Good vision often goes unnoticed until it starts to change, and surprisingly subtle changes in eyesight can creep up slowly, making it hard to notice until everyday activities, like reading, driving, or working on a screen, become uncomfortable. To help you identify these changes early on, here is a list of warning signs that mean it’s indeed time for you to start wearing prescription glasses.
1. Blurred vision
Blurred or distorted vision can be a result of dry eyes, eye strain or visual fatigue, especially for avid readers and long-time screen users. But it’s one of the most common signs indicating that you may need glasses, and is usually associated with short-sightedness, long-sightedness or astigmatism.
2. Double vision
Have you ever looked at your watch and seen two dials? Seeing a mirror image of an object could simply imply that you need a thorough eye exam and glasses to correct your vision, especially if you are struggling with astigmatism, cataracts, dry eyes, migraines or diabetes. It could (rarely) also happen due to a critical underlying health issue such as multiple sclerosis.
3. Difficulty seeing at night
Night vision is problematic for all of us, but if you are really struggling to see clearly at night or feel like you are experiencing night blindness, it’s a sign you need glasses at the earliest. If you find it difficult to navigate around your house with lights off, or to see road signs when driving at night even with streetlights on, you need to schedule an optician’s appointment right away. Also, it’s best to avoid low-light environments and choose glasses with anti-reflection lens coating.
4. Noticeable halos around objects
Sometimes, you start seeing halos around objects due to some underlying refractive errors such as near-sightedness, far-sightedness, astigmatism or presbyopia. These halos are more noticeable and frequent around sources of light and can be easily corrected with the right set of glasses.
5. Difficulty adjusting your eyes to various distances
Another prominent sign you need glasses is facing difficulty in adjusting to various distances. This can happen with people who believe their near and distant vision is fine, but adjusting between the two gets difficult. If you are experiencing this, it’s best to get your eyes tested for an up-to-date prescription. Your optician may suggest multifocal glasses to you to fix this.
6. Eye strain, visual fatigue and headaches
Eye strain, visual fatigue and headaches are common signs you need glasses or if you are wearing glasses without an up-to-date prescription. People exposed to long screen hours regularly are more prone to these symptoms. Besides getting glasses with an up-to-date prescription, you can make the 20:20:20 rule a part of your daily routine.
Most adults are advised to get their eyes checked at least every two years. However, your specific lifestyle and eye health requirements may urge you to prepone your next planned appointment at the optician’s. The above-mentioned symptoms should not be ignored and must be considered as serious signs that you may need glasses or contact lenses. If you are experiencing these symptoms, book an appointment with your optician at the earliest for a thorough eye exam. This will help you identify whether you need glasses or contact lenses and what prescription is best suited for you. Wearing glasses or contact lenses with your up-to-date prescription not only helps you see better at present but also helps prevent further vision loss in the future.
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