Your vision changes across your lifespan as your eyes age and you undergo stress or trauma. Most changes to eye health happen gradually, so having clear vision isn’t always enough to say that your eyes are healthy.
So how can you tell it’s time you updated your eye prescription? Below are six signs that your vision is changing, and it might be time to update your script. If you notice any of these signs, penciling in an optometrist or ophthalmologist visit is a must. For ultimate convenience, consider an online vision test from a retailer like 1800 Contacts (https://www.1800contacts.com/).
Headaches
Sometimes headaches have a direct connection to your vision, something a good optometrist should have no trouble determining.
If you start experiencing recurring headaches, it may be due to some complication with your eyesight–especially if your doctor establishes no signs of tension, malignant migraines, or sinuses causing it.
If your eyes are having trouble focusing, this deficit can change your depth perception and cause headaches. Don’t hesitate to see your eye specialist. An eye doctor can determine whether your eyesight is to blame for your headaches and help you solve the problem.
Eye fatigue
If you feel like you have to force your eyes into focus because they’re so tired or strained, this is a good indication of eye fatigue.
Several factors can cause eye strain or fatigue. These include:
- Lack of enough sleep
- Seasonal allergies
- Too much screen time
Nonetheless, these factors shouldn’t cause lasting eye problems. That means that if your fatigue persists, it’s a clear indication you need to update your prescription for new glasses to help relieve the strain.
Squinting
People naturally squint to help see clearly and focus blurry objects. While you may not even notice it at first, squinting is not the solution to blurry vision. That’s because, sooner or later, your eyes will start to strain.
Prolonged squinting causes discomfort and only worsens the situation. Sometimes, you’ll even start experiencing pain in your head. In these cases, squinting is the symptom that becomes the cause. If you notice that you have to squint more often to read or see clearly, that’s a classic sign that it’s time to update your eyeglasses.
Old glasses
If you already wear glasses, you don’t want to go more than two years without visiting the optometrist to reassess your vision.
Your vision will change over time, so it’s advisable to have an eye exam with your optometrist every year. These exams enable your doctor to monitor your vision and update your prescription where necessary.
Blurred vision
Blurry vision is an obvious indicator you need to update your eye prescription.
Whether it’s in one of your eyes or both, you should see your optometrist. The optometrist can run tests and determine whether you need contact lenses, surgery, or glasses to correct the problem.
Brightness hurts
If your eyes cannot cope with light, then you have an underlying problem.
Your pupils dilate naturally to cope with changes in light, so if your eyes hurt when you walk outside, this is a sign that something is wrong. Visit your eye doctor for help. They’ll update your prescription with a solution to your eyes’ inability to deal with brightness.
Final word
Don’t wait until your prescription is outdated to see your optometrist. Why hurt yourself by straining your eyes? Go for tests yearly to ensure you keep your vision healthy and keep an eye out for these signs in the meantime.
A professional writer with over a decade of incessant writing skills. Her topics of interest and expertise range from health, nutrition and psychology.