Also called: Contact lenses · Eyeglasses
Important: This page is general information, not medical advice. It does not recommend or prescribe any treatment. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.
About Eyewear
Eyewear protects or corrects your vision. Examples are:
- Sunglasses
- Safety goggles
- Glasses (also called eyeglasses)
- Contact lenses
If you need corrective lenses, you may be able to choose between contacts or glasses. Either usually requires a prescription. Almost anyone can wear glasses. Contact lenses require more careful handling.
Many jobs and some sports carry a risk of eye injury. Thousands of children and adults get eye injuries every year. Most are preventable with proper eye protection. Everyone is at risk for eye damage from the sun year-round. It's important to regularly use sunglasses that block out at least 99% of UV rays.
It sits within Eyes and Vision.
The lead U.S. institute for this subject is the National Eye Institute.
When to speak to someone. Reading about a topic cannot tell you whether it applies to you. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if symptoms are severe, sudden, getting worse, or simply not going away — and seek emergency care immediately for chest pain, breathing difficulty, sudden weakness or confusion, or a serious allergic reaction.
Research on Eyewear
7 studies areregistered for this condition on ClinicalTrials.gov, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's public registry. A selection is below — the links go straight to the registry entry, not to a summary of ours.
What a registered study does and does not mean. Registration means a study exists and has been declared publicly. It says nothing about whether the treatment being tested works, is safe, or is available to you. Many studies find no benefit — that is what research is for. Never seek out an experimental treatment on the strength of a registry entry alone.
Research currently under way
- Effectiveness of Virtual Reality vs Show-Do Technique on Dental Anxiety in Children With Hearing ImpairmentOctober University for Modern Sciences and Arts
- Smart Eyewear to Automatically Detect Drug Delivery EventsUniversity of Washington
Research already completed
- Filtered Eyewear to Prevent Light-induced Melatonin Suppression - Aim 1Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
- eSight Eyewear Quality of Life and Efficacy StudyeSight Corporation
- VISIBLE Study (Visual Intervention Strategy Incorporating Bifocal & Long-distance Eyewear)The University of New South Wales
Study data from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 2026-07-30. Registry entries are supplied by study sponsors and investigators; ClinicalTrials.gov does not verify their scientific validity. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH.
Where to read more
Rather than paraphrase, we point you to the primary sources. Every link below is to a government health agency, a national institute or a recognised medical body — grouped by what you are trying to find out.
Start Here
- Contact Lenses for Vision CorrectionAmerican Academy of Ophthalmology
- Eyeglasses: How to Choose Glasses for Vision CorrectionAmerican Academy of Ophthalmology
- Safety Glasses: How to Prevent Blinding Eye InjuriesAmerican Academy of Ophthalmology
Related Issues
- Colored and Decorative Contact Lenses: A Prescription Is a MustFood and Drug Administration
- Contact Lens CareFood and Drug Administration
- Contact Lens RisksFood and Drug Administration
- Using a Home Vision Test to Order Glasses OnlineAmerican Academy of Ophthalmology
- Your Eyewear Prescription RightsFederal Trade Commission
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Contact LensesNational Institutes of Health
- ClinicalTrials.gov: EyeglassesNational Institutes of Health
Medical subject headings
Clinicians and researchers index this subject under Contact Lenses, Eyeglasses. These are the terms to use when searching medical literature.
This page is built from the MedlinePlus health topic record for Eyewear, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health. Information is from MedlinePlus.gov. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and is not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH. Retrieved 30 July 2026.