Should people with myopia and astigmatism wear glasses?
Nov 19, 2025
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Wang Lei
Introduction
In general, individuals with myopia combined with astigmatism require corrective glasses. Only a small number of people with extremely mild refractive errors and no significant discomfort may temporarily forgo wearing glasses, but they should be closely monitored. It is important to develop good eye-use habits in daily life, avoid using eyes in dim lighting, take a 5-minute break to look into the distance after every 40 minutes of continuous near work, and maintain a distance of at least 30 centimeters between the eyes and the screen.
In general, individuals with myopia combined with astigmatism require corrective glasses. Only a small number of people with extremely mild refractive errors and no significant discomfort may temporarily forego wearing glasses, but they should be closely monitored. The details are as follows:
Myopia causes distant objects to focus in front of the retina, while astigmatism results in blurred images due to an irregularly shaped cornea. When combined, these conditions impair visual quality. Patients often experience blurred vision both at near and far distances, double vision, eye strain, and headaches. Without corrective lenses, the eyes' accommodative burden increases, which not only affects daily activities and learning but may also lead to rapid progression of myopia and astigmatism. Therefore, most patients need glasses to correct their vision.
If both myopia and astigmatism are less than 100 degrees and the individual primarily engages in near-vision tasks without experiencing noticeable eye fatigue or visual disturbances, glasses may be temporarily avoided. However, regular eye examinations are essential, and corrective lenses should be prescribed promptly if any increase in refractive error or onset of symptoms is detected.
In daily life, it's important to develop healthy visual habits: avoid using eyes in dim lighting, take a 5-minute break to look into the distance after every 40 minutes of continuous near work, maintain a distance of at least 30 cm between the eyes and the screen, and regularly perform eye exercises to help maintain stable vision.
