There’s a persistent myth that if you wear glasses or contact lenses, they will end up making your vision worse in the long run. Similar myths fly about all areas of healthcare – people assume that vaccinations poison you instead of help you, that psychiatric drugs keep you reliant on them rather than actually helping with mental health issues, and more. 

However, such myths are just that: myths. Glasses don’t make your vision worse. But here is what you need to know about why people think they can indeed make your vision worse and why this is not the case. Let’s jump on into it. 

Why People Think Glasses Make Your Vision Worse

There are several reasons why people think that glasses make your vision worse. Some reasoning comes from those who believe that there are natural, holistic solutions to all issues while other reasons come from people who don’t understand certain factors involved with getting glasses.

Here are some of the main reasons why people think that glasses make your vision worse.

Myth #1: You Force Your Eyes To Adjust

People think you force your eyes to adjust to the lenses and that trying to find “holistic” ways to fix your vision is better than relying on contacts and glasses.

Myth #2: The Breaking-In Period Is Unnatural

People claim that your prescription will only be right when your eyes are in an adjusting state and that the breaking-in period is unnatural and a sign that you shouldn’t be wearing glasses.

Myth #3: Glasses Damage Your Vision

People say that glasses can damage your vision since the lenses are in front of your eyes, and you would have to move your head to see to either side.

Myth #4: Glasses Weaken Your Eyes 

People claim that wearing glasses for too long damages your eyes and weakens the muscles. People have similar concerns with contacts, like how you can accidentally hurt yourself putting them in or taking them out or how they may impact oxygen to your eyes.

What People Claim Can Be Done About Vision Changes Instead Of Using Glasses 

People who believe that glasses make your vision worse can claim that vision changes can be reversed or prevented from worsening by doing eye exercises and adjusting your diet accordingly, such as by including antioxidants and fish oil in your diet.

While these are very important for your eye health and can help to prevent issues, they’re not a substitute for corrective lenses. You should indeed do these things, however, if you have blurry vision, you should look into glasses or contact lenses too.

Do Glasses Actually Make Your Vision Worse?

No. There is no scientific evidence that glasses weaken your eyesight. Glasses actually help your eyesight.

Corrective lenses do just that – correct your vision. While wearing contacts for too long can strain your eyes, you can switch to glasses to alleviate eye strain. Blue light glasses can also help with excessive screen time.

It’s natural for your vision to worsen as you age – this is not because of your glasses, but just the natural aging process or because of eye diseases. Your vision can also worsen if you do things like staring directly into the sun.

Specialized glasses and contact lenses can even strengthen your eyes, rather than weaken them, such as glasses for crossed eyes or lazy eyes in children. After wearing these, the child may not need glasses again in the future after the vision therapy has concluded.

Do Glasses Make Your Eyes Dependent On Them? 

No. Wearing glasses does not make your eyes dependent on them or cause your eye muscles to atrophy. Glasses do not make your vision worse, but you may find yourself reaching for them because you like being able to enjoy clear vision that you don’t have otherwise. 

Does Taking Care Of Your Eyes Prevent Your Vision From Worsening?

While it’s good to take good care of your eyes, this won’t exactly prevent your vision from worsening 

People tend to need stronger prescriptions as they get older not because their prescription worsens their vision but because eye conditions can worsen with age, like nearsightedness. 

Only eye surgery can fix your vision if you do not want to wear corrective lenses. While taking care of your eyes is important, doing so won’t improve bad vision. 

Why Does My Vision Seem Worse After Wearing Glasses?

Your eyesight doesn’t actually get worse when you start wearing glasses, but it may seem like it because your perspective shifted. When you see the world clearly, you’re then more aware of the effects of your uncorrected vision. Your vision isn’t worse, but you can realize just how far from perfect it was now that you know what it’s like to see clearly.

If you experience bothersome symptoms with your glasses after two or so weeks, your prescription may be too weak or too strong, you can see your eye doctor to have it adjusted. Your glasses shouldn’t make your vision worse or cause long-term adverse symptoms.

