Learn how glasses improve vision by adjusting light focus on the retina, and hear from kids with low vision who share their experiences wearing glasses and using special tools. Discover how our perception of colors is influenced by personal filters and brain processes, and the importance of eye exams for optimal visual development in kids.
Glasses help correct blurry vision by ensuring light hits the back of the eyeball correctly, while also potentially preventing misalignment in children.
Eye color is determined by the amount of pigment in the iris and can change over time, influenced by genetic factors inherited from biological parents.
Deep dives
Why people need glasses
Glasses help correct blurry vision, whether it's nearsightedness or farsightedness. They ensure that light entering the eye hits the back of the eyeball correctly, allowing for sharp images. Eyesight can change over time, so even if someone doesn't currently need glasses, they might in the future. Glasses can also help realign the eyes, especially in children who tend to involuntarily cross their eyes when trying to see clearly.
How glasses work
Glasses work by correcting the shape of the eye to ensure that light is focused properly on the retina. The lenses in glasses bend light in a way that compensates for any irregularities in the eye's curvature or length. Eye doctors use different lenses with varying curvatures and thicknesses to determine the correct prescription. This is done by shining light into the eye and observing how it refracts through different lenses, finding the one that stops the movement of light.
Eye color and eye exams
Eye color is determined by the amount of pigment in the iris, which can vary from person to person. Eye color is a result of genetic factors inherited from biological parents, and it can change over time, especially in babies. Eye exams involve examining the health of the retina and optic nerve, as well as testing color vision using standardized color plates. The uniqueness of each person's eye structure and brain processing means that individuals may perceive colors differently.
How do glasses work? Why do some people need glasses and other people don’t? Why do we have different eye colors? We answer your questions about glasses and eyes in the second of two episodes with Dr. Sujata Singh, a pediatric ophthalmologist at the University of Vermont Medical Center. And we hear from Maggie, a kid with low vision, about what it’s like to need glasses.