Are you noticing changes in your vision? It is very common for an individual’s vision to change over time. These changes can range from beginning to need help with reading, which usually occurs in a person’s fourth decade of life, to potentially blinding conditions such as macular degeneration or glaucoma.
It is vital that you know the reason your vision is changing. If your vision changes as a result of a disease or disorder, delaying your eye exam could have severe and permanent consequences. A common and dangerous misconception is that if you are seeing well then you don’t need to have an eye exam. Many eye diseases have no early warning symptoms or cause any early changes to your vision. An oculo-visual assessment by a licensed professional is the only way to truly know if your eyes are in fact healthy. And healthy eyes are the key to maintaining good site throughout life. On the other hand, if your vision changes are not due to an eye-health related issue, maximizing your vision can go a long way to improving your quality of life and productivity: you won’t struggle to read the newspaper/computer screen, no more squinting to recognize faces or see road signs as you travel. It is important to note that an optometrist just doesn’t aim for 20/20 vision, but rather clear, comfortable binocular vision.
Here are some important facts to remember about vision:
- 1 in 4 school-aged children has a vision problem that affects their ability to learn.
- 80% of learning involves vision.
- 1 in 3 adults over 40 has a vision problem.
- Myopia (nearsightedness) is reaching epidemic proportions.
- 50% of people with glaucoma are unaware they have this sight-threatening condition and are therefore not receiving much needed and timely treatment.
It is not uncommon for people who would benefit from vision correction to not even be aware of it. They have become accustomed to substandard vision as has slowly declined over time.
10 Signs You May Need Glasses:
If you have any of the signs listed below, you may benefit from corrective lenses, either in the form of eye glasses or contact lenses. They are for general information only. The only way to know for sure is by visiting an eye care professional for an eye health and vision examination. If any vision change occurs suddenly or over a very short period of time, having an eye health exam as soon as possible is strongly recommended.
- Discomfort or blurred vision reading or working on a computer
- Decreasing confidence associated with night driving
- Taking longer to change focus after prolonged reading
- Doubled or shadowed vision
- Bothered by glare and/or seeing halos around lights
- Trouble adjusting from light to dark surroundings or vice versa
- Pain above or behind the eyes
- Squinting, frequent eye rubbing, closing one eye, or tilting your head to see better
- Changes to your perception of color
- Frequent headaches that come on as the day progresses
If you have any of these symptoms, please call Dr. Sciberras’ eye care office today to book your comprehensive eye and vision exam. We can help improve your sight, provide options for your vision correction, treat any underlying medical conditions and give you peace of mind.
If eye glasses are recommended for your vision needs, we also have a wide selection of eyeglasses and frames to choose from.
Our Mississauga eye care clinic is easily accessed by public transit and conveniently located minutes from highways 401, 403 and QEW. We accept all emergency appointments and are available evenings and Saturdays as well.