Do You Need Glasses?

Come to Wolcott Optical and browse our wide selection of frames! We have frames for all different styles and needs. Contact us today to learn more about our glasses. 

While super bright headlights may help the driver who has them see better at night, said headlights can be blinding to on-coming drivers and the people the person with the super bright headlights is driving behind. 

This can cause other drivers to not be able to see the road, as well as have blind spots in their vision that take a few minutes to go away if they look at the headlights straight on. These lights can even light up the cabins of cars that pass them or are in front of them.

As such, while super bright headlights may seem great for the person who has them, they can be downright dangerous to everyone else on the road. Many people are afraid to drive at night in general, but these lights make it even worse.

As such, you may be wondering whether or not there are glasses that help with these super bright headlights. 

About Night Driving Safety

About half of car crash fatalities occur at night, with 3/4s of these fatalities being pedestrians. As such, it’s no wonder that people often try to avoid driving at night.

Cars need brighter headlights than they’ve had in the past for safety reasons. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says that low-beam lights should illuminate the road at 325 feet, as this is how far a person would need to see an obstacle and stop when traveling at 60 mph.

Headlights can help to prevent night accidents when drivers follow traffic regulations. However, now, many people complain that other peoples’ headlights are so bright that they actually make driving at night even more dangerous.

Are Headlights Brighter Than They Used To Be?

If you feel like headlights are brighter than they used to be, you’re not crazy. Car headlights have switched from sealed-beam to halogen bulbs. This matters because halogen bulbs use reflectors to spread light outward, which makes them seem brighter than they are.

Many cars now use LEDs instead of halogens. LEDs seem brighter than halogens. This is because LED lights cause more light to reach eye level as they cast a wider beam of light. They also typically have a blue tinge to them.

Blue-tinged light feels brighter to people than warm yellow does because it is difficult for human eyes to process blue wavelengths. Blue light focuses just ahead of the retina, rather than on it. 

Additionally, lights have gotten smaller over time, which makes emitted light seem brighter. Thus, even though these lights meet headlight requirements, like standard headlights, they don’t seem that way to the human eye. Instead, you see super bright headlights.

How Tall Cars Are Matters

SUVs and pickups have lights that are higher up due to taller bodies. This makes them more likely to shine in people’s eyes and is why they can light up the cabins of cars that they are driving behind. 

Combine a taller body with light that is difficult for the human eye to process, and then you have headlights that seem super bright and blinding.

Are Super Bright Headlights Really Dangerous?

Car manufacturers and people with super bright headlights argue that these lights aren’t as bright as those complaining about them make it seem. However, complaints of super bright headlights continue to increase. Many people think that such lights should be illegal, though laws are slow to change. Some say that lights are so bright, it physically hurts their eyes. 

Trying to find a balance to make the road safe for the person driving and the other drivers on the road is still in the works. In Europe, adaptive beam technology is widespread. A bipartisan bill in the United States passed designating that cars have this to avoid other drivers by 2023. This automatically switches high-beam lights to low-beam when the car senses an oncoming car.

Is It Your Eyes?

We’ve talked about how certain types of light are harder for human eyes to process. However, if you are struggling to see at night, it could be because of other reasons.

Astigmatism can make it harder to see at night because your cornea is irregularly shaped. As such, you may struggle with night-time driving and feel unsafe going out at night.

Are There Glasses That Can Help?

You can get both prescription and non-prescription night driving glasses. These have a yellow tint to them which filters out the blue light that causes that glare. Non-prescription ones can be purchased over the counter. Prescription ones can be ordered for you. Anti-reflective coatings can be added to your lenses in order to reduce glare.

Night-driving glasses create a contrast that makes it easier to make things out at night. They can also help in hazy or foggy conditions.

However, yellow lenses reduce the amount of light that enters the eye, which can lead to vision reduction. Studies show night driving glasses do not improve night vision. Some people say that these glasses help while others do not notice a difference.

