According to the World Health Organisation, at least 2.2 billion people worldwide suffer from visual impairment. In fact, data from Statista shows that around 1.54 million people in France were affected by mild vision loss in 2020, a significant increase on the figure of around 1.13 million in 1990.
Living with impaired vision can negatively impact daily tasks such as reading, writing, and navigating spaces. Fortunately, there are a number of options for dealing with vision problems, and glasses are one of the most popular corrective tools. But how exactly can they help?
Common eye problems
Myopia, or near-sightedness, is one of the most common eye conditions, affecting one in five children in France. Myopia occurs when the eyeball becomes too elongated, preventing light rays from bending properly as they enter the eye. This elongation occurs when the eyes are overtaxed by near vision tasks, resulting in blurred vision of distant objects.
In addition, screen habits increase the risk of digital visual fatigue, which affects 78% of French people. Digital eye strain is characterised by symptoms such as dry eyes, headaches and blurred vision. Visually demanding tasks on digital devices, such as watching videos, surfing social networks or working, place excessive strain on the eye’s focusing mechanism, causing eyestrain.
When the cornea is deformed or the eye has an irregular shape, this can cause blurred or distorted vision, known as astigmatism. This condition affects around 15 million people in France. Presbyopia, which affects more than 40% of the French population, occurs when the lens of the eye becomes less flexible with age, making it more difficult to see up close. It is a common refractive error in middle-aged and older adults.
These eye problems represent a major burden for the French population and can be aggravated by age and lifestyle. Fortunately, glasses play an essential role in managing these visual problems.
Preserving healthy sight with glasses
According to the French Ministry of Health, seven out of ten adults wear glasses in France. Wearing glasses is an effective way of managing and preventing eye problems, thanks to specialised lenses that meet different visual needs at different ages.
Retailer Générale d’Optique offers glasses for both near and far vision, making it easier to see near and distant objects respectively – making them a suitable solution for managing conditions such as myopia, presbyopia and astigmatism. In addition, glasses with multifocal lenses contain several prescriptions that correct vision at different distances.
Some glasses, such as the Foster Grant FGGC2303 BL, are also equipped with blue light filtering lenses to prevent digital eye strain. These lenses reduce visual discomfort and eye fatigue thanks to specific coatings that filter or absorb the blue wavelengths emitted by digital screens, limiting their penetration into the eyes.
Optical manufacturer Neurolens has also developed lenses featuring contoured prism technology, specially designed to reduce the symptoms of eye fatigue. This special prism is integrated into the lenses of glasses and subtly alters the way light rays penetrate the eyes, helping to correct alignment problems and improve visual comfort.
Studies show that Neurolens corrective lenses help to alleviate the symptoms of eyestrain, with 83% of patients reporting an improvement in their condition. If you suffer from any of the vision problems mentioned above, have your eyesight checked and consult a healthcare professional to determine the corrective solution best suited to your needs.
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