Noticing that street signs look less sharp, small print feels harder to read, or your current glasses no longer seem quite right may mean your prescription has changed. Prescription changes are common, but your next eye exam is also an opportunity to understand why your vision feels different and make sure your eyes remain healthy.
 

At Palo Alto Eyes Optometry, we provide comprehensive eye exams for patients throughout Palo Alto. We look beyond whether you need stronger lenses and evaluate how your vision, eye health, and daily visual needs may have changed.
 

Why Do Glasses Prescriptions Change?

Your prescription can change at different stages of life. Children and teenagers may experience changes as their eyes grow, particularly when myopia, or nearsightedness, is progressing. Adults may notice shifts related to refractive changes, while people over 40 commonly begin experiencing presbyopia, which makes focusing at near more difficult.
 

Changes do not always happen equally in both eyes. Astigmatism, farsightedness, and nearsightedness can also shift over time.
 

Sometimes vision feels different even when the prescription has changed very little. Dry eye, prolonged screen use, focusing fatigue, or other eye health concerns can also affect visual clarity.
 

What Should You Ask at Your Eye Exam?

If your glasses are no longer providing the vision you expect, give us specific examples of what has changed. Helpful questions for your Palo Alto eye exam include:
 

• Has my prescription changed significantly since my last exam?

• Did both eyes change or only one?

• Could dry eye or another issue be affecting my visual clarity?

• Do I need different correction for reading or computer work?

• Would progressive, occupational, or another lens design better fit my routine?

• Is my prescription changing at a rate that needs closer monitoring?

• Are there any eye health findings that could be affecting my vision?
   

The more we know about how you use your eyes every day, the better we can match your prescription and eyewear to your needs.
 

Why Does a Comprehensive Eye Exam Matter?

A refraction determines the lens power needed to provide clearer vision, but a comprehensive eye exam evaluates more than your glasses prescription.
 

We also assess eye health and look for changes that may not cause obvious symptoms at first. Depending on your age, history, symptoms, and examination findings, additional testing may be appropriate.
 

Clear vision through a new prescription is important, but it does not automatically tell us everything about the health of your eyes.
 

Could Screen Time Be Affecting Your Vision?

Palo Alto patients often spend significant amounts of time working on computers, tablets, and phones. Prolonged near work can contribute to tired eyes, headaches, dryness, or temporary difficulty shifting focus between near and far distances.
 

These symptoms do not always mean your prescription has permanently changed.
 

Tell us whether blurry vision occurs mainly after long periods of computer work, later in the day, or during certain tasks. That information can help separate a true refractive change from other factors contributing to visual discomfort.
 

What if a Child’s Prescription Keeps Getting Stronger?

Repeated increases in a child's nearsighted prescription deserve closer attention. Regular single-vision glasses correct blurry distance vision, but they generally do not slow the underlying progression of myopia.
 

Palo Alto Eyes Optometry offers myopia management for appropriate children. If your child's prescription continues becoming stronger, we can discuss whether monitoring eye growth and considering myopia-control options may be appropriate.
 

Should You Wait Until Your Annual Exam?

You do not need to wait for your regularly scheduled visit if your vision changes unexpectedly.
 

Schedule an earlier evaluation if you develop persistent blurry vision, frequent headaches, new difficulty seeing at certain distances, or a noticeable difference between your eyes. Sudden vision loss, flashes of light, a rapid increase in floaters, or a curtain-like shadow in your vision requires prompt eye care.
 

If your glasses no longer provide the clear, comfortable vision you expect, contact Palo Alto Eyes Optometry at 540 University Ave., Suite 110, Palo Alto, CA 94301 by calling (650) 321-2015 to schedule a comprehensive eye exam.