Q: I am 24 years old male. I wear spectacles and about a year ago my power was 1.75 for both the eyes. At that time one of my friends told me to use spectacles only when required. I started doing this and after 3-4 months, I found that my eye power reduced to 0.75 in both the eyes, except the cylindrical power in my left eye became around 120 from 90 degree. Am I practicing a wrong habit? Will this harm my eyes or is it a good form of exercising for the eyes?

A:The power of the eyes is not a fixed thing and continues to change through out life. Moreover, depending on use of your eyes, you may or may not realise your need for glasses. If you use your eye just for close work, you may get away without any glasses if you are slightly myopic. You have not written your power in + or -. Moreover if you are a farmer just working in fields, you may not miss your glasses. But somebody who needs vision critically, has to wear glasses or contact lenses otherwise he/she is likely to loose a job or risk life by causing accidents. Another factor is the examiner, even if and when using a computer to test the eyes may have different power at different times. Therefore, exercises of any kind won't harm or improve your eyes, but you may break your leg if you fall down after not seeing clearly. Medically, eye exercises do not do anything to the power. The power of your eyes when you wear glasses is like holding a pen in your hand, which enables you to write, or taking a stick to reach a ceiling. This does not lengthen or shorten your arm length. In other words, wearing glasses or contact lenses makes you see better and reduces the eye strain which may cause headaches or even squints in childhood specially affecting vision and future carrier.