Will wearing glasses for a long time cause my eyesight to worsen?

When Zhang Zifeng participated in a variety show, she said that she was nearsighted, but she didn't like wearing glasses. During the show, she often couldn't find things without glasses. When she was threading a needle, she couldn't see clearly even if it was very close to her eyes. She squinted her eyes, frowned, and struggled for a long time but couldn't thread the needle. Huang Yali, who is not nearsighted, threaded the needle in one go, and Zhang Zifeng was teased by netizens for having a 19-year-old face and 80-year-old eyes. Zhang Zifeng now has 200 degrees of myopia, and she can't see things in the distance clearly without wearing glasses.

According to statistics, 33% of the Chinese population suffers from myopia, and 60% of teenagers suffer from myopia[1]. The incidence of myopia among Chinese teenagers is also on the rise. Myopia is usually caused by excessive eye fatigue[2]. Nowadays, technology is developing rapidly and electronic products are widely used. Almost everyone has an electronic product in their hands. Children have tablets and teenagers have mobile phones.

Many parents think that as long as children wear glasses, the degree of their glasses will only get worse every year and will not be "reversed". Once parents have this idea, they don't want their children to wear glasses. Without glasses, the eyes will not become myopic so quickly. In fact, the opposite is true. Children will become myopic more quickly without glasses.

Wearing glasses can improve vision. According to the results of the experiment, as long as you can get an accurate eye test at a regular ophthalmology hospital and determine the degree of myopia, wearing glasses can control the increase of myopia[1]. If you don't wear glasses, your eyes will see things blurry. At that time, you will force your eyes to see clearly, which will increase the burden on your eyes and cause the degree of myopia to increase[1]. In addition, when you can't see clearly, you will squint and tilt your head, which is also very unsightly.

Can myopia be prevented?

Of course you can, especially when you are young, prevention is best.

1. First of all, you should control the distance of your eyes. Keep the distance greater than 33cm and avoid using your eyes at a close distance for more than 45 minutes[3].

2. Maintain 2 hours of outdoor exercise every day and 10 hours of outdoor exercise every week[3].

3. Avoid working or studying in dimly lit places, avoid reading or looking at your phone in a shaking car, and avoid lying down while looking at electronic products or reading a book[3].

4. Control the use of electronic products. Non-learning electronic products should not be used for more than 1 hour a day. If electronic products are needed for learning, after every 30-40 minutes of study, look into the distance for 10 minutes to relax [3].

5. Get enough sleep and give your eyes enough rest every day[3]. Students should get at least 8 hours of sleep, and adults should get at least 6 hours of sleep[3].

Is there any other way to correct vision besides wearing glasses?

You can also wear orthokeratology lenses. According to research, wearing orthokeratology lenses for six months is very helpful for vision correction and recovery in adolescents, and it can significantly improve the naked eye vision of adolescents. It is an effective method of vision correction [4]. However, whether or not to wear orthokeratology lenses requires a checkup at a regular hospital and follow the doctor's advice.

There is no way to completely cure myopia, so protecting your eyesight should start from childhood.

References:

[1] Qian Guoxiang. Effects of corrective glasses on myopic children and adolescents[J]. Modern Medical and Health Research Electronic Journal, 2018, 04: 178.

[2] Li Jun, Li Xiao, Zhang Lei, Wang Mi, Yang Xiaozhao, Pan Shiyin. Effects of orthokeratology lenses on visual acuity and biometric parameters in adolescent myopic patients[J]. Journal of Clinical Medicine Research and Practice, 2021, 19: 53-55.

[3] Wang Miaoying. Exploring the causes of myopia and its preventive measures[J]. Health Care Wenhui, 2021, 04: 216-217.

[4] Wu Xiaofei, Wang Rong. Effects of orthokeratology lenses and frame glasses on adolescents' accommodation response[J]. China Medical Device Information, 2019, 18: 5-6+157.