Perforated glasses: myths and facts

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Perforated glasses, known to many of us, are a plastic or metal frame with plates of opaque black plastic (instead of lenses) with many round holes arranged in a certain (pseudo-staggered) pattern. They have many other names: perforated glasses, perforated, hole, honeycomb, slit or exercise glasses.

Manufacturers and sellers of perforated glasses claim the possibility of using glasses to cure eye diseases and improve visual acuity. However, these claims have no scientific basis and are not supported by research.

The healing properties of these unusual glasses are the subject of much debate. The Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, referring to the "Committee on New Technology", allowed the production of training glasses, but at the same time considering them only as a means of temporary vision correction. The therapeutic significance of perforated glasses is confirmed only by promotional materials, sometimes given out by sellers as the conclusions of ophthalmologists, for example, the non-existent professor G.A. Borodin from the also defunct Russian Ophthalmological Center "Healthy Vision". It should be added that there are no clinical studies in this area, and the need for regular wear should be consulted with an ophthalmologist.

Perforated glasses: myths and facts

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Many people remember how, having appeared on our markets, Laser Vision glasses made a lot of noise. Who has not heard of "miraculous" glasses, where instead of lenses there are plates with holes. According to advertisers, using these glasses every day, you can get rid of almost all visual defects known to medicine.

In fact, such glasses are far from "miraculous". American scientists have proven that Laser Vision glasses (as well as similar products from other companies) are not able to restore lost vision. According to press reports, after the research, the sale of "miraculous" glasses was banned in the United States, and those gullible Americans who had already purchased them were given their money back at the insistence of the Federal Trade Commission.

I must say that there is still a certain effect of wearing these glasses – they relieve eye strain. By the way, spectacle manufacturers, proving their “miracle effect”, referred to the teachings of the famous American ophthalmologist William Bates. He believed that all visual defects are due to overstrain of the eye muscles. If his theory were correct, then it is quite possible that "miracle glasses" would be an effective tool. However, it has already been proven that Bates's theory is wrong.

The Chief Ophthalmologist of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine Professor, Corresponding Member of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and the Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine Mykola Sergienko answered the question about the benefits of eyeglasses with holes:

“They don't have a healing aspect. As harmless as distilled water, yes. But selling them is a swindle and pure commerce. Give doctors a salary and they won't help businessmen."

Perforated glasses: myths and facts

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Facts about hole glasses

We figured out the misconceptions about these "miracle glasses", now let's talk about what the principle of operation of perforated glasses is, when and to whom you can use them.

In the descriptions of these glasses, one can find statements that the distance between the holes, the shape, thickness and size of the lens must be carefully selected, and the use of "fake" glasses can be harmful to health. In reality, the principle of operation of all perforated glasses is the same, and the truth of advertising statements is in doubt.

So, the principle of operation of training glasses is to examine an object through a small hole, which makes it possible to reduce the scattering spot on the retina of the eye, and therefore increase the clarity of the image and its sharpness. We can clearly see this in the following three images (the effect of perforated glasses approximated by the camera).

Perforated glasses: myths and facts

Sharp focus Snellen chart as seen with good vision | wikimedia.org

Perforated glasses: myths and facts

Blurred Snellen chart as seen from nearsightedness | wikimedia.org

Perforated glasses: myths and facts

Hole glasses, when placed in front of an unfocused camera, make the diagram more readable. At the same time, they darken the image, and the grid blocks part of the field of view, requiring a slight lateral movement of the camera in order for all text to be read comfortably | wikimedia.org

Perforated glasses are recommended by their manufacturers and sellers for the following purposes:

  • with intense eye strain, as a way to relieve eye strain;
  • for short-term correction of myopia, hypermetropia, astigmatism;
  • for short-term vision correction in persons with clouding of the optical media of the eye (initial cataract, superficial corneal opacities, etc).

 

Recommendations
  • It is necessary to use training glasses in good lighting.
  • Training glasses are recommended to be worn no more than 2 hours a day.
  • In training glasses, you can not work with sharp objects.

The disadvantages include the fact that the opaque screen limits the flow of light into the eyes and the regular wearing of such glasses can be poorly tolerated by a person. Wearing in low light conditions is not recommended. Continuous wearing of such glasses can cause harm, in particular worsen binocular vision.

Contraindications include progressive myopia, nystagmus (involuntary rhythmic eye movements). For glaucoma and retinal diseases, glasses can only be used after consulting an ophthalmologist.

Interesting fact

Perforated glasses were considered in the program of Elena Malysheva "Health" in January 2020. During the graduation, Doctor of Medical Sciences Mikhail Konovalov expressed the opinion that if vision problems arise, one should resort to traditional methods of restoration and correction. And with such diseases as glaucoma and retinal dystrophy, such glasses are completely contraindicated. Malysheva herself called the glasses "money thrown to the wind." The possible relaxation effect of the glasses, which the manufacturers claim, was not mentioned in the program.

It is also curious that glasses with holes are not at all the latest invention, as it is presented. Glasses of this type have been known since the Middle Ages, and at the beginning of the 20th century they were quite widely used, but lenses quickly replaced the holes, which corrected vision better and were much more comfortable. During the Great Patriotic War, Leningrad scientists created glasses with holes for soldiers with poor eyesight, a kind of protective and corrective glasses-mask, intended to correct a slight degree of farsightedness and myopia and protect the eyes from small fragments.