Last Reviewed:December 7, 2022 by Gabrielle Marks
Can Glasses Correct Vision?
- Glasses can not correct vision.
- Glasses will correct sight and vision while wearing them but do not correct the cause of vision problems.
- Taking off glasses will result in the same nearsightedness or farsightedness that caused a prescription for glasses.
What Do Glasses Do?
If a doctor prescribes glasses, then vision is not normal for any reason. Depending on the cause of vision problems, the type of glasses a doctor gives will vary. Regardless of the particular problem, glasses are used to help improve vision by adjusting the refraction of light.
Correcting Vision While Wearing Glasses
Glasses do not actually correct the problem with the eyes. Problems with vision are caused by the shape of the eyes and how the brain can interpret the refraction of light in the eyes. Instead of correcting the particular problem with shape, glasses are curved to adjust the refraction of light. The result is that vision is improved as long as glasses are worn.
Focusing Light
Vision problems stem from the eyes’ shape and light’s refraction. If the doctor determines that the eyes are nearsighted, called myopia, then the shape of the eyes is elongated. When the eyes are elongated, the light will not reach the retina and distorts distance vision.
Farsightedness, called hyperopia, occurs when the eyes are more rounded and pushed forward. Vision near the eyes is difficult to see due to the light refracting beyond the retina and distorting vision in front of the face.
Regardless of the particular vision problem, glasses are designed to refocus the light for better vision. The shape of the glasses will curve to adjust how the light enters the eyes. When the light is adjusted, vision clarifies and ultimately is corrected by the glasses. Since glasses do not change the shape of the eyes, they will only correct vision when wearing them.
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