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How Bad Is It Really? sets the record straight on all the habits and behaviors you’ve heard might be unhealthy.
Your trusty old glasses are still going strong. Problem is, you've had them for a long time, and you haven't visited the eye doc in a while. You're not even really sure if you're wearing the right Rx anymore. But, they're fine in a pinch, right?
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Listen, you and a whole bunch of other people are doing this right now. Totally understandable that it's just easier to pop on an old pair.
"It's very common for people to wear glasses or contacts with an out-of-date prescription," Carol Alexander, OD, doctor of optometry and fellow of the American Academy of Optometry, tells LIVESTRONG.com.
Why? Mostly it has to do with stalling on or skipping your eye exam.
How Often Should You Update Your Glasses Prescription?
There are many reasons for an eye exam, including looking at your eye health, but this visit will also check your current eye prescription. The American Optometric Association recommends getting this exam every two years for those ages 18 to 64 and then annually after age 65 (it's common to have eye problems as you age).
If you're at risk (for instance, you have a high refractive error or certain health conditions), then you'll need to make this an annual appointment.
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Unfortunately, only half of adults in the U.S. at high risk for vision loss had an eye exam in the past year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
3 Effects of Wearing the Wrong Prescription Glasses
1. You Could Delay a Health Diagnosis
Think you'll just know if you need a new Rx? Well, it's not always apparent, especially to the untrained eye. (Yours.) Sometimes between visits, your vision won't change much at all. There's also the chance that it's changing slowly but you don't notice, Dr. Alexander says.
"In this case, wearing the out-of-date prescription may delay the diagnosis or detection of eye or health problems," she adds.
Diabetes, some cancers, autoimmune conditions, high blood pressure and cholesterol, and heart disease are among the many conditions your eye exam can detect, notes the American Academy of Ophthalmology.
What's more, you can miss out on eye disease itself — many, such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of vision loss, can progress slowly, notes the National Eye Institute.
Eyes also have a way of compensating, so you don't know if you have a problem until it's at an advanced stage and there's irreversible vision loss.
2. Your Eyes Will Suffer
Beyond larger health risks, your vision may suffer from an old Rx. Wearing an expired eyeglass prescription can cause the following, Dr. Alexander says:
- Eye strain
- Dry eye
- Fatigue
- Headaches
Besides being uncomfortable, all of these can affect your performance at work.
3. You May Put Yourself at Risk for Injury
At worst, not seeing clearly can make you more prone to injury, from falls if you trip over something to a car accident, Dr. Alexander says.
