Headaches, squinting and sore, tired eyes aren’t just symptoms of needing glasses. They also indicate that your current glasses aren’t cutting it and you need an updated prescription. Unsure of what signs to look for? Here are eight hints that mean it’s time for an upgrade from our Black Friday and Cyber Monday glasses sales.
1. BLURRY VISION
If your eyesight is blurry, regardless of the distance, a new pair of glasses can bring renewed clarity. Unsure of what lenses you need? This can be determined by your eye doctor, but your age can usually determine what kind of lenses you need.
If you’re over 40, a trusty pair of readers or progressive lenses can clear up the blurry words on the page of a book or texts on your smartphone. More often than not, if you need sharper focus on things in the distance, like when you’re driving, you just need a stronger prescription.
2. HEADACHES
Headaches could be caused by a number of reasons related to your vision. Undiagnosed nearsightedness or an out-of-date prescription can make your head hurt, but it’s nothing that a new pair of glasses can’t fix.
It’s also possible that your frames are to blame. If the temples feel like they’re pulling against the back of your ear or if the temples fit too tightly against the side of your head, it can cause discomfort that leads to headaches.
Issues like this can often be solved by an optician, but it’s also possible that the overall frame size is too big or too small for your head. If this is the case, no amount of adjustments will fix the issue, and it’s time to trade your frames in for a better fitting pair.
3. SQUINTING
If you have to squint in order to see your computer monitor at work or your digital devices at home, you may be experiencing digital eye strain. A pair of computer glasses can help focus your intermediate vision, making it easier for you to keep your monitor in focus.
In addition to reducing eye strain, computer glasses also block blue light, which has been linked to poor sleep quality. So if you’re frequently exposed to digital screens and are having trouble catching some Zs, computer glasses may help improve your beauty sleep.
4. DOUBLE VISION
If you frequently experience double vision, it can have serious implications. But don’t worry; your eye doctor will be able to get to the root cause of your symptoms. It could be that your eyes are crossed or a more serious eye condition like keratoconus.
Regardless of your diagnosis, you’ll likely need a new pair of glasses. Your new prescription eyeglasses will probably have more prismatic power to help fix the double vision. Prismatic power helps correct eye alignment issues and can stop you from seeing double.
5. DAMAGED LENSES
Wear and tear isn’t always just cosmetic. For instance, the temples of your frames might stretch out over time, leaving you with ill-fitting eyeglasses. More seriously, having multiple scratches on your lenses can interfere with your vision and cause eye strain.
Cleaning your glasses is a necessary part of caring for them, but cleaning them with hot water can damage the lens coating. If you’re in the market for new lenses, we suggest ones with anti-reflective or photochromic coating, which improves vision and protects your eyes from UV rays.
6. INFREQUENT EYE EXAMS
As you get older your vision changes, and so should your prescription. Annual eye exams are the best way to monitor your vision changes and to make sure your prescription eyeglasses are the right fit for you.
Eye exams help catch suspicious symptoms that might pose a threat to your vision, so your eye doctor can treat them before the problem arises. Comprehensive eye exams test a number of things to determine what kind of glasses will help you the most. Some of these tests include:
- Visual acuity test — the sharpness of your vision is determined by reading an eye chart
- Color blindness test — your ability to detect color vibrance and contrast will tested by using the Ishihara Color Vision Test
- Ocular motility test — testing your eye muscles can reveal the cause of eye strain
- Depth perception test — measuring your ability to determine how far or close objects are from you
7. CHANGE IN CAREER
In addition to helping you stand out at your new job, new glasses can actually help you get your work done more efficiently. There are several lens options available that might be a good fit for your career change.
New office job that requires a lot of screen time? Anti-reflective lenses or computer glasses can reduce the eye strain you would otherwise get from staring at a screen all day. If your new job calls for more physical labor, then durable lenses with anti-scratch coating or even safety glasses might do you well.
8. CHANGE IN STYLE
There’s nothing wrong with getting a new pair of glasses for the sake of fashion. Treat yourself to some new frames or lenses that suit your style.
Different colors and shapes are available to compliment your face shape, so find the style that flatters your face and fits your fancy. Because after all, if you have to wear glasses, you may as well make it fun.
