Prescription eyeglasses are designed to help you see more clearly and comfortably. If you’re still experiencing discomfort or vision issues despite wearing your glasses, there may be other factors at play—such as lens damage, eye strain, or changes in lighting or screen use. If those possibilities have been ruled out, it may be time to consider whether your prescription is incorrect. Typically, an incorrect prescription is the last troubleshooting step after other causes have been explored.
The wrong glasses prescription can cause uncomfortable symptoms such as eye strain, blurry vision, and headaches. Children in particular require an accurate prescription because wearing the wrong lenses can lead to the acceleration of nearsightedness.
If you think you need an updated prescription, visit your optometrist for an eye exam.
What Happens if You Wear the Wrong Glasses Prescription
Eyeglasses are designed to correct refractive errors, allowing people with conditions like nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism to see more comfortably and clearly. However, wearing glasses with an inaccurate prescription power can lead to bothersome symptoms.
Eye Strain & Dry Eye
An inaccurate measurement of the interpupillary distance (the distance between your pupils) can lead to eye strain. The wrong prescription may also contribute to dry eye. While dry eye is a common condition, severe and chronic dry eye may eventually lead to corneal scarring.
Blurry Vision
If your prescription is expired or inaccurate, your vision may be inadequately corrected, leading to blurry vision. This isn’t just annoying; it can pose a real safety concern. Blurry vision can also impact your performance at work or in any activity that requires clear vision.
Headaches
Because a new prescription takes time to adjust to, some people experience headaches when they first start wearing new glasses. It can take up to 2 weeks for your brain to fully adapt to the updated prescription. If you’re still experiencing headaches or discomfort after that period, it’s a good idea to return to your optometrist for troubleshooting.
At that point, an optician can check important details like lens measurements and frame alignment—often, a simple frame adjustment is all that’s needed to resolve the issue. Rechecking the prescription is typically the last step, as it’s the least common cause of persistent symptoms. In some cases, the prescription that felt best during the eye exam may not translate the same in the real world, and a slight tweak may be needed to improve comfort.
Worsening Nearsightedness & Amblyopia in Children
Eyeglasses may be undercorrected in very young children. But if your child is over 4 years of age and has myopia (nearsightedness), it’s important that they have an accurate prescription. Having the wrong prescription may make myopia progress faster in children.
Inaccurate prescriptions may also contribute to the development of amblyopia, also known as “lazy eye.” This condition is treatable if it’s detected early.
Poor Depth Perception
Accurate prescription eyewear can improve depth perception, which is your ability to see in three dimensions and judge distance. Therefore, if your prescription is inaccurate, your depth perception may be impacted. Having poor depth perception can be a safety concern as it can affect your ability to drive safely or cross the street.
Dizziness
The wrong prescription can affect your binocular vision, which can then cause you to feel dizzy. Binocular vision is your ability to use both eyes together to form one image. If this image gets distorted, you may feel disoriented and dizzy.
Missed Eye Exams
Having an expired glasses prescription may also mean that you haven’t visited your optometrist in a while.
Even if you think your current glasses are fine, it’s important to have regular eye exams, as many eye diseases don’t show obvious symptoms until they reach a more advanced and challenging stage. Eye exams identify systemic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and even some types of cancer in their early stages.
How to Choose the Right Prescription Glasses
Getting accurate prescription eyewear starts with visiting your optometrist for an eye exam.
The Importance of Regular Eye Exams
During a comprehensive eye exam, we’ll evaluate your current prescription. We’ll also assess your general eye health.
The Canadian Association of Optometrists (CAO) recommends the following eye exam frequencies:
- Infants: A first eye exam between 6 and 9 months of age
- Young children: At least 1 eye exam between the ages of 3 and 5
- Children and teens: Once a year
- Adults ages 10 to 64: Every two years
- Adults aged 65+: Once a year
Based on individual circumstances, you may need more frequent eye exams. We’ll let you know if that’s the case.
Consider Your Lifestyle
It’s also a good idea to discuss your work, hobbies, and recreational activities with your optometrist. We can recommend frame materials, specific lens design solutions and lens coatings based on your lifestyle and hobbies.
Understand Face Shapes & Styles
Finally, have fun shopping for new glasses! Understanding how face shapes can determine what shape of frame looks best is a good place to start. Visit our virtual try-on feature on our website to experiment with frame styles. Or, simply pay us a visit and try on different styles in person. No appointment needed.
Can I Buy Glasses Online?
Buying eyewear online can save you money, but be aware of the risks. Sellers don’t always verify prescriptions, and studies have shown 44.8% of eyewear ordered online failed at least one parameter of optical or impact testing. In addition, 28.6% were out of optical tolerance. Buying glasses from an optometry clinic is not only a more personalized experience, but you can trust that you will receive a quality product including accurate measurements and fitting.
Eye Exams & Eyewear in Woodstock, ON
Our team at Oxford Optometry is passionate about delivering comprehensive eye care to members of our community. We believe in empowering our patients through education, and we want to give each patient a thorough and comfortable experience when they visit our clinic.
We offer eye exams for children and adults, along with contact lens fittings. We also have a variety of brands and lenses to choose from.
Due for your next eye exam or in need of new prescription eyewear? Book an appointment at Oxford Optometry today.
