For many people it can be confusing as to whether they actually need glasses or are simply suffering from very slight vision loss. Knowing some of the most important signs to look out for when it comes to vision loss can make all the difference in helping you decide whether glasses might be a good idea for you. In keeping with this, we thought it would be a good idea to outline the symptoms you need to look out for and the common vision problems that can arise if your eyes are left untreated.
Symptoms
Your vision will inevitably change as you age. However, not every change you will identify with your vision is completely abnormal. Things such as needing more light, or trouble differentiating between certain colour palettes, are considered normal and would not require glasses. There are times though when a vision change can signify something serious.
Symptoms will be more prevalent for some than for others but are worth checking out all the same. Symptoms can vary but below we have shown you what to look out for:
- Trouble driving at night or seeing
- Double/blurred vision
- Fuzziness that leads to objects not being clearly defined
- Squinting
- Headaches
- Eyestrain
- Distortion of vision
- Objects can have ‘halos’ or ‘auras’ around them in bright light
Common visual problems
Nearsightedness
Also known as myopia, nearsightedness happens when an individual can see nearby objects with clarity but when objects are further away, they become blurry. An individual might have issues with clearly making people out on television. A child with myopia might have trouble with reading chalk or writing on the whiteboard at home.
Farsightedness
Also known as hyperopia, objects that are further away tend to be clearer, while objects that are closer can be more blurry. This can happen when an eyeball is too short, or alternatively when the cornea itself is shaped abnormally.
Astigmatism
With astigmatism, light does not get evenly distributed onto the area of the eye known as the retina, so images can consequently appear stretched out or blurry. However, not everyone afflicted with astigmatism gets distortion of vision. This is also a condition that can get progressively worse with age, and so while most people will have some kind of mild astigmatism with age, those with a significant form of astigmatism may require glasses.
Presbyopia
Presbyopia is characterised by the eye gradually losing the ability to focus on objects that are nearby. This is a condition that will affect everyone during the natural aging process, and so they are a sure-fire sign that glasses are needed. As we age, the eye is inevitably not as flexible as it once was. When it’s unable to flex in the same way as it did before, focusing on objects that are nearby becomes more and more difficult. This is also why many people need reading glasses or bifocals as they grow older, and so can be extremely important to identify.
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