For many people, glasses are simply a tool to help see more clearly in daily life. However, according to ophthalmologists, wearing inappropriate or outdated glasses not only causes blurred vision but can also silently disrupt the coordination between the brain and the eyes, leading to many physical and cognitive consequences.
Dr. Shubhnav Jain, an Ophthalmology Consultant at CK Birla RBH Hospital (Jaipur, India) said that the eyes and brain operate as a unified system. The eyes are responsible for receiving images, while the brain is responsible for processing and interpreting visual information. For this process to run smoothly, the images transmitted to the brain need to be clear and accurately focused.
When wearing matching glasses, the brain receives clear images without much adjustment. Conversely, if the glasses are no longer suitable for the current vision, the images transmitted to the brain will be blurred or distorted. At that time, the brain must continuously compensate to understand what the eyes see, making the visual processing system work harder," Dr. Jain explained.
Wearing inappropriate glasses for a long time forces the brain and eyes to work more than usual, leading to many uncomfortable symptoms. Wearing glasses can cause frequent headaches, eye strain, dizziness, difficulty concentrating, blurred vision or double vision. Some cases also experience nausea, especially when using a computer or phone for a long time. Many people often confuse these signs with stress, lack of sleep or neurological problems, without realizing that the cause comes from glasses that are not the right size.
The effects of inappropriate glasses also vary between age groups. In children and adolescents, wearing glasses in the wrong size can interfere with visual development and brain-eye coordination. Children may have difficulty reading, writing, or learning, easily misunderstood as attention disorder or lack of concentration.
For adults, the consequences often manifest in reduced depth awareness, affecting balance and activities that require hand-eye coordination. Driving, playing sports, or moving on flat terrain becomes more difficult. In addition, people who work a lot with digital screens often feel fatigue faster and reduce work efficiency when wearing inappropriate glasses.
According to Dr. Jain, prolonged screen use can make vision problems more serious. Just a small change in the lens is enough to create a clear difference in comfort and concentration.
Therefore, regular eye exams play a particularly important role. In fact, many people do not realize that their vision has changed until symptoms such as eye strain, headache or blurred vision appear clearly.
Wearing glasses at the right level helps reduce pressure on the brain, supports effective image processing and maintains stable coordination between the brain and the eyes," Dr. Jain emphasized.
