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People who wear glasses - does your prescription strength increase over time?

I'm 21 and only started wearing glasses a year and half a go so I could see the lecture slides at uni and to watch TV. I now use them when I'm on my laptop as well. I'm kind of worried that my eyes are getting more and more dependent on my glasses and eventually I won't be able to function at all without glasses.

My next eye test isn't for another few months and I hope my prescription doesn't increase as that means my eyes have got worse. Do people's prescriptions generally increase when they start wearing glasses?

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Reply 1
Avatar for Betty1994
Betty1994
6
..
(edited 10 years ago)
I started wearing glasses about a year ago when I started my A levels. I can tell you that the more I wear them, the more my eyes get dependent on them.

On the other hand though, I find that if I do not wear them for a long period of time, I start to get used to it. I think it's just good in general to use glasses as little as possible, even if you have to strain your eyes a bit.

Three negative reps for a simple opinion. Whatever.
(edited 10 years ago)
A lot of people start wearing glasses as children, and in that case you would expect prescriptions to increase until around the age of twenty, and then settle down until about forty. As you started wearing glasses so late (which is unusual - did you genuinely not need them to see the board at school but then did at uni?), I'm not entirely sure tbh. Since you've stopped growing, its probable that your prescription might change a little once or twice as it settles down and then stabilise.

Don't worry too much about becoming 'dependent' on glasses though - you'll strain your eyes much worse if you don't wear glasses when you need to and can't see properly the whole time!
Reply 4
Avatar for syrettd
syrettd
18
I rarely wear mine, but I think my eyesight is getting worse. I got newer glasses a few years ago, planning to wear them more often but I haven't. I was going to wear them more often because my dad's eyesight got better and he told me if I wore my glasses like I should mine would improve too. But the optician said that that wasn't true- if your eyesight is meant to get better or worse, it will. Glasses shouldn't affect it.
Reply 5
Avatar for Gorwell
Gorwell
14
Mine decreased, although they did struggle to find the right lens last time. :rolleyes:
Reply 6
Avatar for yabbayabba
yabbayabba
OP
17
Original post by milienhaus
A lot of people start wearing glasses as children, and in that case you would expect prescriptions to increase until around the age of twenty, and then settle down until about forty. As you started wearing glasses so late (which is unusual - did you genuinely not need them to see the board at school but then did at uni?), I'm not entirely sure tbh. Since you've stopped growing, its probable that your prescription might change a little once or twice as it settles down and then stabilise.

Don't worry too much about becoming 'dependent' on glasses though - you'll strain your eyes much worse if you don't wear glasses when you need to and can't see properly the whole time!


I definitely needed them during sixth form, I always copied off my friend rather than straight off the board because I couldn't see it haha, I was in denial/couldn't be bothered with the faff of getting glasses. But as a child I don't remember struggling greatly with my vision.

Hmm, I'm really not sure. I'd rather not have to use them all the time and end up being blind as a bat searching madly for my glasses just so I can do the simplest of things
(edited 10 years ago)
I started wearing glasses maybe 3 years ago. My eyesight was slightly blurry, but now my prescription is -1.75 in one eye, and -2.00 in the other. I wear my glasses as much as possible, because if I don't, my eyes and head hurts...:mad:
Reply 8
Avatar for yabbayabba
yabbayabba
OP
17
Original post by TalkingLion
I started wearing glasses maybe 3 years ago. My eyesight was slightly blurry, but now my prescription is -1.75 in one eye, and -2.00 in the other. I wear my glasses as much as possible, because if I don't, my eyes and head hurts...:mad:


Did your eyes and head hurt before you started wearing glasses?
Reply 9
Avatar for Plainview
Plainview
2
Yeah. I got my first pair (at about +1 in each eye) when I was about 7. Over ten years later and I'm at +4.25, +4.75. Don't know when it'll stop, if it ever does.

I don't think it's to do with dependence or anything though. My brother had glasses too at about the same time and now he doesn't need them.
Original post by yabbayabba
Did your eyes and head hurt before you started wearing glasses?

