As a practicing optometrist, I always ask a patient in my chair if there are any problems with their vision or their eyes. Often the answer is yes—that’s why they scheduled an appointment with me in the first place.
But when I listen to their complaints about their vision, commonly the problem isn’t that there’s anything wrong with the patient’s eyes. Instead, it’s apparent that they need a new pair of eyeglasses.
Today, I will share some of the most common signs you need a new prescription for eyeglasses.
4 Signs You Need New Glasses
1. Frequent Headaches
Headaches can come from various sources, including stress, dehydration, and poor posture. But when it comes to the pain that surrounds the front of your head and around your eyes, that is most likely due to eye strain.
The most common cause of eye strain comes from changing vision, which means that your eyeglass prescription needs to be updated so your eyes don’t have to strain to see clearly. This is especially true if it’s been more than a year since you’ve seen your eye doctor.
2. Poor Night Vision
On a sunny day, it’s possible to get by with your old eyeglasses, squinting while driving on familiar streets. However, at night it’s a much different experience. You see halos around lights. Glare from oncoming headlights bothers you more. And you might not feel safe since it’s harder to see details.
There’s a reason for this contrast. Sunlight helps you figure things out. But at night, with lighting conditions that aren’t so good, you experience how your vision has changed even with your eyeglasses on your face.
An updated eyeglass prescription will clear things up tremendously in most situations and reduce the effect of glare and halos, making you feel safer about driving at night.
3. Consistent Blurry Vision
Common symptoms of blurry vision include double vision, increased squinting, and difficulty seeing street signs and your computer.
With busy schedules, family obligations, and work stress, it’s easy just to ignore it and try to get by. However, as the months and sometimes years go by, your vision worsens, resulting in poor work performance and sometimes safety issues since you can’t drive and operate heavy machinery effectively.
It’s often wise to prioritize yourself and make an appointment with your nearest eye doctor. This can make your life a little easier.
4. Scratched and Broken Eyeglasses
This is a no-brainer, but it’s worth mentioning since I see so many people come into my office with taped up eyeglasses, scratched lenses, and the frames falling off their faces.
Needless to say, for eyeglasses to work correctly, the glasses have to fit perfectly on your face. Also, the lenses should be clear so you can see through them correctly, with a prescription that’s up to date.
As time goes by, your eyeglasses become a part of you; your identity and self-image are tied to what you wear on your face. However, eyeglasses go through a lot of wear and tear and, at some point, need to be replaced.
Putting It All Together
During an eye exam, the eye doctor not only gives you a prescription for your eyeglasses but also examines the health of your eyes to make sure the symptoms you’re experiencing are not the result of eye disease or pathology. You can have peace of mind that when you come out of the exam room with a prescription in hand, everything is alright, and you can resume your life.
