Long-Sightedness and Glasses

Hey. Didn't where else to post, but ive just got a few questions if anyone can help. For about a year i've been having sore and itchy eyes every day. It comes and goes during the day. I always thought it was due to not enough to sleep, however, after an eye test, ive realised ive got mytopia. That is, my right eye is blurry in the long distance. As a result, this eye has to work too hard, and my other eye has to work too hard to compensate for it (or so i'm thinking). Anyway, I think that's why ive got these sore bloodshot eyes all the time. So, my questions:

-If I was to get glassses, when and where would I have to wear them? (all I can think of is in college when looking at the board, and whilst driving)
-Will I have to wear glasses for the rest of my life? or does the eye gradually get better and eventually the need for glasses disappears?
-dya think this pressure and strain on my eyes taken away by the glasses will stop my eyes hurting? Or am I stuck with it now, regardless of whether I get glasses?

Thanks a bunch to anyone who can help answer these questions.

EDIT - ah sorry I put 'long-sightedness and glasses', should be short-sightedness. I get confused

Reply 1

red_Rose

Im short sighted and depending on how bad you may not be legally required to wear your glasses when driving, your optician should tell you.

It will take the strain off your eyes and make them less dry and sore but glasses will not correct the problem they are only a solution. You will always be short sighted unless you have laser surgery which isnt a good idea.

You can wear glasses to see the board, driving, watching tv and if your eyes are hurting you can wear them all day if you wish.

Reply 2

Leisure17

What you describe is not quite clear:
If you cannot see things that are far away, it is called myopia or short sightedness. Your eyeball is too long.
You would need glasses to see things that are at a certain distance, depending on how bad the myopia is.

Now long sighted people are the ones who need glasses to read a book. When you're old that is because the lens in your eye is less elastic and cannot "adjust" as well anymore. When you are young the cause is an eyeball that is too short.

So in a nutshell:
short sighted -> eyeball too long -> can't see far away things well
long sighted -> eyeball too short -> can't see near things properly

It is always difficult for your brain to "iron out" a great difference between eyes, meaning, if your one eye is ok, but the other is rather badly short sighted, getting used to glasses may take a while and be a bit strenous.

Maybe this is a crutch: the names refer to what you can do (i.e. see far away things or things at short distance)

Edit:
To answer one of your questions. It would be sensible to wear the glasses constantly if the difference is considerable, because, as said above, your brain really has to learn to put the images together again. This is strenous and even more so if you keep putting the glasses on and off. If the myopia is not too bad (like -1dpt) I guess putting on the glasses when needed will be ok.

Reply 3

dogtanian

I'm short sighted, but not severely. My contact lenses are -3 in one eye, -2.5 in the other. That probably means nothing to you, hehe, but basically it's enough to make me feel I need to wear glasses day to day, but not enough to be considered serious (which wikipedia reckons is at -6).

Going by my personal experience, these days I find I have to wear them almost all the time, apart from close reading, and sometimes using the computer. I do wonder if it's because I was lazy when I first got them years ago, so now rely on them.

I'd suggest to you to only use them if you feel you need to. Carry them round with you, but if you can watch telly without them (and without straining), then don't wear them! If you only wear them for one thing, make sure it's driving though. Don't want to risk anything with that one. I'd say you're right about college too. Like I say, if you don't need them, don't wear them, but if you can't see the board, hehe.

I'm pretty sure that it doesn't get better. Sorry. I was told that it either stays constant, or gets worse. Not entirely sure what does it, but my eyes have been near enough the same for ages now.

The best person to ask would be your optician though.

Reply 4

Chris12345

its meant to get worse till your in your early twenties, after it might improve all stay constant

Reply 5

kookabura

What you describe sounds similar to me, I have only needed glasses the last couple of years, probably since I was about 17/18. I need to wear them when I am driving and in lectures etc at uni. I tend to carry them around with me though and wear them whenever it feels like they help, I normally wear them at the cinema, and sometimes when I am watching TV. If I am tired and/or headachy or something though I often put them on anyway as I find that they help in general to 'focus' my eyes so that they aren't straining. So although normally I would be ok at work for example, I do sometimes wear them just because I have prehaps got a headache anyway and it seems to help stop it getting worse.

You would need to talk to your optician about if your eyes will keep getting worse, I was told thought that often during teenage years people develop short sightedness and it then levels off as they get older, mine have slowly got abit worse over the couple of years, but they aren't expecting them to get much worse, they should stay roughly how they are now until I am alot older. Chances are your eyes will never improve, but hopefully they shouldn't get too much worse.

Reply 6

hldevil

im shortsighted too. mine has got worse since i was younger cause i used to hate wearing my glasses so if u need them i suggest wearing them. as far as i am aware if u wear them ur eyes may get slightly better as my mum has the same problem and hers arnt as bad for wearing the glasses but i suppose it could depend on the person. as for the eye itching if its the fact u are shortsighted that is causing this and not something like hay fever i should imagine glasses would solve the problem but im not sure.

Reply 7

thefish_uk

I'm short sighted and wear my glasses or contacts all the time. -4 in each eye which is very convenient when I wear contacts.

About the driving - my driving license has a code on the back (115) which says I wear glasses. I don't know if the DVLA has to be told that you're now wearing glasses.

Reply 8

doll-heart

It depends what minus your eyes are on how long you have to wear them; if you haven't noticed it until recently it's probably not that bad yet. When I started wearing glasses when I was nine I only had to wear them in lessons; now I can't find my way to the bathroom first thing in the morning without them. Very depressing.
Sometimes eye problems can be corrected just by wearing glasses. Speak to an optician; they'll be able to ease all your worries.

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