Do I Need Glasses? 9 Signs You Do Not Want To Miss

Relying on your vision is something that most of us need to do to get through our everyday lives. However, when we run into issues that make it difficult for us to use our eyes efficiently, it begins to put a damper on our days. And sometimes we don’t even realize how big of concern some of these issues could be in the long run.

The best thing to do is to take preventative steps and get supportive eyewear. So how do you know if it’s time for you to take precaution measures? Keep reading about these 10 signs to be on the lookout for if you’ve been asking yourself "do I need glasses" lately.

1. Squinting Your Eyes

Squinting is something that you may be doing frequently and not even notice until someone brings it to your attention. When people squint, they are usually trying to reduce the amount of blurriness in the image they’re viewing. This happens by temporarily changing the shape of the eye and helping to bend the light that enters.

Although squinting is a quick fix for the issue, it could lead to headaches or tension in your eye area. If you’re squinting more than a few times throughout the day, you should ask yourself "do I need glasses". 

2. Blurry Vision

Speaking of seeing blurred images- you should definitely count this as a red flag. This lack of clarity and sharpness in your vision results in your eyes not being able to make out fine details. This symptom of poor vision could actually put you in some dangerous situations.

You should bring it to your doctor’s attention if your eyes are seeing fuzzy images. It could be a sign of a sight abnormality, such as farsightedness, nearsightedness or astigmatism. 

3. Getting Frequent Headaches

Often times, if your vision is altered from the norm, such as being farsighted, you will try to overcompensate to see the image correctly. However, this usually includes a lot of eye straining and pain, which leads to headaches and tension. 

Sometimes a person may actually feel the pain and tension behind their eyes. This can cause pain to spread to the neck and forehead areas. Don’t just take a few tablets for headaches and call it a day. Consult with your doctor right away if you are having headaches often.

4. Eye Straining & Pain

Again, most of the times headaches are caused by an excessive straining of the eyes since they are trying hard to see an image accurately. It is also important to pay attention to whether your eyes get fatigued easily or often from regular activities, such as reading a book or using the computer. 

Most people are surrounded by technological devices daily that can cause a decline in eye health conditions. You should be asking yourself "do I need glasses" if you’re experiencing discomfort in your eye area often. 

5. Difficulty Driving at Night

For some people, driving at night seems like a dangerous and daunting task because of the difficulty regarding their vision. Of course, most eyes, in general, lose some quality of sight in the dark. However, people who may need glasses are met with multiple problems during a late drive.

The street lights may seem brighter and more intense. You probably also see blurred headlights with halos around them coming towards you. All of this can cause stress and strain on your eyes, as well as some pain. Wearing protecting eyeglasses is one way to prevent these issues from occurring. 

6. Using One Eye or Positioning Your Head Certain Ways to See

This may sound as silly as it looks but there are people who have found comfort in these temporary solutions for poor vision. If one of your eyes is worse than the other, you may often try not to use that eye unconsciously to help you see better. This could be you simply covering the eye with your hand or closing it.

You may also be tilting or positioning your head in certain positions, such as watching tv from the side of your eye, to see pictures better. Keep a close watch for these habits, as they could be indicators of undiagnosed eye disease or lazy eye.

7. Holding Objects Close to Your Face

If you’ve noticed that you feel more comfortable holdings things closer to your face then you should ask yourself "do I need glasses". Be aware of the next time you read a book or product label or scroll on your phone.

If you have to hold objects closer than eyes length, then it may be time for an eye exam.

8. Rubbing Your Eyes

Here’s another sign of someone who may need eyeglasses that is fairly easy to miss. When some people rub their eyes frequently, they may be trying to clear up blurriness- hoping the rubbing will help. It may also mean that their eyes are fatigued and this is a way of trying to soothe.

You could be rubbing your eyes for a number of reasons but either way, it could indicate that something is wrong. Avoid adding extra stress or damaging from rubbing often by having an optometrist check it out.

9. Sitting Close to Objects

If you notice yourself getting closer to objects in order to see them, you may need distance glasses. Sometimes people sit very close to the tv or children have to move right next to the whiteboard to see in class.

The need to be within very close proximity of an object you’re trying to view could definitely be a sign of poor eye health.

Still Asking Yourself "Do I Need Glasses"?

The honest truth is, if you have to ask yourself "do I need glasses" in the first place, then you should probably already by scheduling a consultation with an eye doctor. Even if your eyes are in good health, there could be an underlying factor that is limiting your range and quality of vision.

Continuing to try temporary fixes, such as squinting and rubbing your eyes, could lead to the issue getting worse in the future. If you want to avoid damaging your vision in the long run, feel free to contact us today for further assistance.