Question
Hello,
I recently went for my first eye exam in about 10 years and came away with the following prescription: Right Cyl -0.75 Axis 106 and Left -0.75 Axis 25. I was told by the optometrist that I should wear these glasses for driving, movies, tv. But I have noticed that for closer work -- reading, working on the computer, reading things on my iPhone -- they seem to make things much clearer. Also, I have found it hard to switch back and forth between having them on and off; when I take them off, things seem to take a long time to come back into focus.
My question: Should I wear my glasses all the time? Or should I only wear them for distance work?
Thanks!
Answer
Hi Bonnie -
In general, we only want you to use your glasses when you really need them - but this can differ from person to person. Among three people with the same Rx as yours, one could feel they didn't need glasses at all, one might use them only for driving and the third might wear them all the time.
Your type of prescription could definitely make things look more clear at the computer and on the I-Phone. If you feel more comfortable wearing the glasses all the time, there is nothing wrong with doing so, so long as you realize that what you will be doing is making yourself "dependent" on eyewear. Whereas now your need is minimal, if you wear the glasses all the time, within a year you will feel most uncomfortable without them. Your brain will become accustomed to seeing perfectly clear all the time and will not tolerate the slight blur to which you are now accustomed.
That being said, if your job involves a lot of computer work, you will likely be much more efficient if you wear those glasses at the computer. You will be able to use less energy trying to focus and more energy getting the actual work done.
I recommend you do whatever makes you feel most comfortable and lets your eyes be most relaxed. There are very few hard and fast rules about things like this. You should do what works for you. If you wind up wearing the glasses all the time, next year you may want to consider contact lenses.
