Effectiveness of Pinhole Glasses

Pinhole glasses, also known as stenopeic glasses, have been marketed by companies that claim the glasses are effective in improving eyesight. While this can be debated, pinhole glasses may be effective for improving vision under certain conditions.

Pinhole Glasses for Cataracts

• Many people with cataracts see better through pinholes. Pinholes cut off peripheral rays of light and reduce scattering, which improves vision.

Sunglasses

• Traditional sunglasses reduce the amount of light entering the eye, so the pupil widens, which makes poor vision worse. Pinhole glasses also reduce brightness, but they do so by creating a smaller pupil, which improves vision.

Computer Glasses

• Pinhole glasses may reduce the eyestrain caused by computers from glare and shifting focus. As glare is reduced through the pinholes, depth of field increases. Also, the focusing effort is reduced.

Myopia Prevention

• Myopia, or nearsightedness, is caused by excessive reading or other close work that causes the eyes to lock up in a state of near focus. Using pinhole glasses may greatly reduce the strain and effort on the eyes that cause myopia by reducing glare and increasing focus.