconception comes from people believing that the wrong level of prescription with glasses can permanently damage your eyesight and make it worse. That’s down to the likes of eye strain, headaches and fatigue, all of which can develop when wearing the wrong prescription glasses.

It can take quite a while to adjust to a new pair of prescription glasses, and if these symptoms start to develop, then it may be time to book an eye test and get an updated prescription. This should help with the headaches and the eye strain will lessen and you’ll soon notice a great difference in your eyesight for the better. Once these symptoms disappear, you’ll soon see that the wrong prescription does not cause permanent damage to your eyes.

Keep on top of your eye tests and prescription for optimum vision

Changes to your vision over time is almost a given and choosing to wear glasses will do much more good than bad. The NHS recommends that you visit your optician for an eye test at least once every two years, to keep on top of your eye health and to determine any changes to your vision. By keeping up with your optician appointments and by sticking to the recommended glasses prescription, you’ll be able to see clearly and without the worry of your eyesight getting worse or permanent damage being caused.

Take a look at the latest women and men’s optical frames available at Arlo Wolf, and don’t forget that you can try up to four frames at home using our try before you buy service, to see which glasses you like the most.