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Pinhole glasses
Pinhole
glasses are also known as eye exercise glasses or aerobic
glasses. They are usually black plastic glasses with tiny holes in the
otherwise opaque plastic pieces. Many other designs are available, for
example pinholes with turtle-shell frames or fancy designs like dollar
signs printed on the lenses. But the basic principle is the same.
How they work:
The eye exercise glasses have about 180 to 250 holes of about 1mm in diameter on each side. Multiple pinholes encourage the normal saccadic movements of the eye. Staring through the pinholes is difficult because the field of vision tends to get blocked by the plastic itself. The pinholes provide an infinite depth of focus so that even when the eye is not correctly focused, objects will appear as if in focus.
Blurred vision in the case of myopia and farsightedness is caused by the image focusing in front or behind the retina but not on it. This means there is a large blur circle on the retina of the eye, causing blur vision. Light passing through the tiny holes forms a much smaller blur circle on the retina and hence the vision is sharper.
Wearing the glasses is claimed to re-teach the eyes to focus correctly. Once this is done, the vision problem would have been cured. One opinion is that the glasses exercise the eye muscles while another is that it somehow changes the way the brain and the eyes work.
My experience:
I first came across pinholes in China. Later I have seen the same product packaged in different ways being marketed in a few other countries such as the United States, United Kingdom, Australia and Singapore.
Trying on the glasses, I found that vision is indeed sharper. There is a dramatic improvement of my myopia. For example, my usual acuity is so bad it's off the eye chart. However with the pinholes, I could get about 20/60 vision in bright light. This phenomenon is well-understood and used by opticians in eye-testing to determine the best-correctable vision. If a patient could not see until the 20/20 line even when wearing glasses, a pinhole apparatus is used. If he still could not see until 20/20, it could indicate eye disease and requires further examination.
Unfortunately, there are a few drawbacks to using pinholes. They must be used in places with bright illumination. The reason is that the opaque plastic has reduced much of the light reaching the eye. If used in dim places, I can hardly see at all.
What they claim:
The instruction sheet I got with my glasses claim that permanent, total reversal of myopia can be achieved in about 6 months to 2 years, depending on the severity of the myopia and the amount of time spent wearing the glasses. I have not heard of anyone improving their eyesight through the use of pinholes alone but they are useful as transition glasses.
I used to believe that pinhole glasses are effective in treating my myopia. When I wear them, I could feel my eyes exercising. However, after wearing them for long periods of time, my eyes would feel very tired. In addition, I have never experienced any improvement in eyesight after using pinholes.
So, can they work for me?
Based on current evidence, I wouldn't say that wearing pinholes can improve eyesight. Despite claims that it has been scientifically proven to correct vision problems, closer examination of the claims proves that's exactly what they are: empty claims.
Also, it is not suitable for indoor use as the illumination is too dim. Outdoor activities would be limited to relatively sedentary ones, like shopping (but one would have to contend with the inevitable stares)
Possible benefits of the pinholes glasses
But pinholes are not totally useless, coming in useful in the following situations:
- Pinhole glasses can relax the visual system to the degree that strong (20/20) glasses are no longer straining the visual system, especially while doing near work. To that degree, they have some value.
- Due to the nature of cataract diffusing light into the eye, some people with cataracts have been able to see better with pinhole glasses than is possible with any prescription glasses. This can be quite positive for these natural eyesight improvement students.
Disadvantages of the pinholes glasses
- Blocks out a lot of light, and light is a nutrient for the mind and body. (But if they are used minimally, this is probably not a big deal. On the other hand, many people do not get enough sunshine.)
- Do not teach people correct vision habits which are crucial for eyesight improvement.
- Not legal for driving. For good reason too, as it blocks out the peripheral vision, which is critical for noticing the movement of vehicles to the rear of one's car.
- Unnecessary for success. How many success stories using pinholes alone? Not that I heard of.