How does wearing glasses impact my prescription over time?
In short, it doesn’t!
It’s a common misconception that wearing glasses causes your prescription to worsen over time.
If it’s not the glasses, why is my prescription getting worse?
Your distance prescription is based on the unique shape of your eye. Because the shape of your eye
naturally changes over time, your prescription also changes over time. Distance prescriptions tend to
change most during growth from childhood to adulthood. The changes typically slow down or stabilize
completely during adulthood, and they may speed up again later in life with the development of age-
related cataracts.
Near vision is determined by a different mechanism. For those with a normally-functioning focusing
system, close up vision gradually worsens after age 40 due to loss of flexibility of the lens inside the eye.
Those with a weaker focusing system may benefit from reading glasses at a younger age to relieve
symptoms of headaches and/or eyestrain.
Changes to eye shape and lens flexibility are naturally occurring and will take place at the same rate with
or without the use of glasses/ contact lenses.
If I start wearing glasses, will I develop a dependency on them?
As eyecare providers, we often encounter patients who are hesitant to wear their glasses due to fear of
becoming “dependent” on them. This fear is understandable but misguided.
When wearing glasses, patients suddenly become aware of how clear their vision can be. This realization
goes hand in hand with awareness of how blurry their vision really is without the glasses on. While it
may cause an increased desire for sharp vision, wearing glasses will not weaken (or strengthen!) your
natural eyesight.
In summary, wearing your vision correction will only allow you to experience the world in better visual
clarity and comfort!
- Dr. Courtney Hegener