I don't really remember :s-smilie: I think they only hurt when my eyes were straining too much
I've wore glasses most of my life and they've got progressively worse of the years but nothing substantial for the past 8 years really. I started at +6.00 when I was around 4? Then about 8 years ago they rocketed to +8.50 in one eye and +8.75 in the other and there they've stayed really apart from slight changes that aren't worth dramatic prescription changes, needless to say I have pretty awful eye sight.
Reply 12
Avatar for syrettd
syrettd
18
Original post by milienhaus
A lot of people start wearing glasses as children, and in that case you would expect prescriptions to increase until around the age of twenty, and then settle down until about forty. As you started wearing glasses so late (which is unusual - did you genuinely not need them to see the board at school but then did at uni?), I'm not entirely sure tbh. Since you've stopped growing, its probable that your prescription might change a little once or twice as it settles down and then stabilise.

Don't worry too much about becoming 'dependent' on glasses though - you'll strain your eyes much worse if you don't wear glasses when you need to and can't see properly the whole time!


My eyesight was amazing until I was about 18. My first eye test was when I was 16 because my dad wanted my brother to get tested and they said I had perfect vision. Two years later I started having problems.
Original post by yabbayabba
I definitely needed them during sixth form, I always copied off my friend rather than straight off the board because I couldn't see it haha, I was in denial/couldn't be bothered with the faff of getting glasses. But as a child I don't remember struggling greatly with my vision.

Hmm, I'm really not sure. I'd rather not have to use them all the time and end up being blind as a bat searching madly for my glasses just so I can do the simplest of things


It really depends how strong your prescription is - if it's only weak then obviously there's no need to wear glasses the whole time, but if its stronger then not wearing glasses/contacts tends to result in bad headaches. I've had glasses for years and years, and opticians have always said that wearing glasses or not has no effect on your eyes changing. People start noticing changes in their eyes and get glasses, then blame the glasses for further changes even though they knew something else had caused it in the first place... If your eyes able gradually getting worse, that is just happening and not wearing glasses won't stop it

If you get to the stage of wearing glasses most of the time, then try contacts - I find them a lot more convenient in general.
I first got glasses when I was 17, only needed them for driving and seeing the board, I got my eyes tested again 2 years after, they are literally the same prescription for me. I don't wear mine for day to day use. I think it varies person to person.
Reply 15
Avatar for Alotties
Alotties
10
Original post by yabbayabba

My next eye test isn't for another few months and I hope my prescription doesn't increase as that means my eyes have got worse. Do people's prescriptions generally increase when they start wearing glasses?


I started wearing glasses since just before I started year 7, my prescription increased slightly every 6 months until year 9 when my prescription started decreasing lower than my original prescription until year 11 and then it went up very slightly at my last appointment.
So I guess it depends on your eyes...
My prescription is currently -1.50 in one eye and -1.75 in the other and they have varied between -1.25 and -1.75 so barely any difference after wearing glasses for 7 years :smile:
I started wearing my glasses full time 2 years ago and my prescription has barely changed. Never been told what the numbers actually are though.
Original post by jelly1000
I started wearing my glasses full time 2 years ago and my prescription has barely changed. Never been told what the numbers actually are though.


If you find your paper that has your prescription on it, it'll tell you. If you've been to boots, on one of the other sides of the leaflet with your prescription on, it tells you what axis, cylinder and all that means.
Original post by .snowflake.
If you find your paper that has your prescription on it, it'll tell you. If you've been to boots, on one of the other sides of the leaflet with your prescription on, it tells you what axis, cylinder and all that means.


yeah my mum has it somewhere and i did see it once, cant remember now though
Original post by jelly1000
I started wearing my glasses full time 2 years ago and my prescription has barely changed. Never been told what the numbers actually are though.


It should tell you on your prescription, which you should be able to see.

I've worn glasses since I was about 3 or 4, I think. There hasn't been that much of a change. At one point, I was able to wear them as and when needed. (computer, reading, etc) Now, they need to be worn all the time apart from when I run. (because I don't want to break them and have the habit of falling over(

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