You never want to replace your glasses unnecessarily, but there are times when replacing your glasses has to be done. Regularly replacing your glasses is vital to the health of your eyes and maintaining working vision. The importance of replacing glasses concerns your general quality of life and overall ability to maintain good vision when engaging in daily activities, such as driving, working on the computer and reading important documents.
Optometrists recommend replacing your old glasses once every two to three years, but there are other factors to consider beyond simple timeframes. If you’re unsure how often you should replace your glasses, then here are some important milestones and other indicators to consider.
Signs You’re Ready for a New Pair of Glasses
Replacing your glasses every two to three years is necessary to ensure the health of your eyes and maintain your vision. You rely on your glasses to help you work, read and drive safely. You’ll have a better quality of life and overall sense of well-being when you keep your glasses in proper working order and up to date. Your vision changes over time, and many people need a stronger or weaker prescription to keep up with these changes.
Here are some of the signs that you’re ready for a new pair of glasses or contacts:
- You’re experiencing blurred vision.
- You’re squinting or trying too hard to see.
- You’re experiencing headaches.
- Your glasses are in poor condition.
- Your glasses are outdated.
- You need to update your fashion.
- Your glasses are hard to clean.
- You experience relief or feel you’re able to relax after removing your glasses.
You’re Experiencing Blurred Vision
If you’re experiencing blurred vision while wearing your prescriptions lenses, then you may need to replace your eyeglasses with a different prescription. Blurred vision is a critical indicator that your prescription is no longer strong enough to correct your eyesight, and it’s time to schedule an appointment with your optometrist or eye care provider. Your optometrist will reassess your vision needs and determine the best prescription changes for you before ordering a new pair of glasses.
Blurred vision is inconvenient and can be dangerous to your health. If you’re supposed to wear your glasses full time, blurred vision can impact your ability to carry out everyday activities, like reading, working, driving and enjoying your hobbies.
You should never get behind the wheel of your car and drive with blurred vision. No matter how much or little your vision is blurred, it is an issue that needs to you must fix as soon as possible.
You’re Squinting to See
If you’re squinting to see through your glasses, then it’s likely time to replace those old glasses. You shouldn’t have to squint or strain your eyes to see, especially when wearing your prescription eyeglasses. Squinting to see is not good for your eyes or your overall health and well-being. Having to squint to see can cause headaches. If you find yourself squinting to see while wearing your glasses, then you should take it as a sign that your prescription is not strong enough.
You should rarely have to squint to see while wearing your prescription glasses unless you’re in an unusually bright environment. Squinting is your eye’s natural reflex to help you see more clearly and filter out too much light from entering your eyes.
If your regular glasses aren’t blocking out enough light, you may need to consult with your eye care provider to see if special sunglass lenses or transitional lenses would be appropriate for you. Suppose you wear prescription sunglasses or transitional lenses and still have issues with bright lights and squinting. In that case, you’ll want to schedule an appointment to talk with your eye doctor about possible solutions.
You’ll need to schedule a visit with your eye doctor to discuss possible causes and ways to remedy the issue. Your eye care provider will make any necessary changes to your prescription and reassess your vision needs before setting you up with a shiny new pair of glasses.
You’re Experiencing Headaches
If you’re experiencing frequent headaches after wearing your glasses all day, then you may need to replace your glasses and update your prescription. Regular headaches are a sign that you have to strain your eyes too much to see properly. This happens when your prescription is no longer strong enough to correct your vision issues, causing strain on your eyes and impacting your overall well-being.
Dull headaches that come on near the end of a long day wearing your prescription eyeglasses is a sign that you need to schedule an appointment with your eye care provider so they can update your prescription.
Your Glasses Are in Poor Condition
If your glasses, lenses or frames are in poor condition, then it’s time to update and replace your old glasses. Signs that your glasses are in poor condition and you need a new pair include:
- Scratched lenses
- Bent or cracked frames
- Cracked lenses
- Missing screws
- Foggy or faded lenses
Your Glasses Are Outdated
You may need to replace your glasses when they become outdated. New advancements in eyewear, such as transitional lenses, blue light blocking lenses and drive safe lenses, have all improved the capabilities and versatility of eyewear. These capabilities and versatility have made wearing glasses more feasible and enjoyable for anyone struggling to keep up with multiple pairs of glasses used for different tasks throughout the day.
Before, you may have needed different pairs of glasses designed for various daily tasks, like driving and working on the computer. With the latest advancements in eyewear technology, you may only need one versatile pair of glasses capable of handling different demands on your eyes throughout the day.
You Need to Update Your Fashion
Are you wearing old, thick-rimmed glasses that look like they’re straight out of a ’70s or ’80s movie? Fashion matters, and you want to look stylish. If your glasses are out of style and appear old-fashioned, you may want to replace your glasses with a new, fresh and sleek pair that more closely reflects today’s fashion trends.
