Any eye care professionals on here? RE: Not wearing your corrective lenses

[Pegasus]

I am very near-sighted and DH is near-sighted as well. So, we were not surprised when DD13 needed to start wearing glasses about a couple years ago. She rarely wore her first set of glasses and recently had a new eye exam and a stronger lens prescription provided. Now she wears her glasses only when she's watching TV or a movie screen.

 

DH is worried that not regularly wearing her glasses will make her vision get worse and is hounding her to wear them all the time. Does wearing or not wearing corrective lenses actually effect how bad your vision ends up?

 

I'd love to hear some input from eye care professionals and if you can refer me to any studies or advice from an eye care organization, I'd be tickled pink.

 

Many thanks.

Pegasus

[elegantlion]

I'm not an eye care professional, but I'm near sighted too. I don't have specific articles, but I've actually heard the opposite, that you weaken the eye by relying on the lens all the time. I'm not sure if it's true, but I don't wear my glasses all the time. I can't wear them and read, but I wear them when I'm on the computer or driving. I've had them since I was about 11.

 

I'll be interested to see what others have to say.

Edited August 8, 2010 by elegantlion
grammar, no surprise

[Starr]

I remember our eye doctor saying that kids start wearing their glasses when it matters to them. :D

[Pegasus]

I remember our eye doctor saying that kids start wearing their glasses when it matters to them. :D

 

Thanks for the replies so far. The above quote is exactly what my own feelings about the subject are. However, DH has a genuine concern and if he is correct, I certainly want to support him in making DD wear her glasses!

 

I tried researching this topic on the web but the only articles I could find were reassuring people that wearing their glasses would not make their vision worse. I couldn't find anything about the opposite!

 

Pegasus

[mrs.m]

I remember our eye doctor saying that kids start wearing their glasses when it matters to them. :D

 

Mine said this too. I didn't wear mine very often for the first 3 years. And to this day, I take them off to read.

 

Nearsightedness gets worse because of genetics and not because you do or do not wear glasses. If wearing them could make my eyes weaker then why hasn't my script changed in the past 10 years? My brother and I can exchange glasses and his are the same script. (which is pretty weird that it would be that exact!) I can only see things up close without my glasses. I have to wear them to even see the computer screen. Maybe it can't get worse? LOL!

 

She may experience other symptoms from the squinting and straining. But my Dr. explained for my DD that I should consider getting her the glasses at a lower level so that she will remember to wear them when her vision gets worse. ;) It's practice. She's wearing them when she needs them most at this point. I let it go.