Are Your Prescription Glasses Giving You Headaches?
If you're getting regular headaches and wear prescription glasses but can't pin down where the headaches are coming from, you may want to investigate whether your glasses are the problem. There are various reasons why your lens prescription might give you headaches, all of which are typically easily fixed.
Are You Using a New Prescription?
If you've recently had an eye test, you may have been told that the prescription on your lenses needs changing. In some cases, you may have been told that you need to wear prescription glasses for the first time. In either case, your eyes don't necessarily immediately adapt to new prescription glasses. Even if you've worn glasses for years without headache problems, your eyes may take some time to get used to using new prescription lenses.
During the time it takes for your eyes to settle down to using your new glasses, you may suffer from headaches caused by slight eye strain. Typically, this should settle down in a day or two.
Tip: While taking off your new glasses may relieve your headaches, it's important to wear them as you should. For example, if you need to wear glasses all the time, wear them all the time; if you only use glasses for reading and driving, wear them then. Your eyes will adapt much more quickly if they are forced to see through the lenses. This should reduce the amount of time your headaches occur.
If your headaches don't improve after a couple of days, it's worth going back to your optician to have your prescription checked out.
Do You Need an Eye Test?
If you aren't using a new prescription and have been using your glasses without any issues since your last eye test, you may want to check out whether you are due for an eye test. If you haven't had one for a while, it may be worth making an appointment. Your eyes can change between check ups; if the change is significant, your prescription may be putting additional strain on your eyes. This may be the cause of your headaches.
For example, your eyes may strain to focus if your prescription glasses are too weak for your needs. Plus, in some cases, eyes improve over time. Prescriptions that are too strong may also hurt your eyes. If you are using the wrong prescription, switching to a more appropriate one should sort out your headaches.
Your optician should be able to assess if your prescription glasses are causing your headaches. If your optician can't find any problems with your lenses and can't see any other underlying cause with your vision, you may be advised to visit your doctor to investigate your headaches further.
