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Since eyeglasses were devised in Italy in the 13th century, there have been few developments in eyesight correction. In truth, portraits of glasses-wearers illustrated in the 1400s show what look a great deal like NHS spectacles. Contacts have only been around since the 1950s, although Leonardo da Vinci showed foresight by outlining some early models in his notebooks.

Now, new technological developments are providing the 12 million short- and long-sighted Brits with hope that they might be able to dispense with their glasses or lenses for ever.

For those of us who work in a dusty work environment or have dry eyes or Sjoren’s syndrom, you may not be able to consider wearing Contact lenses or eyeglasses. The Ortho K system - Contacts that correct near sightedness while you sleep - could offer a solution. Wearing the tailor-made, gas-permeable lenses overnight remolds the cornea (the dome-shaped window covering the front of the eye) to its proper position, giving the wearer 20/20 vision upon waking. The sight rectification generally lasts for the entire day, and sometimes longer: some wearers find they may only need to wear the lenses every other night. They are waterproof - so if you swim - they could still be an option for you. Although the lenses don’t cure short sight, some studies have indicated that using them may slow down the progression of myopia. The technology has been around since the 1960s, but has only recently become affordable.