Refractive Error - Why You May Need Glasses?

There is a great deal of confusion, wrong beliefs and stigma attached to having or using glasses.

Why does one need to use glasses?

Simply to make the rays from objects of interest fall on Retina so that the objects are clearly seen. If eyes are long (myopia), the focus may fall in front of the retina causing blurred image. Appropriate minus glasses will bring the focus on the retina. If eyes are short (hypermetropia), the focus may fall behind the retina. Appropriate plus lenses bring the focus back on the retina. If eye curvatures are more or less (astigmatism), appropriate cylindrical glasses will help focus the image on the retina.

Having long, short or differently curved eyes is a natural variation like some people are long, some are short, some are pear-shaped, some are hour glass, etc. 

So don't worry if you have glasses. In most people, it is not a disease or is not indicative of any eye "weakness" as most people tend to believe. Roughly about 50% of people have glasses and they are as normal as the other 50% who may not have glasses. Best of best people in the world from all the fields have glasses like in sports- Clive Lloyd, Anil Kumble, in show-biz Aishwariya rai, Sushmita Sen, top scholars, top politicians, top doctors and the list is long.

Simply use glasses or contact lenses as you wish and as suitable to your lifestyle, work, age. You may also undergo LASIK after establishing real need and safety for you. But don't think you are curing anything because, in the first place, this is not a disease. Choosing one of these options is a customized process, best done with the help of your trusted doctor and not by what your friend, neighbour or advertisements say. Each of these options - glasses, lenses, surgery- has a deep science which is dynamic.

It is also good to get your glasses assessed by an Eye Doctor (Ophthalmologist) or a qualified Optometrist. You should not rely on just any autorefractor by an untrained optician. Optician's job is to make glasses, not assess them.