A common question that we’re asked is one that may seem to have an obvious answer. If I wear my glasses, will it make my eyes weaker? Will I start to rely on them? Some patients are clearly so concerned that they put themselves at risk by leaving their specs off unless they absolutely have to wear them.

So, why do we need glasses and how do they work? Put simply, you are short sighted if your eyeball is too long, and long sighted if it’s too short. Light is focused in front or behind the retina and your sight is blurred. Some visual defects are also down to irregularities in the surface of the Cornea, the clear area we look through at the front of the eye.

So, as the reason for your sight defect is physical, wearing glasses or leaving them off will not change your sight. All that happens is that your brain realises that life is easier with the specs on, and you get used to seeing clearly. This makes you feel reliant on them, but if you left them off for a day or two this effect would be lost.

At best you’ll get a headache if you don’t wear them, which will quickly improve once you put your glasses back on. At worst you could cause an accident by not seeing clearly and failing to react. Never drive without your specs if you’ve been told you need them to reach the driving standard.

Keeping your glasses on your face, where they belong, will keep the frame in good condition, and save any eye strain. They’ll always be there when you need them, and you’re utilising the gift of sight at it’s maximum standard. The good news is that leaving them off will not make your sight worse, so don’t panic if you do feel more comfortable under some circumstances without them on, it is allowed as long as you’re not behind the wheel!