Why can’t eyesight fix itself? Bones can mend, blood vessels can repair after a bruise…what’s so special about lenses that they can only get worse?

Question

How is it possible to have bad eyesight at 21 for example, if the body is at one of its most effective years, health wise? How can the lens become out of focus so fast?

Edit: Hoooooly moly that’s a lot of stuff after I went to sleep. Much thanks y’all for the great answers.

In: 4262

Answer 1

Your eyesight *can* improve itself on its own, long term. I was severely nearsighted as a child, coke-bottle style, but we tend to grow more farsighted as we age (things stiffen). By my mid-20s my prescription was roughly half of what it was originally. In my early 40s, I officially crossed the line and switched from being slightly nearsighted to being slightly farsighted. These days I wear progressive lenses (equivalent to trifocals, but with a smooth transition between the distances), but not very powerful ones.

The astigmatisms, however, have never budged.

Edit: because I do know the difference between where and wear.