Do I need glasses?

Are you feeling tired and having trouble focusing?

Or maybe your headaches are becoming more recurrent and you’ve started to wonder if you might need glasses?

Don’t worry, we’ve all been there! We’ve prepared a small guide to help you gauge if you might need glasses.

By the end of this article, you’ll know the answer!

Signs you need glasses

Glasses are an amazing invention. They not only help us see better, but also, by doing so, they reduce many of the symptoms that are linked to deteriorating vision. That’s why it is so important to take special notice of the warning signs that we might need glasses.

It is estimated that at least 25 million Americans might face vision problems by 2050 [1] (in comparison to the 12 million Americans who had vision problems in 2015). Our eye health is increasingly becoming an important topic!

According to the World Health Organization, all around the world, at least 2.2 billion people currently have some type of vision impairment, but most importantly, 1 billion of those vision problems could have been prevented. [2] While the overall aging of the population might be one of the main reasons for the expected increase in eye problems, our digital lifestyles also play an important role. We spend many hours in front of our screens, and we are constantly exposed to the potential risks of artificial blue light. Our eyes, in turn, work hard to continually focus, which can lead to Computer Vision Syndrome, Digital Eye Strain or even some other common vision problems.

Now is undoubtedly the time for us to act and make sure we’re giving our eyes all the TLC they deserve! It is easy to understand the signs that our eyes are sending to tell us that we need glasses. Here’s how to recognize them!

What are the most common signs that you need glasses?

Even though we may have always been proud of our 20/20 vision (the term used to describe normal visual acuity, which is measured at a distance of 20 feet, approx. 6 meters), eye health is intrinsically related to age, activity and the pressure we put on our eyes on a daily basis.

How to know if I need glasses?

It is important to take a moment to learn the most common signs that might tell us it is time to invest in some glasses:

Eye strain: red, itchy or dry eyes
Squinting: forcing your vision in order to reduce out-of-focus images
Blurry vision: if the accuracy of your vision is temporarily or permanently compromised
Headaches: recurrent headaches close to the area of your eyes
Distorted vision: if straight lines appear wavy and objects are weirdly bent
The need to get closer in order to read: if your vision becomes clearer when your eyes are closer to something, but becomes blurry when objects are further away
Halos around objects: if bright objects appear with halos around them, it is a sign that your eyes are having difficulty to focus.

Do these problems sound familiar?

Here’s the full explanation!

Common signs	Explanation	Possible Eye Problem
– Eye strain	If we frequently feel that we need to rub our eyes, and we tend to have red or itchy eyes after extended hours in front of our digital screens, this is a common sign of eye strain.	The most typical cause of eye strain is Computer Vision Syndrome, also known as Digital Eye Strain.
– Frequently squinting	If you’re not squinting because you’re confused about the information you’re reading, it might be because you’re trying to reduce the blur of an image. In which case, it could be a sign of poor vision. The act of squinting helps reduce the extra light that enters into our eyes, which momentarily helps compensate for the sensation of an image being out of focus.	Typically, squinting could be a sign of eye strain, farsightedness, nearsightedness or lazy eye.
– Blurry vision	Although temporary blurry vision might be due to overexposure to artificial light through our various screens (in which case, blue light glasses could really help), if the blurry sensation becomes permanent, it is a clear sign to book an appointment with the doctor.	Temporary blurry vision is one of the most common symptoms of Digital Eye Strain. Permanent blurry vision on the other hand, is typically a sign of farsightedness or nearsightedness.
– Headaches	Can headaches be a sign that you need glasses? Yes. If our eyes are struggling to focus or they have to work really hard to see distant objects, headaches might be a sign that our eyes need some extra help. Typically eye strain is the main cause of headaches related to vision problems.	For those of us that spend many hours in front of digital screens, headaches might be the result of Computer Vision Syndrome. If this is the case, they should disappear if we stop using screens or if we protect our eyes with computer glasses. If, however, the headaches are persistent, it might be a sign of farsightedness or astigmatism.
– Distorted vision	According to the AAO [3] distorted vision refers to an eye condition in which objects look wavy or appear bent incorrectly.	Some of the most common eye conditions that could be causing this problem are: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) Astigmatism
– Needing to get closer to a screen or a book	When we feel the need to get closer in order to focus better, it might be a sign that we are starting to suffer from deteriorating vision.	This is one of the most typical signs that we need a prescription for glasses. The most common condition for this symptom is related to nearsightedness.
– Seeing halos around bright objects	Seeing halos around bright objects is a sign that our eyes are experiencing some difficulty to focus properly and light becomes blurry.	While this could be a sign of cataracts, it is typically associated with presbyopia, nearsightedness, astigmatism or farsightedness.

Spending a lot of time in front of our computers or digital screens can have side effects on our vision and can lead to Computer Vision Syndrome, also referred to as Digital Eye Strain. Red and dry eyes, headaches and back and neck pain are only some of the signs that we might be able to prevent by wearing blue light glasses. They will help our eyes feel more relaxed when reading from digital screens!

At Barner we specialize in blue light glasses. We have specifically designed stylish and comfortable computer glasses made with high-quality organic CR-39 lenses that efficiently block 100% of the blue light under 410nm and 45% of the blue light on the 410nm-450nm spectrum.

Discover what our community of digital users think of them!

What are the most common eyesight problems?

These are the four most typical eyesight problems that tend to require prescription glasses:

Nearsightedness: also called myopia, this focusing disorder (not considered an eye disease) refers to the ability to clearly see objects that are nearby, but the difficulty to focus on objects that are far away. Myopia is a refractive error that happens when our eyes can’t bend (refract) the light properly.
Farsightedness: also referred to as hyperopia, this condition has the opposite effect to myopia. Distant objects appear very clear, but close objects become blurry.
Astigmatism: when our eyes suffer from astigmatism it means that they are not capable of evenly distributing the light across our retina. The result is that images can appear stretched out and blurry. This condition is due to an imperfection in the curvatures of the cornea.
Presbyopia: this eye condition tends to appear with age, as our eyes gradually start to lose the ability to focus properly. It typically appears after we turn 40, and it manifests in the need to read with more distance in order to have clearer vision.

Although we’ve shared a summary of some of the most common signs that we might need glasses, it is important to remember that only an expert will be able to reliably determine if we’re suffering from any eye condition and the best treatment to pursue.

Our sources:

[1] National Institutes of Health (NIH)

[2] World Health Organization

[3] AAO