How Do Glasses Work?
How do glasses correct vision? | What types of glasses are there? | How do prism glasses work? | How do progressive glasses work?
Prescription glasses are an everyday necessity for over 60% of our population. The history of these seemingly simple objects is hazy. Some say the earliest pairs of glasses were founded in the 13th century in Italy. Some say that an English Friar designed them. Nonetheless, prescription glasses are an everyday staple that have come a long way in design, trends, and comfort. But what are prescription glasses, and what do glasses do to correct our vision?
How do glasses correct vision?
Prescription glasses work by bending the light as it enters your eye. This allows your eyes to focus light on the correct spot of your retina. The retina is a layer of cells in the rear of the eye that reacts to light.
This reaction gets sent to the brain, which converts the cell’s actions into pictures. Put simply, glasses work by bending light through the curved lenses and, with the right prescription, manipulate it to reach the correct spot on your retina. The result is a clear, crisp image.
DID YOU KNOW
Although the exact origin and date of invention is unknown, there are indications that glasses were invented in Italy in the 13th century.
What types of glasses are there?
Of course, not everyone has the same eyesight issues. Depending on your prescription, you need lenses tailored to your specific needs. Images you see don’t focus on the right place of the retina when you have nearsightedness or farsightedness. Nearsightedness causes the image to focus at the front of the retina. Whereas farsightedness causes the image to focus behind the retina.
Other issues, such as astigmatism, occur when the cornea is unevenly shaped, which bends light in different directions. Another common issue is presbyopia which is the gradual loss of the eye’s ability to focus on nearby objects. When getting an eye exam, you’ll learn exactly which type of glasses you need to fit your prescription. But how do glasses differ from each other to correct your vision?
How do prism glasses work?
If you suffer from double vision, prism glasses help align your eyes, allowing you to perceive only one clear picture. The prism in your spectacles bends the light before it reaches your eye. The light is then diverted to the correct location on each eye’s retina. In effect, your brain combines the two pictures to form a single, distinct image.
How do progressive glasses work?
Three prescriptions are combined into one pair of progressive glasses, which help with presbyopia. You can conduct close-up work (like reading a book), middle-distance work (like browsing a website on a computer), and distant viewing (like driving) without changing your glasses. To focus on the different sections of the lens, you simply adjust your head position.
Prism and progressive lenses aren’t the only prescription glasses type. If you want to learn more about how glasses work and the different prescription lenses offered, check out our Optical Center. Glasses can be a complex topic, and understanding the exact science can take a lot of reading. But by now, you should know the basics of how glasses work and feel more confident when buying your next pair.
For all your prescription glasses needs, shop from our range of designer and affordable glasses. For any questions you might still have, our opticians are ready and available to help with just a few clicks.
