Key Takeaways
- Tired, achy eyes by mid-afternoon may point back to an outdated glasses prescription.
- Our team can help you find glasses that fit your face and lifestyle.
- Heavy frames, slipping bridges, and tilted lenses can add pressure and contribute to eye strain.
- Anti-reflective coating, clean lenses, and screen breaks help you stay comfortable.
- Healthy adults are generally recommended to have an eye exam every 1–2 years, but your eye doctor can recommend a more specific schedule.
You put on your glasses when you first wake up, breeze through the morning, and then sometime during your afternoon meeting, your eyes start to burn. You rub your temples and drink some water, but nothing seems to help. Our team at CHROMA modern Eyewear Eyecare knows it’s easy to assume you’ve just had a long week, but it may actually be something more.
Yes, your glasses can leave your eyes red and tired, usually when the prescription is outdated, the lenses sit in the wrong spot, or the frames don’t fit your face the way they should. The good news is each one of those has a fix, and your eye doctor can assess what may be happening during a comprehensive eye exam.
Signs and Symptoms to Watch For
If your glasses prescription is outdated, your eyes may be trying to tell you. Though everyone experiences eye strain differently, it may be worth booking an eye exam if you notice:
- Tired, achy eyes by mid-afternoon
- Headaches or vision changes that seem to come and go
- Needing to squint to see objects near or far away
What Normal Adjustment Feels Like.
It’s normal to experience a bit of strain as you get used to a new pair of glasses. But strain that’s still with you after several weeks isn’t part of a normal adjustment process. Neither is squinting at street signs, lingering distortion, or headaches that show up like clockwork every evening.
Everyone settles in differently, but if you experience persistent or worsening eye strain after getting new glasses, the first step is to speak with one of our trained opticians. They can check that your prescription and measurements are correct. If necessary, a prescription re-check can be scheduled with one of our doctors to assess the accuracy of your prescription and make sure all your concerns are addressed.
How Frame Fit Affects Eye Comfort
Sometimes eye strain can be caused by factors outside of the prescription. Frames sit on your face all day, so fit plays a big role in eye comfort. If your glasses are too heavy, slide down your face, or tilt without you realizing it, that can all contribute to eye strain.
Our team can adjust your glasses in-office, and a few small tweaks can really make a difference in your comfort. If you find heavy frames very uncomfortable, lightweight materials such as titanium and acetate can help take the load off. A proper adjustment also helps keep everything sitting level and where it belongs.
Why Lens Position Matters
Your eyes should sit centered in the lens for you to see the way the prescription intended. Frame size plays into it too, since a wider or taller frame changes the shape and curve of the lens being cut for you. Those measurements are the difference between glasses you forget you’re wearing and glasses you can’t wait to take off.
Lens Coatings
The lens itself can make a difference in your comfort. An anti-reflective coating cuts glare bouncing off your monitor and the overhead lights, which takes real pressure off your eyes during screen-heavy days.
Scratches play a bigger role than many people realize. A lens dulled by fine scratches or a film of smudges makes your eyes fight for focus every second you look through it, adding to strain. That’s why an anti-scratch coating can be so helpful.
Simple Habits to Ease Eye Strain at Home
If you’re managing eye strain, there are a few simple habits you can try while you wait for your eye exam. Here are a few things to try:
- Try the 20-20-20 rule: Every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds.
- Match your screen’s lighting to the lighting in your room so you’re not dealing with extra glare.
- Clean your lenses daily with a proper cloth and spray.
When an Eye Exam and Custom Frames Make the Difference
Eye exams give your eye doctor a chance to assess the overall health of your eyes. Not only can they update your prescription, but they can assess your internal eye health to detect any changes early, when there are often more management options available.
We personalize all our eye exams to you. We’ll talk about how you spend your time, from work to hobbies, so that we can get an accurate picture of what eye care options could work for you. From there, the measurements get taken with care, and designer frames are matched to your face shape and lifestyle.
That’s the heart of personalized eye care, and it’s what sets our approach apart from something pulled off a rack. Our team can fine-tune your frames over time, because faces change, glasses shift, and small adjustments keep comfort where it started. It’s one of the reasons to buy glasses from your optometrist.
Schedule Your Eye Exam
Comfortable glasses shouldn’t be a luxury, they should be a given. If yours leave your eyes tired by mid-afternoon, our team at CHROMA modern Eyewear Eyecare can review your prescription, fit, and lenses to figure out what’s going on. Schedule your exam and see what a properly fitted pair feels like.
