Although people tend to not think about wearing glasses until they are older, it is estimated that half a million Canadians live with momentous vision loss which disrupts their day-to-day activities. It is important to keep up to date with eye exams, which means going once every one to three years to ensure your vision is as good as it can be. Even without going to the doctor immediately, there are a few different ways a person might be able to tell if prescription eyewear or contacts are a possibility.

1. Trouble Seeing at Night

One of the first signs many people experience when their vision starts becoming impaired is difficulty seeing at nighttime. This can be especially dangerous while driving at night, so it is important to get your eyes checked if you find yourself having trouble reading street signs or your vision seems blurry. Even if you do not need your glasses during the day, keeping your glasses in the car is a great reminder to not drive at night without them. 

2. Computer Vision Syndrome

In this day and age, many people spend hours a day staring at a phone or computer screen. This can cause intense strain on the eyes resulting in shoulder pain, blurred vision, dry eyes, and even headaches. Computer glasses have been created to help reduce the strain a computer puts on a person's eyes, bringing computer text into sharper focus. Dry eyes are generally a result of not blinking often enough, since people tend to blink more when they are having non-cyber communications with others.

3. Seeing Halos

Although seeing halos (or circles around a source of light) can be a normal reaction at night, it can also be a sign that you need to get your eyes checked. Cataracts, nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatisms are all causes of seeing halos around light sources. It can be difficult to know if seeing halos around bright lights is an ordinary response or if it's a sign of something more serious, so it is important to see an eye doctor if you are experiencing this issue.

4. Double Vision

Double vision occurs when a single object is seen twice. The objects are usually perceived to be identical and the sensation is caused by eyes which are unable to look in the same direction. If you are experiencing double vision, it is important to go see an orthoptist, or a doctor who can help with eye muscle control. Double vision occurs more commonly when a person is tired since fatigue makes it more difficult for a person to control their eye muscles.