You’re probably here because, like me, you’re looking for ways to improve your distance vision naturally, or you're on the hunt for ways to ease the strain on your eyes from endless hours in front of a computer.

When I stumbled upon plus lens therapy, I was intrigued. The idea? Use plus lens (reading) glasses during computer work to reduce eye strain and make you less near-sighted. Imagine - you can wear glasses while doing computer work and then you'll never have to wear them to see far away anymore!

​Well, what sounded amazing at the outset... almost left me blind. And as a photographer, that would be a MAJOR problem!

I’m no stranger to trying out health hacks. From intermittent fasting to cold showers, I’ve given it all a whirl. But eye health? That was a new frontier for me. So, with my pair of $10 reading glasses I bought off Amazon, I embarked on what I thought would be a vision-saving crusade. The reality, however, was worse than I could have ever thought.

A couple weeks in, my wife recommended we go to the eye doctor to get our vision checked. My birthday was coming up and she wanted to buy me a pair of prescription sunglasses, so we booked an appointment. I remember it like it was yesterday: I expected to get my prescription, pick out frames, and be on my way. Instead, I was met with a diagnosis that sounded more like a countdown timer: my intraocular pressure was 40 in the left eye and a staggering 45 in the right. For context, normal eye pressure ranges from 10 to 21 mmHg. I was in the red zone, big time!

Before I could fully grasp the severity, I was told to immediately go to the midtown SUNY University Eye Center to lower the pressure because if I didn't, I could literally go blind within hours.

​They diagnosed me with pigment dispersion syndrome and said that it was possible the plus lens therapy had prompted my eye shape to change, causing pigment to rub off inside and block my eye’s drainage system. The result? A lifetime ticket to the eye drop club, with twice-daily doses to keep my eye pressure in check.

Here’s the thing: I had no prior history of eye pressure issues! No family history, no warning signs. My foray into plus lens therapy was supposed to be a preventive measure, not a one-way ticket to chronic eye problems. But here I am, sharing my story as a cautionary tale to others who might be considering plus lens therapy (or any other unverified vision health hacks).

Don’t get me wrong; I’m all for finding alternative solutions and trying new things. But if my ordeal has taught me anything, it’s the importance of thorough research and professional consultation before diving into treatments, especially those that involve something as precious as your eyes. What worked for someone else might not work for you, and in my case, it almost cost me my vision. And again, as someone who makes a living off photography, that would be a MAJOR problem.

The moral of my story isn’t to scare you. Instead, it’s a plea to prioritize safety over trying new things. Eye health is delicate, and interventions, no matter how benign they seem, can have life-altering consequences.

Let my story be a warning to you: tread carefully on the path to better vision – or really the path to anything that's not "doctor approved." Sometimes, what seems like it could never hurt you really can. Talk to a professional before trying it!