Can Wearing the Wrong Eyeglass Prescription Damage Your Eyes?

Patients sometimes ask us if wearing the wrong prescription or an old pair of glasses will damage their eyes.

People sometimes find themselves in this situation if they broke or lost their most recent pair of eyeglasses and need to wear the old ones, or they purchased eyewear online that wasn't made correctly. Sometimes, we even have patients who might be wearing someone else's glasses. 

While wearing the wrong prescription eyeglasses won't cause permanent damage to your eyes, it can certainly cause a range of visual discomfort issues. Here are some potential issues that can arise from wearing the wrong eyeglasses prescription:

Eyestrain and Fatigue:

The first and most common problem experienced by people who wear the wrong prescription glasses is eyestrain. This strain is caused by your eyes working overtime to compensate for the inaccurate correction. Prolonged eyestrain can lead to a condition called asthenopia, characterized by eye fatigue, blurred vision, headache, and difficulty focusing. These symptoms can significantly affect your productivity and overall quality of life.

Distorted Vision:

Another problem that can occur from wearing the wrong eyeglass prescription is distorted vision. The purpose of corrective lenses is to adjust the focus of light entering the eye to provide clear and sharp vision. When your eyeglasses carry the wrong prescription, this focus adjustment is off, causing a distorted, blurred or imprecise perception of the world around you. This can potentially interfere with routine tasks like reading, using the computer, or even walking and driving.

Nausea and Dizziness:

For some, wearing the wrong prescription can even induce feelings of nausea or dizziness. This is especially common with incorrect prescriptions for astigmatism - a condition where the cornea or lens of the eye has an irregular shape, causing blurred or distorted vision. The wrong lens power in these cases can skew your spatial perception, leading to imbalance, disorientation, and sometimes nausea.

How Often Should You Update Your Eyeglass Prescription?

At our practice, we firmly believe in the importance of maintaining up-to-date eyeglass prescriptions as a key component of optimal vision health. Changes in your vision can occur subtly and gradually over time, making it hard for you to notice until they begin to significantly affect your daily life. To safeguard against this, we recommend updating your eyeglass prescription every 1-2 years. This ensures your lenses always offer the clearest and most comfortable vision, tailored to your current needs. Regular updates optimize your visual acuity and provide an opportunity for routine eye health checks, allowing for early detection of any potential eye conditions. 

Final Thoughts on the Risks of Wearing Incorrect Prescription Eyeglasses

While it's true that wearing the wrong prescription eyeglasses isn't classified as 'dangerous' in the sense of causing permanent eye damage, it's certainly not a practice anyone should adopt. Though largely temporary, the consequences can cause considerable discomfort and inconvenience in daily life and, in some cases, can lead to risky situations like impaired driving.

The best thing you can do is to book regular eye check-ups with one of our qualified Helio optometrists. They can accurately measure your visual acuity and prescribe the correct lenses, providing clear, comfortable vision. After all, your eyes are the windows to the world - let's ensure your view is the best it can be!