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7 Signs It May Be Time for a New Glasses Prescription Eye Exams in Royal Palm Beach, FL
Vision can change over time, and sometimes the change happens slowly enough that you simply get used to it.
That does not mean every headache or blurry moment means you need stronger glasses. But when the same problems keep happening, it may be time to have your prescription checked.
1. You Are Squinting More Than You Used To
Most of us squint once in a while.
But if you are constantly narrowing your eyes to read a road sign, watch television, or see something across the room, pay attention to it.
Squinting can temporarily make blurry objects look a little clearer. The National Eye Institute includes frequent squinting as one of the common symptoms of refractive errors such as nearsightedness and astigmatism.
If you catch yourself doing it throughout the day, your current glasses may not be giving you the clarity they once did.
2. You Are Getting More Headaches or Tired Eyes
Headaches have plenty of possible causes, so you should not automatically blame your glasses.
Still, headaches and eye strain can happen when your eyes are working harder to focus. You may notice it after reading, working on a computer, looking at your phone, or doing other close-up work for a long period of time.
The National Eye Institute lists headaches and eye strain among the symptoms that can happen with refractive errors. If this keeps happening along with blurry vision or squinting, it gives you another reason to have your eyes checked.
3. Reading Small Print Is Getting Harder
At some point, you may notice that menus, text messages, medicine bottles, or books do not look as clear up close. You might start holding your phone farther away just to read it.
This is especially common as we get older because of a normal change called presbyopia. Presbyopia happens when the natural lens inside the eye becomes less flexible, making it harder to focus on things nearby. If you already wear glasses, this change may mean your prescription or the type of lenses you use needs to be adjusted.
4. Driving at Night Is Getting More Difficult
Night driving can make small vision problems easier to notice.
You may find that road signs are harder to read, headlights seem brighter, or lights have more glare or halos around them.
Glare, halos, blurry vision, and trouble seeing at night can occur with certain refractive errors. That does not always mean your prescription is the problem. Cataracts and other eye conditions can also affect nighttime vision. If driving after dark is noticeably harder than it used to be, mention it during your next eye exam.
5. Things Look Blurry Even With Your Glasses On
This is probably the most obvious sign.
If your glasses used to make things clear but road signs, television screens, books, or computer text are starting to look blurry again, your prescription may have changed.
The National Eye Institute lists blurry vision as the most common symptom of a refractive error. A refractive error simply means your eyes are not focusing light clearly, which can usually be corrected with glasses or contact lenses. Blurry vision can have other causes too, so an eye exam can help determine what is actually going on.
6. Your Computer Screen Is Harder to Focus On
A lot of people spend hours each day looking at a computer.
If the screen starts looking blurry at your normal working distance, you may find yourself moving closer, leaning back, increasing the text size, or taking your glasses off to see better. Trouble focusing while reading or using a computer is another symptom the National Eye Institute lists with refractive errors.
Sometimes the problem is simply eye fatigue from spending too much time looking at a screen. Other times, your prescription may no longer match what your eyes need at that distance.
7. Your Vision Just Does Not Feel as Sharp as It Used To
Sometimes there is not one obvious symptom.
Your glasses still work, but things simply do not look quite as crisp as they did before. Maybe one eye seems a little blurrier. You have to move things around to find the clearest spot. Or you notice yourself depending on better lighting more than you used to.
Vision changes can happen slowly, which is why they are easy to overlook. The National Eye Institute specifically recommends talking with your eye doctor if your vision gets worse or you are having problems while wearing your glasses or contacts.
Eye Exams and Glasses Prescriptions in Royal Palm Beach, FL
If your glasses are not working as well as they used to, you do not have to guess whether your prescription has changed.
An eye exam can check how clearly you are seeing and whether your current glasses are still the right prescription.
For patients in Royal Palm Beach, Wellington, West Palm Beach, Loxahatchee, and nearby South Florida communities, Caruso Eye Care can evaluate changes in your vision and help determine whether you need an updated prescription or whether something else may be affecting your eyesight.
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References: National Eye Institute Presbyopia
The National Eye Institute explains that presbyopia is a normal age-related change that makes it harder to focus on nearby objects. Common signs include holding reading material farther away, blurry near vision, eye strain, and headaches.
National Eye Institute Eyeglasses for Refractive Errors
https://www.nei.nih.gov/eye-health-information/eye-conditions-and-diseases/refractive-errors The National Eye Institute explains that glasses correct the way light focuses in the eye and do not make your eyes weaker or cause your eyesight to get worse.
Medical Information Disclaimer
This article is for general educational purposes only. It is not medical advice and should not be used to diagnose or treat an eye condition. Vision changes can have many causes. Speak with your optometrist, ophthalmologist, primary care provider, or another qualified medical professional for guidance based on your individual health and symptoms.