Signs You Need An Eye Exam

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Did you know that African American individuals ages 20 to 39 should get a complete eye exam every two to four years? And those 65 and up should receive one every one to two years? How are you keeping up with those numbers? If you need to look in the mirror in shame for a second, go ahead. If you have a hard time fully making out your reflection in that mirror, it could most definitely be time for an eye exam (or to clean that mirror—get some Windex, girl). It’s so easy to take our eyesight for granted. We can get caught up only focusing on things that affect our mortality, such as our blood pressure and heart health. But if your vision goes, or at least deteriorates, you’ll experience a drastic decrease in quality of life, and that’s nothing to blink at. Here are signs it’s time for an eye exam.

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You need to sit closer to the movie screen

Slowly but surely, you’ve needed to move one row closer to the screen at the movie theaters, every time you go to the movies. When you watch something at home, you move your chair closer and closer to the screen.

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You’re adjusting your laptop view a lot

You used to be able to read websites at their actual size, just fine. But lately, you’ve needed to adjust the view size (zooming in or out), as well as the brightness, a little more, each time you use your computer.

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You can’t see street signs until it’s too late

You often miss your turn because you can’t read the street sign for the street on which you have to turn until you’re already at the intersection.

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You’ve used the wrong spice too many times

You’ve accidentally grabbed the chili flakes instead of the chocolate shavings one too many times and ruined your dish. But at a glance, you couldn’t discern the difference between these items.

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You back up your phone to see who is calling

You can’t just pick up your phone right away. You have to either hold it very far from your face, or very close to your face, to first see who is calling, and then answer.

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You have floaters

Those little squigglies that pop up in your field of vision sometimes—they look like little luminescent worms squiggling across your eyeballs. If you see these regularly, you definitely need to get your eyes checked.

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Your eyes feel tired after reading

After only reading for a short time, your eyes feel very strained. You often find that your face is right up against the paper, or you’re holding the book far, far away from yourself, to read it, too.

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You have regular headaches

When you don’t have 20/20 vision and do not wear the proper eyewear to adjust your vision, the constant straining you have to do can cause regular headaches.

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You have diabetes

If you have diabetes, it is especially important that you go in for regular eye exams and you may need to go in more frequently than non-diabetics.

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People ask if you have something in your eye

People often ask if you have something in your eye, or if you’re confused about something because you squint or blink a lot during a conversation. You’re just trying to see.

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You’re very sensitive to light

You usually feel that rooms, and the outdoors, are too bright. You’ve asked people, “Is it very bright in here?” and they’ve said, “Not really…Seems normal.”

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Your family has a history of glaucoma

If your family has a history of glaucoma, it’s very important that you stay on top of eye exams. Primary open-angle glaucoma—the most common type of glaucoma—is hereditary.

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You struggle to look at something that’s moving

Keeping an eye on a moving target—like your dog chasing a ball across the lawn, or a tennis ball shooting over the net—makes you feel nauseous.

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Night driving makes you nervous

You leave places early, so as to not have to drive at night, and often try to talk someone else into take the wheel after sundown.

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You ask people to read signs for you, and it scares them

You’ve asked someone to read a sign for you, and the fact that you couldn’t see it yourself really alarmed them.

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Signs You Need an Eye Exam: When to Check Your Vision