Viral glasses said to naturally strengthen your eyes may do more harm than good

In a world brimming with misinformation, it's crucial to distinguish fact from fiction — especially when it comes to matters of health. Eye health is one such area of life that should not be messed with. It’s vital not to compromise your ocular wellness, especially by blindly believing viral trends on the internet.

One such viral trend is pinhole glasses. With over 45 million TikTok views touting pinhole glasses as a "natural" remedy for blurry vision and a method to "train" your eyes back to that coveted 20/20, it's more important than ever to debunk this social media mythbefore it causes serious harm.

Despite the fact that more than 2.2 billion people worldwide suffer from some form of visual impairment — as per the World Health Organisation (WHO) — millions still prefer social media "hacks" over trusted eye care. Fortunately, experts at Overnight Glasses are dispelling the viral myth, which, while containing some truth, can cause more harm than good if misunderstood.

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Myth: 'Pinhole glasses can permanently strengthen your eyes'

As the name suggests, pinhole glasses are spectacles with tiny holes punctured through their lenses. They are, in their essence, eyeglasses that have lenses full of tiny holes in a grid pattern.

These glasses work by reducing the amount of light entering the eyes and limiting vision by obscuring part of the image in front of you. Individuals with a refractive error may notice improved vision while wearing pinhole glasses.

Whilst contact lenses and regular spectacles redirect and focus light rays onto the retina, pinhole glasses are designed to restrict the volume of light entering the eye, which can prove beneficial in specific medical environments, particularly for individuals with myopia or astigmatism.

Many individuals tend to initially discover pinhole glasses through alternative sources that market them as a remedy for myopia, astigmatism, and various other eye ailments. Although this remains a widely-held belief, there exists minimal scientific evidence to back such claims, and the US Federal Trade Commission prohibited American firms from promoting pinhole glasses in this manner as far back as 1993.

Truth: Pinhole glasses cannot strengthen eye muscles

Pinhole glasses function by obstructing indirect light beams and compelling light to travel solely through minuscule apertures, which enhances depth of field — similar to squinting. They can assist individuals with refractive issues in achieving clearer vision whilst wearing them, but not permanently.

The experts at Overnight Glasses clarify: "Pinhole glasses do improve sharpness temporarily for some conditions, but they do not retrain the eye or fix the shape of the cornea. They're useful in eye exams, but you cannot strengthen eye muscles this way."

And other eye experts are in agreement. The Singapore National Eye Centre has also debunked the myth that wearing pinhole glasses can train eyesight and reverse myopia, stating: "Myopia cannot be reversed and can only be managed by slowing down its progression. Currently, there is no known cure for myopia. Pinhole glasses are able to 'improve' the vision while using it but the field of vision is severely lost."

WebMD explains that those with myopia or astigmatism may experience clearer vision whilst wearing pinhole glasses, but this effect disappears once the glasses are removed. A similar effect can be achieved simply by squinting.

Given their limitation of blocking peripheral vision, pinhole glasses are entirely unsuitable for use outside controlled environments, and should certainly never be worn whilst driving. Furthermore, clinical studies have found that individuals using pinhole glasses for reading experienced excessive eye strain.

Uses of pinhole glasses

Pinhole glasses are a diagnostic tool utilised by optometrists. They help in identifying the root cause of an eye condition by refocusing and limiting light rays, particularly useful in diagnosing presbyopia.

These glasses are often used in conjunction with an occluder, a device used to cover your eyes during an eye chart reading, aiding optometrists in pinpointing the source of an eye issue.

The primary function of pinhole glasses is to lessen the amount of light your eye has to process. If using these glasses temporarily eases the discomfort in one or both of your eyes, it could provide a crucial clue about the underlying condition. Seeing the same with or without pinhole glasses could indicate amblyopia, also known as lazy eye.

Moreover, pinhole glasses can be instrumental in detecting myopia in adults and older children. If someone complaining about their vision sees more clearly using pinhole glasses, this is a significant indicator of myopia.

However, if their vision deteriorates while using the glasses, they could potentially have macular disease or opacities in the central lens.

Alternatives to pinhole glasses

Once pinhole glasses are taken off, an individual's sight reverts to its original state. There is no published or scientifically-accepted explanation suggesting that the effect would accumulate or persist once the glasses are removed.

The lack of scientific proof for pinhole glasses as a method to enhance vision suggests they're likely best left to opticians.

Conditions such as short-sightedness and astigmatism can be addressed with bespoke prescription glasses and contact lenses. Additionally, laser eye surgery (LASIK) has become a popular, semi-permanent solution for various eye issues, although it may not be suitable for everyone, according to WebMD.

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