How often does your eye prescription change?
Good news for those who wear glasses or contacts! Your eye prescription doesn't have to change as frequently as you might think. In fact, many people go years without any significant changes in their prescription. However, there are several factors that can impact the frequency of prescription changes, including age, eye health, and lifestyle habits.
How often does your eye prescription change?
As we grow older, our eyes naturally change and so can our prescription. But even in our golden years, many people still only need to update their prescription every couple of years. On the other hand, individuals with certain eye conditions may experience more frequent changes.
Additionally, lifestyle habits such as prolonged screen time, lack of sleep, and poor nutrition can also play a role in changing our prescription. By taking care of our eyes and following healthy habits, we can minimize the frequency of prescription changes and maintain clear vision for years to come.
Getting your eyes looked at yearly is absolutely your best bet. You may not end up with a prescription change each year- actually you probably wont. However the key to treating any diseases is a quick identification of it. Your probability for a favorable outcome is much higher when you catch it early. Straining your eyes will cause you more harm than good- it can even give you excess wrinkles and no one wants that!
What are normal results from an eye exam?
Normal results from an eye exam generally is having your eye health and vision maintain itself from year to year. People who continue to have 20/20 vision year after year and show no signs of disease or issues would be considered normal. On the other hand, those of us who do not have 20/20 vision but need glasses or contacts, will still be considered normal results with minor fluctuation in their prescription and still no signs of disease or issue.
Prescriptions can change with time and for some can even improve year over year. At Perich Eye, we think of this as ‘normal’. Sometimes people think that any change in prescription is immediate cause for concern, when that is not necessarily true. Yes, any change in vision should alert you to have a check up to be sure that something more serious isn’t happening but that is not an automatic trigger for something other than your vision changing.
As we age our vision can weaken, just like everything else in our bodies! Yearly eye check up make sure we can monitor your eyes to keep the healthy. To protect your vision, we recommend that you have a comprehensive dilated eye exam at least once a year. Lifestyle changes can help make a difference in not just your overall health but in protecting your vision as well.
Here are some tips we recommend to help maintain healthy vision, brain, and life:
Refrain from smoking. If you are a current smoker, we recommend that you get the support you need to help you quit,
Eat a healthy diet full of greens, vegetables, fruits and fresh fish,
Avoid red meat and pork,
Exercise, do yoga, and meditate,
Maintain a healthy weight,
Develop good strategies to reduce and deal with stress,
Monitor your blood pressure.
Using your body and brain while keeping it nourished is the ideal way to live for longevity. Prevention is always the best although it may feel like you don’t need to at times. That healthy happy state should be motivation to keep going rather than get lax.
What Happens at an Eye Exam?
An eye exam involves a series of tests to evaluate your vision and check for eye diseases. Our optometrists use the latest technologies to measure the health of your vision. Each test during an eye exam evaluates a different aspect of your vision or eye health. If additional procedures are required, our in-house ophthalmologists will save you additional trips to other clinics.
A routine eye exam is general done to see how your vision is doing and if you need an adjustment to your prescription, or potentially need a prescription if you are one of the fortunate people who have had great 20/20 vision most of your life. These exams take less time as we look to see how clear your natural vision is. Most of the time, a routine eye exam will take only 30 minutes or less. You will be able to see as normal after and can drive yourself home or back to work.
During a comprehensive eye check up, we will not only do the normal routine eye exam, but will also do more testing to see about potential diseases or issues. We will assess the overall health of your eyes and not just your natural ability to see things clearly. There can be variations to what is done in a comprehensive eye check up for different age groups, genders, and of course any concerns you may be having that you bring to your doctors attention.
Each test during an eye exam evaluates a different aspect of your vision or eye health. The comprehensive eye check up can take up to an hour and potentially longer depending on what is found during the testing. Commonly, the tests that occur in a comprehensive eye check up include dilating the pupils, depth perception test, pressure test, color blindness test, covering one eye at a time, and further glaucoma testing.
What should you do to prepare for an eye exam?
Do bring both your glasses and contacts! No matter how old your glasses or contacts are or if you rarely wear one or the other, it is important to bring them both with you. We will want to make sure they are both fitting you correctly. Also if you are a contacts wearer, we may need to do tests that your glasses would be more comfortable to leave wearing. You will likely need to take your contacts out for part of the exam, and as you know, sometimes those little buggers just don’t want to go in.
Do bring your insurance documents: Although we may have this on file, it is always a good idea to have the card or documents with you to ensure an easy checkout. It is also a good idea to bring a form of payment or two just incase something isn’t covered or you decide to get any additional items at the time.
Do drink plenty of water: Staying hydrated is always a must especially when living in Central Florida! Your body and your eyes run off the hydration and need it to function properly. Plus during the exam, your eyes can dry out more from the tests, so to be more comfortable have an extra glass of water before you come in.
Do write down any concerns you may have: Having a list written down will help you to remember what to ask about. It is very easy to go into any doctor and through the process of check in, waiting, and then testing forget something you wanted to address. We have all been there- driving home and thinking “oh darn! I forgot to ask them about…” We want to make sure you have the healthiest eyes possible and addressing what you have noticed in advance will help us help you best. Sometimes it’s hard to know that something more is going on from the surface so to speak. So Speak UP! We promise we won’t mind talking about it.
In short, the frequency of prescription changes can vary from person to person. But with proper eye care and a healthy lifestyle, you can go years without significant changes in your prescription. So, don't stress about needing to frequently update your glasses or contacts. Keep your eyes healthy, and your vision will thank you. If you haven’t had an exam in awhile or are due, feel free to contact any one of our Central Florida Perich Eye Centers to schedule an appointment today!
