Why Do I need glasses?

Why do some people need to wear glasses? 👓

Contrary to what our parents told us - it does not come from reading in the dark or sitting too close to the TV. 😉 Need for glasses, or refractive error, is based on your eye anatomy. 👁

An eye that does not need glasses, or an emmetropic eye, is just the right size and perfectly round, and so focuses an image clearly.

Myopia, or near sightedness, is typically when an eye is too large or long. Hyperopia, or farsightedness, is usually when an eye is too short or small. And an astigmatism is when an eye is not perfectly round (so more like a football 🏈 vs. a basketball 🏀). In these cases, images can be out of focus or blurry. Glasses, contacts, or even laser surgery can help to refocus and give clearer vision.

Because refractive error is based on eye anatomy, it is typically inherited. So you can thank your parents the next time you see them. 😉