8 Eye Friendly Habits You Can Start Today
Good vision depends on regular eye exams and some personal habits you can start today. Read on to learn about the small steps you can take to prevent eye and vision problems.
6 Signs It May Be Time to Update Your Corrective Lens Prescription
Eyeglasses and contact lenses can dramatically improve vision for the millions of Americans with eyesight problems. However, those beneficial effects won’t last forever. That’s because your eyes change over time, and that means your vision does, too.
To keep pace with those changes and avoid further vision issues, you need to keep your prescription up to date. In this post, Curtis Frank, OD, and our team at Vision and Ortho-K Center review six signs that could indicate it’s time for a new lens prescription.
1. You’ve developed a squinting habit
Squinting now and then to get a different perspective isn’t anything to worry about. But if you find yourself squinting more often to see more clearly, then it’s a good indicator that your lenses are no longer doing their job.
Frequent squinting can lead to headaches and eye fatigue, too.
2. You’re getting a lot of headaches
Having headaches more frequently can be another sign that your lens prescription is outdated. That’s because when we’re not seeing as clearly as we should, our eyes have to work harder to focus, and that can lead to headaches over time.
Some headaches can occur whenever you’re doing up-close work or any activity that requires a high level of focus. Other headaches tend to occur toward the end of the day as a result of cumulative eye strain.
3. Things just don’t look quite as clear as they used to
Blurry vision sounds obvious, but when it’s associated with outdated lenses, it can be surprisingly subtle. That’s because this type of blurriness usually develops over time, initially presenting as a mild “fuzziness” that might be written off as simply being overly tired.
You may find yourself holding your phone closer, enlarging the text size on your computer screen, or needing brighter light to read comfortably.
While these issues can definitely be explained by an outdated prescription, they can also be associated with more serious problems, which is why scheduling an exam as soon as possible is so important.
4. Nighttime vision is becoming an issue
Night vision relies on good focusing abilities as well as good contrast sensitivity. Your vision functions that can quickly become impaired if your lens prescription isn’t what it should be.
A decline in night vision can also be a sign of cataracts and other underlying eye issues, especially if you have other issues, like glare or halos around headlights or street lamps.
A change in your ability to see clearly in dark environments definitely warrants a visit with our team so we can evaluate your prescription and your eye health.
5. Your eyes feel tired or irritated
Headaches aren’t the only consequence of eye strain. When your eyes need to spend extra effort to focus and see clearly, you can experience other symptoms, including
- A feeling of tiredness in your eyes
- Irritation or burning sensations
- Sensitivity to light
- Blurry vision
- Excess tearing, especially after a long period of focusing
A new prescription could be all it takes to give your eyes the support they need to focus better and eliminate eye strain and its symptoms.
6. It’s been more than a year since your last exam
If it’s been a year or more since you had your last comprehensive eye exam, it’s definitely time to have your prescription (and your eye health) evaluated — even if you aren’t noticing any changes in your vision.
That’s because vision changes often happen very gradually. In many cases, people don’t realize how much clarity they’ve lost until they have an exam.
Eye exams also give us a chance to look for subtle signs of vision issues and suggest preventive care to keep your eyes healthy and your vision the best it can be.
Eye exams can even spot signs of many systemic diseases, like heart disease or diabetes, even before noticeable signs occur.
Don’t ignore vision changes
If you’re having any change in your vision, it’s an indication that it’s time to schedule an eye exam.
While many issues may be attributed to an outdated prescription, some vision changes can be caused by underlying conditions that will only get worse without prompt medical intervention.
Dr. Frank and our team are ready to help you protect your vision and your eye health. To schedule your next visit, request an appointment at Vision and Ortho-K Center in Boston, Massachusetts, today.
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