The French see less well, but wear their glasses less, warn specialists

The French are seeing less and less well, but are wearing their glasses less and less. This is what the latest visual health barometer published this Thursday indicates. The National Association for the Improvement of Sight warns of a record rate of non-wearing of 63%, even though wearing glasses or contact lenses is recommended for those with vision problems.

46% of French people report suffering from distance vision problems (myopia, astigmatism) and 48% from near vision problems (presbyopia, astigmatism, visual fatigue). 48% report not wearing their glasses in front of a screen, compared to 41% in 2019. Finally, 45% report not wearing their glasses to carry out tasks at home, compared to 25% in 2016.

A paradox that holds true: RMC met with Parisians. Michel, for example, admits to using his glasses only for reading and working, even though he's nearsighted. "I can't get used to them and I forget about them," he says.

Isabelle, for her part, is presbyopic and astigmatic. Without glasses, she can't see a thing. So the fifty-year-old wears them all the time, but it's not with a light heart: "It's a matter of vanity, you always have to clean them, sometimes you have to put them back on because they slip..."

And 40% of French people say they don't wear their glasses when driving. This trend has been on the rise for the past 10 years, and is being warned against by orthopist Véronique Morin.

“80% of the information we need comes through our eyes. So whatever your activity, you'll need it. If you don't wear your glasses, you'll experience symptoms like fatigue, itchy, burning eyes... Symptoms you won't experience if you wear your glasses,” she explains.

And in children, not wearing glasses can even lead to a significant deterioration in vision.