Can Wearing Outdated Eyeglasses Or Contact Lenses Harm My Eyes?

Glasses and contacts can help you see clearly and can be essential for navigating your daily life. However, prescriptions tend to worsen overtime and your contacts or eyeglasses can become outdated overtime. For more information about the dangers of using eyewear with an outdated prescription, contact us at Richardson Eye Associates in Richardson, TX.

Is It Dangerous to Wear Outdated Eyeglasses or Contacts?

In short, yes. Wearing glasses or contacts in an expired or incorrect prescription strength can potentially cause harm to your eyes. Expired glasses and contacts may provide you with ineffective vision correction which can lead to eye problems. Additionally, old contacts and glasses can cause discomfort and blurry vision, as well as eye strain. Glasses can also deteriorate in quality, leading to a weakened structure or lenses full of scratches and glare. All of these things can go on to cause headaches, making the wearing of those eyeglasses or contacts nearly unbearable.

So, what can you do to prevent all of this?

How Do I Know If My Prescription Is Outdated?

It’s true that the prescription you receive when you visit an optometrist near you can expire and is required to be updated. Once your prescription expires, you must visit an eye doctor to receive a new one before you can purchase new glasses or contacts.

A good rule of thumb is that if it has been more than two years since your last visit, it may be time to schedule an appointment. A regular optometry visit can help ensure that your prescription is correct and track changes to your eyes over time. However, if you can’t remember the date of your last appointment or don’t have a physical copy of your prescription with the expiration date included, there are a few things to look out for. If your lenses appear warped, scratched, or discolored, or if you are having trouble seeing clearly while wearing them, it might be time to look for new ones.

The Potential Benefits of Regular Eye Exams

Wearing the correct eyeglasses or contact lenses prescription can help ensure that you see the world clearly. By attending regular eye exams, you can better stay on top of vision changes as they occur, potentially making it so that you never find yourself struggling to see due to poor vision correction. An exam can also help you keep track of changes to your vision such as how often your prescription changes and how much it changes, as well as any signs of eye diseases.

Get Eyeglasses and Optometry Care from an Optometrist Near You

If it’s time for your next eye exam, contact our team here at Richardson Eye Associates in Richardson, TX, today. We provide a wide range of services to help make sure that your eye health is the best it can be. Call us at (972) 231-3439 for eyeglasses and optometry care from an optometrist near you.