Having clear vision is incredibly important to a person’s quality of life, so it’s hard to imagine how people who lived in the era before corrective eyewear was available managed to get by. What did people with poor vision do before eyeglasses and contact lenses were invented? In today’s post, your Nova Vision Center answers this question.
Myopia in the Past
People with myopia (also known as nearsightedness) can see close-up objects clearly, while distant objects appear blurry. Nowadays, if you have myopia you can simply visit your eye doctor for a comprehensive eye exam and a prescription for eyeglasses, but what did people in the past do?
It is believed that Aristotle may have been the first to record observations of nearsightedness around 350 B.C. However, not much is known about how people dealt with myopia before the invention of the first lenses for nearsighted people.
There are examples of 13th-century handheld convex lenses that were used to treat presbyopia, an age-related vision condition. These are the precursors of our reading glasses. However, the first lenses for treating myopia wouldn’t be invented for another 200 years. One of the first known examples is a handheld concave lens used by Pope Leo X.
Myopia Now
The rates of myopia have risen sharply in recent decades. Some researchers have even projected that half the global population will have myopia by 2050. Doctors are still trying to figure out the cause behind this trend, with some doctors proposing that an increase in studying and screen time might be behind it.
Unlike the people from the past, you have a dazzling array of choices to correct your poor vision. If you’re looking for high-quality eyeglasses or contact lenses, then you’ve come to the right place. Nova Vision Center is equipped with the latest technology to treat our patients. We serve patients from many areas including Alexandria and Arlington, VA. Call us at (703) 578-3600 to learn more about our services or to request an appointment.