How do I know if I need glasses test?

The health of your eyes is incredibly important yet 27% of the UK population have not had an eye test for over two years despite this being the recommendation of the NHS. So, how to tell if you need glasses test?

Why should I have an eye test?

The thing about an eye test is that it also checks your eye health and an optician can spot early warning signs and get you treatment.

Even more importantly an eye examination can see signs of general health conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure and brain tumours. An optician will refer you to your GP if they see any warning signs for these conditions.

What are the signs that I may need glasses?

There are some common symptoms that you may be experiencing that could indicate that you need glasses. The symptoms may come on slowly or suddenly and you may at first put them down to reasons not associated with your eyes. Seeking advice from one of the opticians in your area about these symptoms will either confirm that you need glasses to help your vision or eliminate your eyesight as a cause of your symptoms. This will allow you to get help from your GP.

Difficulty seeing at night, difficulty reading or difficulty seeing the television clearly.

These are all classic symptoms that your eyesight has deteriorated. Getting an eye test can determine whether you need glasses.

Nearsightedness means you struggle to see things in the distance such as the tv. This can be corrected with distance glasses.

Farsightedness means you will struggle to read or focus on close up objects. If you are having to adjust how close you hold a book to read then you may well need to wear reading glasses. As we get older, over 50 years of age, we are more likely to require reading glasses even if we have previously had perfect vision.

Some people will have a combination of both near and far sight. They can have different glasses for each or wear varifocal glasses that have a graduated lens to help both conditions.

Other Common Symptoms

Blurred or Double Vision

This can affect one or both eyes and can be a sign of dry eye where the film on the eyes is affected. It can also be caused by an underlying squint. Both of these conditions can be treated and you may need to wear glasses to help correct a squint. It can also be a sign of serious underlying health conditions such as a stroke or diabetes.

Hazy Vision

If your sight has become cloudy around the edges this can be a sign of deteriorating vision which will require glasses. More importantly, it can also be a sign of cataracts which will require surgery to correct and prevent blindness.

Headaches

If you are straining your eyes because your eyesight has got worse then you may experience recurring headaches. Of course, headaches can be caused by lots of different conditions but it is certainly worth getting an eye test to see if wearing glasses can solve the problem.

Eyestrain

This is a vague term used to describe a feeling of tiredness in your eyes. It can be a temporary feeling after a long drive or extended use of computers and other devices. Ongoing eyestrain does warrant an eye test to see if glasses will help the symptoms.

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