If you have nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism, you often will have to resort to using glasses with corrective lenses. But one question visually impaired people ask is, “will frequent usage of medicated glasses cause further damage to my eyes?”

The reason you may ask this isn’t far-fetched. The more you use something, the more you become accustomed to it such that you feel you can no longer live or perform well without it. So you may feel that the longer you use glasses, the worse your eyes would be without them.

But it’s really not so.

How often should I wear glasses?

Wear glasses as often as you need them to see. Always have your glasses with you so that whenever you need to read or write something anywhere, you can grab your glasses and do so.

Will wearing glasses every day harm my eyes?

The simple answer is no.

Just as glasses will not physiologically improve your eyesight, wearing them every day will not worsen it. Glasses only help you see better — to correct your vision impairment. They do not rectify your cornea or pupils; neither do they harm them in the majority of cases. So when you take off the glasses, your eyesight goes back to how it was before you wore them.

You can wear your glasses every day or whenever you need them to see clearly.

Note that eyesight may worsen with age, but it’s really not because you’ve been using spectacles too often.

What do I do if I feel uncomfortable wearing glasses?

It’s understandable to feel uncomfortable wearing glasses. Note that you’re not alone. If your glasses cause discomfort, see your eye specialist and ask them if you could get one custom-made for you.

But it could be that you do not like the geek look glasses give you. If you do not want to wear glasses but are visually impaired, consider getting a procedure known as LASIK at Lotus Vision. LASIK is well-known eye surgery, in short, the most popular eye correction procedure in the US. It makes use of laser technology.

By correcting your eyesight with LASIK at Lotus Vision, you can get back to living life free from glasses and contact lenses.

How long should I wear the same pair of glasses?

Glasses typically last up to three years on average. However, how long any eyewear would last depends on several factors:

• Quality
• Durability
• How often do you clean your glasses
• Presence of special coatings
• Stronger frames and glasses will usually make your glasses last longer.

What lifestyle choices can I make to maintain or improve my eyesight?

The following tips can help you improve your vision

• Eat foods good for the eyes, especially those rich in vitamins A, C, and E, copper, and zinc.
• Get enough sleep
• Avoid smoking
• Limit looking at a bright screen late into the night
• Have regular eye exams.
• Do eye exercises (holding a pen at arm’s length, warming your eyes for five seconds with warm palms in the morning, etc.)
• Light exercises that improve blood circulation

Bottom line

Using glasses won’t cause your vision to deteriorate. However, if you feel discomfort using glasses, you may consider going for laser surgery to permanently correct your eye defect.