Glasses, also known as
eyeglasses or
spectacles, are devices consisting of
lenses mounted in a frame that holds them in front of a person's
eyes. Glasses are typically used for
vision correction. Safety glasses provide
eye protection against flying debris or against visible and near-visible
light or
radiation.
Sunglasses allow better vision in bright daylight, and may protect one's eyes against damage from high levels of
ultraviolet light. Specialized glasses may be used for viewing specific visual information (such as
stereoscopy). Sometimes glasses are worn simply for aesthetic or fashion purposes. The number of Americans who are nearsighted has doubled since the 1970s and almost 3/4 of the US population wears glasses. People are more likely to need glasses the older they get with 93% of people between the age of 65-75 wearing corrective lenses.