Nearsighted

You can become more nearsighted and need stronger glasses or contacts but when you get the new glasses or contacts you will see just as well as you did with the old pair.

A typical office visit would involve me telling the patient that they are a little more nearsighted than they were on the last visit a year ago. They will say oh no! Is that bad. I tell them getting more nearsighted is perfectly normal and I can see them relax immediately and I realize these people really were worried that something was wrong.

How many people really worry about their childs’ shoe size? Not many!

They just go and get some more shoes. Relax and enjoy life.

Astigmatism Can contacts correct astigmatism?

Only when you are wearing the contacts just like when you are wearing your glasses.

The most important thing to remember is that astigmatism is not an eye disease. Astigmatism is part of your eyeglass or contact prescription. Astigmatism means the front surface of your eye is shaped like a football and is longer in length than in width. The person who does not have astigmatism has an eye shaped like a basketball or a soccer ball and is equal in all dimensions. The football shaped eye changes the shape of what you see and that is why we correct it with glasses or contacts.

Astigmatism and nearsightedness can only be fixed permanently by surgery. Your contacts or glasses will not stop your eyes from changing as you grow. If you wear cement shoes your foot is still going to grow. Every body knows that their childs’ feet will get bigger. They just go buy larger size shoes. The only thing they worry about is how much it will cost. Astigmatism and other eyeglass problems are going to change in most children and you just have to go get regular checkups to keep up with the changes.