TikTokers have recently been sharing this neat way to show people how they see without their glasses.
Basically, all you do is hold your glasses up to the lens of your camera and let it focus, then you pull the glasses away from the lens. Here's an example of how it's done:
Several people on the platform have been doing this, and it's pretty wild to see:
Basically, it makes you really appreciate the fact that glasses exist:
Anyway, after seeing (and trying) this, I wanted to see if it was actually accurate. So I spoke to Carly Rose, OD of FAAO Eyecare on the Square in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Dr. Rose told BuzzFeed that the videos really are a good representation of how people see. "I actually do something similar in the exam room for parents of patients to help them understand the way their child sees the world. A caveat I would add is that everyone's brains interpret blur differently. Our visual systems are sensitive, subjective, and individualized," she explained.
View this video on YouTube
"In practice, I have something called trial lenses. They are loose lenses of varied powers. If I want to demo say a -2.00D power, I would pull a +2.00 lens and hold it in front of the patient's eye. As for different eye diseases, there are loads of great examples online of what a diseased eye might see, like macular degeneration," she added.
Dr. Rose also said that wearing someone else's glasses is not good for your eyes — so don't do it! "Too much power or not enough power can both negatively affect eyes. It's like Goldilocks and the three bears. You want the prescription that is just right for your unique eyes. The results could be headache, eyestrain, nausea, and also worsening of your true prescription. Please, please, please don't do it!"
"Visual hygiene and blink exercises are free and easy ways to help save our sight in this technology-filled world," said Dr. Rose. She recommends that, for every 20 minutes of screen or near-sighted work, you should look 20 feet away for 20 seconds and do a few conscious, forceful blinks (without using your eyebrow muscles). Doing this helps relax your focusing muscle, which was not designed to be engaged for over eight hours a day. It also keeps your oil glands functioning.
Sun protection, blue light filters, and daily supplements can help protect your eyes, too! "The main eye supplements I recommend are triglyceride form EPA and DHA (omega 3s), zeaxanthin, lutein, and vitamin D3 with K2. Of course, eating dark leafy greens and wild caught salmon are also great ways to get these nutrients," she said.
Annual eye exams are the biggest way to keep your eyes healthy, according to Dr. Rose. "For one, there are loads of systemic and ocular diseases we can uncover by looking into your eyes. For two, many people have visual inefficiencies that can negatively impact their day-to-day activities. Clear vision is not always comfortable, optimal vision. The American Academy of Optometry recommends a first comprehensive eye exam starting at 6–12 months old. Basically, if you have eyeballs, you should get them examined," she said.