Even if your current prescription is still working as intended and meeting your vision needs, you may want to replace your glasses if you desire more stylish eyewear. Recently, glasses have been transformed into a stylish accessory that many of today’s athletes and celebrities use as a fashion statement.
Your Glasses Are Hard to Clean
Many eyewear lenses are treated with special coatings to prevent scratching and fading. If your glasses are old, you may find them challenging to clean or even blurry as you try to clean your glasses. This can be attributed to the protective coatings on some lenses breaking down over time, making it seemingly impossible to get your glasses clean. Remember to use recommended cleaning products for your glasses that don’t contain abrasive chemicals.
Abrasive chemicals will scratch your lenses and break down these protective coatings, leaving your glasses blurred, fogged and sometimes unwearable. If it seems like your glasses have a permanent film that you can’t clean away, the coating might be the cause, and you will need to replace your glasses.
You Feel Relief After Removing Your Glasses
If you take your glasses off after wearing them all day and feel relief or a sense of relaxation, you may need to replace your glasses. This is a sign that your eyes are straining too hard while wearing your glasses, and the relief you get from taking them off after wearing them for long periods is a sign that you need a new prescription.
Importance of Replacing Glasses
Wearing glasses that aren’t strong enough or are too strong for your vision needs can have a reverse effect on your overall health and ability to see. Instead of helping to correct your vision or improve poor vision, outdated prescription glasses that are too weak or too strong can cause your vision to become worse, leading to more challenges you can easily avoid.
Replacing broken glasses that aren’t serving their purpose of helping you see clearly or correcting poor vision is essential. Still, it’s also important to see your eye doctor regularly for check-ups and reevaluations. Eye doctors can play a key role in the early detection of serious health problems, including Alzheimer’s, diabetes, cataracts and glaucoma.
Eye doctors can use retinal changes as a biomarker to detect early symptoms in various diseases and health issues associated with your brain and nervous system. These advancements in eyecare make visiting your eye doctor regularly all the more important to your overall health and well-being.
When Should You Visit Your Eye Doctor?
Visiting your eye doctor is not just for those who need glasses or are experiencing issues with their vision. Regular visits to your eye doctor and eye care specialist should be part of your overall healthcare management routine. Eye doctors are an important part of your healthcare team.
If you have any changes in your vision, your glasses aren’t working as well as before, or you would like to understand more about the eyewear options available to you, you should visit your eye doctor. Likewise, if your glasses are broken, scratched, faded or damaged in any way, then it’s time to schedule an eye exam and update your glasses.
Additionally, if you’re experiencing any physical symptoms associated with your eyes and wearing glasses, you should visit your eye doctor. Symptoms that warrant a trip to the eye doctor include:
- Blurred or double vision
- Seeing spots or floaters
- Pain in your eyes
- Excessive eye strain or headaches
- Light sensitivity or night blindness
If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, it’s time to schedule an appointment with your eye doctor or provider. You likely need to replace your glasses and update your prescription, but you may also have needs beyond these that your eye doctor will assist you with.
Average Life Span of a Pair of Glasses
The lenses and frames of your glasses are designed and built to be durable while handling the daily stress put on them due to everyday routines and lifestyles. Your glasses might seem indestructible or impervious to damage, but they are not. It is important to keep in mind that your glasses have a life span. Most eye doctors recommend you replace your glasses every two to three years while also scheduling a yearly annual check-up to ensure your prescription is working as intended and no changes are needed.
You can also take measures to extend the life span of your glasses, including the following:
- Use a strap for sports and outdoor hobbies.
- Place your glasses in their protective case when not in use.
- Avoid laying your glasses down on the lenses.
- Grip your glasses at the bridge when cleaning them.
- Use only approved and recommended sprays or cleaners.
- Use only a soft cloth to clean lenses.
- Avoid using paper towels, tissues or hand towels to wipe the lenses.
Once you have a pair of glasses that fit you well with a prescription that meets your vision needs, you may not realize you need to replace them after two to three years.
However, it’s best to have your eyes checked regularly and schedule annual visits with your eye doctor or provider to ensure your glasses function optimally and serve their purpose. Just because you don’t notice small changes in your vision doesn’t mean these changes aren’t happening. Only your eye doctor or an approved care provider can test your vision to determine whether you need to replace your glasses or update your prescription.
Shop Lensabl for Your Replacement Glasses
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Lensabl is your one-stop shop for replacement lenses of all types. Our extensive line of glasses and lens options let you choose the type that’s right for you without spending all day at the eye doctor. We offer lenses to meet any lifestyle. Whether you enjoy outdoor activities with friends or curling up next to the fireplace with your favorite book, we have lens options to meet your needs and lifestyle. Lensabl has your eyewear needs and preferences covered, from bifocals to blue light lenses.
We make replacing your glasses easy, fast and affordable! Check out our line of lenses and get started on the road to clarity today!