5 Signs It's Time to Update Your Corrective Lens Prescription

5 Signs It's Time to Update Your Corrective Lens Prescription

You know the importance of an annual eye exam for early detection of diseases such as glaucoma, macular degeneration, and cataracts. But equally important is being able to see clearly even in the absence of any disease. 

At Omphroy Eye Care, Dr. Luis C. Omphroy and his staff stress the importance of corrective lens prescriptions for their patients in Aiea, Hawaii. They use state-of-the-art examination equipment and pride themselves on helping people see the world better. 

Here are five signs it’s time to update your prescription.

Why do I need glasses?

If you need corrective lenses, you’re not alone. Most people have trouble seeing objects far away or seeing objects up close, or they may experience blurriness due to astigmatism, a change in shape of the eyeball.

About 75% of adults overall use some type of vision correction, which translates into about 164 million Americans.

As you get older, your need for visual aids grows rapidly. While the majority of people in their 40s wear glasses or contact lenses at least occasionally, the percentage increases to more than 90% for those in their 50s, and reaches nearly all people over 75.

Part of this is due to presbyopia, a refractive error that makes it hard for people older than about 45 to see things up close, leading to the need for reading glasses. 

A normal part of aging, presbyopia is when the eye’s lens loses the ability to focus light correctly on the retina, the light-sensitive layer of tissue at the back of the eye that transmits visual information to the brain.

Signs that you need to update your corrective lens prescription

If you’re not sure whether you need an updated glasses prescription, here are five signs that indicate you do.

Frequent squinting

Squinting reduces extra light entering the eye and shrinks the size of the blurred image, helping you to see better temporarily. It’s a good indicator that you're trying to compensate for poor vision, either that you're farsighted or nearsighted. Corrective lenses eliminate the need to squint.

Persistent eye fatigue or strain

Eye strain or fatigue can easily be attributed to allergies, a cold, or even not getting enough sleep. But if the symptoms persist for more than a few days, if you develop eye pain when you move your eyes, or if your eyes get tired from normal activities like watching TV or reading, you may need a new prescription. 

Dr. Omphroy can also rule out things like an eye infection or an undiagnosed health condition.

Frequent headaches

Headaches come from many different sources, one of which is vision problems. They may result from nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism, which cause objects to appear blurry at different distances. As your eyes work to focus better, the strain can lead to headaches.

Blurred vision

If things appear blurry far away, you may be nearsighted. If things appear blurry close up, you may be farsighted. If you’re in your 40s and have both problems, you probably have presbyopia. In all three cases, corrective lenses can solve the problem.

Seeing halos around light

When your eyes can’t focus correctly, the light you see becomes scattered or blurry. That's why circles appear around light bulbs, car headlights, and desk lamps. 

Corrective lenses can bring the light back into proper focus. It’s possible, too, that halos result from cataracts, a clouding of the eye’s lens. Dr. Omphroy will be able to determine that during your eye exam.

If you haven’t had your eyes checked recently, it’s time to come into Omphroy Eye Care for a comprehensive exam, which includes a refraction test for corrective lenses. To schedule, give our office a call today.

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