Eye Health:

Corrective Lenses

General Information	Contacts
How Your Eyes Work	Common Vision Problems
Eye Exam/Vision Testing	Common Eye Conditions
Corrective Lenses	Protecting Your Eyes
Glasses	Frequently Asked Questions

Has your primary care provider said you need glasses, but you're afraid they won't look good? Do you think contacts might hurt your eyes or be difficult to take care of?

It's normal to have lots of questions and feel nervous about getting glasses or contacts. However, it's important to wear them if your vision needs correcting. Not wearing corrective lenses can cause headaches and other problems. Keep reading to find out more about glasses and contacts.

Why do I need glasses or contacts?

Many teens have trouble seeing objects up close or far away. This is called a refractive error and is the most common type of eye problem. Refractive errors are caused by the eyes' shape being abnormal. This means that the eye doesn't bend light in the right way to create a clear picture.

Wearing glasses or contacts is one way to correct your vision and help your eyes see clearly.

You may have a refractive error if:

• Your vision is blurry or hazy
• You have headaches
• Your eyes hurt
• You see a glare around bright lights
• You have to squint to see well
• You see double
• You have trouble driving at night

How do glasses and contacts work?

To understand how corrective lenses work; let's first review how your eyes see. Your eyes have lenses that focus light on the retina, or back of the eye. The retina changes the light into electrical signals that are sent to the brain. The brain uses these signals to create an image of what we see.

"The cornea and lens bend (refract) incoming light rays so they focus precisely on the retina at the back of the eye." Source: National Eye Institute

Many people's eyes are abnormally shaped. This means that the lens can't focus light on the retina. Depending on the type of vision problem you have, the light can fall in front of or behind the retina. This creates a blurry image.

Glasses and contacts change the direction of light so that it hits the retina and creates a clear picture.

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Written and reviewed by the CYWH Staff at Children's Hospital Boston

Updated: 11/19/2010