If you think that you might benefit from night driving glasses, talk to your eye doctor.

Wolcott Optical provides all sorts of glasses, including blue light glasses. If you think you could benefit from night driving glasses, please don’t hesitate to contact us today to learn more about your options.

Glasses are an easy, cost-effective way to correct your vision. Whether you’re squeamish about contacts, you like to alternate between contacts and glasses, or you simply prefer glasses, one thing many glasses wearers have in common is the annoying red marks they can leave on your nose. Said red marks can take makeup and skincare off and can even be downright painful, depending on the cause.

Fortunately, you don’t have to grin and bear it. Depending on the cause, you may be able to prevent your glasses from leaving red marks on your nose.

Should Glasses Leave Red Marks On Your Nose?

In many cases, if your glasses are leaving red marks on your nose, this means that they don’t first properly and need to be adjusted. If your red marks are accompanied by pain or discomfort, definitely have them adjusted, as glasses should not be painful to wear.

However, this is not always the case. If you are someone who wears makeup, you may notice red marks on your nose even if your glasses fit correctly. If you have any concerns about the red marks your glasses are leaving on your nose, it’s best to talk to your optician. 

Common Reasons Why Your Glasses Leave Red Marks On Your Nose

#1. They Do Not Sit Properly

If you have nose bridge pain from your glasses, this can be because they are not sitting properly. You will want to have them adjusted so that they fit correctly. If you have pain behind your ears in addition to red marks on your nose, this is likely because your glasses are too small for your face.

#2. They Are Heavy

If you have red marks on your nose that disappear overnight, they are likely light pressure marks. This can mean that your glasses are just heavy. Picking a lighter frame can resolve the problem. Heavy frames can also leave indents on your nose.

#3. They Are Not Made Properly

If your glasses are giving you headaches from eye strain in addition to red marks, this means that either you need to adjust to them, as can happen when people first start wearing glasses. It can also mean that your glasses are not made properly to the prescription. 

#4. You Are Having An Allergic Reaction

Another reason why your glasses can leave red marks on your nose is if you are allergic to the material the nose pads are made of. Nose pads are typically made of plastic or silicone. If you have an allergic reaction, your optician will work with you to find a solution that works for you.

This could also happen if you don’t clean your glasses’ nose pads on a regular basis. Oil, dirt, and bacteria can build up on them, leading to adverse reactions. 

#5. They Do Not Fit Correctly

If your red marks are indents, this likely means that your glasses don’t fit correctly and need to be adjusted. The bridge width could be too narrow or the frame could not be correct for you. The weight may not be evenly distributed. The nose pads may sit too high or too low on your nose bridge.

Adjusting your glasses is something that needs to be done by a professional, as trying to adjust them yourself can cause damage to the frame. They can adjust the pads to either a different type or to distribute the weight more evenly. They can also adjust the frame or recommend a new frame. 

#6. It’s The Nose Pad Material

Harder plastic materials are more likely to leave marks than silicone. If the material of your nose pads is causing the red marks, you can talk about this with your optician.

How To Prevent Red Marks On Your Nose With Makeup

Even if your glasses are a perfect fit, they can still leave red marks on your nose from taking your makeup off. There are a few things that you can try in order to prevent this. 

• Apply eyeshadow primer to your nose, let it dry, then powder it.
• Soak your beauty sponge in long-lasting setting spray, pack setting powder over concealer/foundation, then brush off once set – aka, bake your nose.
• Put a mattifying primer around the sides of your nose and powder your foundation, as creating more dryness prevents slippage.
• Use blotting sheets to help with oil, then powder.
• Wipe down the nose pads of your glasses, then lightly dust with setting powder.
• Use less makeup in that area. Apply from the outside of the face in.

Are You Struggling With Your Glasses?

Wolcott Optical is here to help! We can ensure that your glasses fit correctly and that the frame is right for you. Contact us today with any questions you may have about the fit of your glasses or any problems you’re experiencing.