How to understand that it is time to wear glasses?

Our vision is the key to perceiving the world in all its colors and details. We often take it for granted until we start to notice difficulties: text blurs, faces become unclear, tasks require more effort. How do you know when it’s time to see a doctor and start wearing glasses?

We turned to experts to find out when it’s really worth starting to wear glasses, what symptoms indicate deteriorating vision, and how you can prevent further deterioration. Expert advice will help you maintain eye health and understand when professional help is needed.

Signs that indicate the need to wear glasses

There are many signs that signal deteriorating vision and the need to consult an ophthalmologist. For example, if the text on the screen or in a book becomes blurry and requires you to make an effort to focus, this is a clear signal. Constant eye strain, especially after long reading or working at the computer, can also indicate the need for vision correction. Frequent headaches, especially in the forehead and temples, can be associated with eye strain. If you see double images, this is a serious symptom that requires immediate attention. Difficulty with night vision or a significant decrease in visibility in the dark can also be signs of vision problems.

"It is logical that any decrease in vision is a reason to think. The average visual acuity norm is 1.0. However, most people have their own vision norm, often 1.2 and above. Some people do not notice a decrease in vision for a long time due to the increased load on the adaptive forces of the visual system. And infants and older children will not complain at all. Therefore, in all cases, it is necessary to evaluate objective refraction. And any deviation from the norm requires the use of glasses," notes Elena Nam, ophthalmologist, chief physician of the Optic City company.

Self-prescription of glasses: risks and misconceptions

Alexander Kuskov, ophthalmologist at the eye microsurgery clinic "I see" (St. Petersburg), emphasizes that the main indication for wearing glasses is the results of diagnostics performed by an ophthalmologist.

"Glasses with diopters are a vision correction tool," Kuskov explains, "What is absolutely forbidden? Self-prescription of glasses, especially with corrective lenses for "plus" or "minus" in a place where glasses are sold over the counter, for example, in a hypermarket or at a market, even if it seems that with glasses your vision becomes better."

Some people may experience temporary improvement in vision when wearing randomly chosen glasses, but this can lead to long-term problems. For example, wearing glasses with the wrong prescription can cause headaches, eye fatigue, and poor vision.

Not all signs of vision deterioration are a reason to prescribe glasses, warns the expert:

"The most common and relatively harmless condition that causes vision deterioration, but is not an indication for glasses correction, is PINA (habitually excessive accommodation tension). It is associated with working conditions, when we experience excessive visual load - this is reading, working at a computer, etc. Usually, this condition does not increase the degree of myopia by more than 2 diopters, and can change on its own if the eyes rest.

Also common is accommodation spasm, which accompanies such conditions as prolonged work with small objects at close range, sedentary work, clamps and pain in the cervical spine, pregnancy (hormonal changes), injuries, poisoning. As a rule, vision returns to normal itself when the aggravating factor is eliminated."

Only a qualified ophthalmologist can determine what measures are necessary in each specific case.

Common Symptoms That Indicate the Need for Glasses

There are also more specific symptoms that most often indicate the need to start wearing glasses. Myopia, or nearsightedness, is manifested by difficulty seeing distant objects. Hyperopia, or farsightedness, causes difficulty reading and doing work at close range. Astigmatism leads to distortion or blurriness of the image at any distance. Presbyopia is an age-related decrease in the ability to see objects close up - usually begins after 40 years.

Dmitry Sagonenko, ophthalmologist, head of the Center for Ophthalmology and Eye Microsurgery (Moscow) explains:

"Of course, at any age, complaints can appear about blurred vision at different distances or curvature of objects.

• If your distance vision has decreased, this may indicate nearsightedness (myopia) and to improve the situation you need glasses with minus lenses.
• If your near vision has deteriorated, this may be a sign of hyperopia (farsightedness, including age-related), this situation is corrected with glasses with plus lenses.
• If objects or letters in text are curved, astigmatism may be suspected. This problem is solved with glasses with toric (astigmatic) lenses."

Preventive wearing of glasses

Sometimes glasses are recommended to prevent vision deterioration, even if there are no obvious symptoms. For example, when working on a computer, special glasses help reduce the strain on the eyes and prevent computer vision syndrome. For people who read a lot or work with small details, glasses can help avoid eye strain. For those over 40, reading glasses are often recommended to prevent the development of presbyopia.

"Many people believe that they do not have 'vision problems', even if their vision is 10-20% of normal, and they drive a car. In this case, they are 'dangerous to themselves and others'. Another situation with children - if you do not use glasses, the brain switches off the worse eye ('so it does not interfere') and amblyopia ('lazy eye') develops. That is, the eye as an organ stops working, its visual acuity is irreparably reduced with the subsequent development of strabismus," warns Dmitry Sagonenko.

Exercises and Routines to Maintain Vision

There are also eye exercises and routines that can help maintain healthy vision. One is the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes of computer work, take a 20-second break by looking at an object 6 meters (20 feet) away. Eye exercises that include eye rolling, focusing on near and far objects, blinking, and closing your eyes are also helpful. It is important to take frequent short breaks when working on a computer or reading for long periods. Work in well-lit areas, avoiding both excessively bright and dim lighting. A healthy diet rich in vitamins A, C, and E, as well as adequate water intake, contribute to healthy eyes.

"The surest way to prevent vision deterioration is to follow a visual load regimen, rest your eyes while working at a computer, and take daily walks in the fresh air. Also, today everyone is recommended to regularly use moisturizing eye drops at least once a day, as this is an excellent way to prevent and eliminate dry eye syndrome," advises Alexander Kuskov, an ophthalmologist at the Ya Viudi eye microsurgery clinic (St. Petersburg).

Elena Nam clarifies: "In general, with good vision, when there is emmetropia, the eyes train themselves physiologically and safely. It is important to understand that eye exercises do not correct refractive error. With the help of some exercises, you can only temporarily improve the functional state of the eyes. For example, train the performance of the ocular accommodative muscle when it is weak using the 'mark on the glass' exercise. The essence of the exercise: changing the focus of the gaze - either on a small mark on the window glass, or on a distant object outside the window."

A timely visit to an ophthalmologist and compliance with preventive measures can significantly improve the quality of life and help avoid the need for glasses. Taking care of your vision is not only correcting existing problems, but also preventing them.