How Often Do You Need to Replace Your Glasses and Contact Lenses?

Imagine this scenario:

You’re a regular prescription glasses or contact lenses wearer.  Without these vision-assistance devices, you won’t be able to see very well.

But one day, when you wake up and slip on your glasses or your contacts, you find your vision not being corrected at all!

Well, don’t panic. If you put them on correctly and nothing is happening, it might just mean you need to have them replaced by your optometrist in NZ.

Let’s dive further into this topic and let’s discover how often you need to have your eye correction devices or tools replaced, as well as the factors that would make you need to change them.

So… how often should I have my glasses or contact lenses changed?

Glasses have different replacement factors from contact lenses.

Contact lenses

There are four different kinds of contacts, but here’s a spoiler: none of them will last for more than a month! 

• Daily disposable lenses. Daily disposable lenses, or dailies for short, require replacement every single day. You might find them more expensive at first, since you’re going to have to buy 365 a year if you think about it, especially if you plan to wear contacts forever. But do consider that you’ll have to buy less stuff for contacts maintenance like cases and solutions. 
• One/two-week disposable lenses. As the name suggests, they can be worn longer than dailies. However, these contacts need to be taken out and stored in contact lens solution every night. And yes, you have to replace them after one or two weeks. 
• Monthly disposable lenses. These are lenses that you can keep for a monthly basis and then replace after. Like the one or two week disposables, make sure to store them in solution nightly. Do not leave them in your eyes and sleep, or risk getting eye damage or infection. 
• Overnight contact lenses. These lenses are special in that they can be kept in your eyes overnight. Replacements for these can vary from weekly to monthly.

Eyeglasses

You might have heard that you should have your glasses changed every year. Or two years, or even three. 

Some would say that their eye doctor in Auckland told them to come back after five years.

So what’s the real correct answer There’s no hard and fast rule about this, even if, say, the best optometrist in Albany gives his or her time frame recommendation. If your vision is still the same even after, say, 10 years, then there’s no real reason to change anything. 

That’s also especially if your glasses are still in very good condition.

Aside from time, are there other factors that would make me replace my glasses or contacts?

While those we talked above are the general guidelines, there can be other factors that can cause you to have your prescription eye wear or contacts changed or replaced. Let’s take a look at them.

Your vision is not being corrected.

We’ve already mentioned this in the intro. If you’re wearing your glasses or contacts already but you’re not seeing well or your vision is not what you’re used to, it’s time for a replacement.

You should take note of this especially as you get older and get nearer forty years of age. Make sure to visit your optometrist in North Shore, Auckland or wherever you are located to have your eyes checked. The sooner you find out if you need new glasses or contacts the better. 

Signs that you’re going to need better vision assistance (despite you already wearing your glasses or contacts) include the following:

• You find yourself sitting too close to the television because you still can’t see what’s going on.
• You read by holding a book very close to your face. You also find yourself losing your place a lot while reading.
• Speaking of reading, you need to use a finger to follow what you’re reading.
• You start squinting at objects or tilting your head as if trying to see things clearer.
• You’re rubbing your eyes more and blinking rapidly because you can’t see very well.
• Your eyes are becoming sensitive to light, making you tear up.
• You find that you’re closing an eye to see and do things easier.
• Headaches keep coming to you.

Something got damaged.

Let’s say you’re wearing glasses, then suddenly you tripped and fell. And what happened was that you happened to fall on, say, some rocks, and one is particularly sharp. Your head falls on one of those sharp rocks, and it hits one of your glasses, cracking it.

Okay, that’s a very extreme example, but it can happen, right? Let’s focus on the fact that you have damaged glasses. That means you won’t be able to see as well - and that means you need to have your glasses replaced.

The same goes if for example, your glasses got bent or one of the temples breaks. You can try to repair it with duct tape or something, but it’s not going to be as good. Plus, the tape will make your glasses sit uncomfortably uneven on your head, making you dizzy.

Just go for the replacement so you’ll be much comfortable.

As for contacts, well, what kind of damage can you expect? It’s rare but since contacts are soft, you could make a mistake and rip one up accidentally. And it will be a mistake to wear one as it can permanently damage your eye.

Wear a new one instead for your sake.

You lost your corrective eyewear.

This is a given. If you can’t see without your glasses, don’t go stumbling around and wait for your vision to become normal, yeah? Buy a new pair.

Contacts are easier to manage, since if you lose one, you can just buy another, but like with glasses, don’t delay buying new contacts if necessary.

There is new lens technology.

Everything is always being updated, and that includes eye technology. If there are new developments that can help protect your eyes and make your vision clearer (and if you can afford it), go for it! 

Plus, there are some upgrades you might be able to use, like blue light protection, if, say, you’re in front of a computer all the time. Ask your optometrist what would be helpful.

Need glasses or contact lens replacement?

If you’re in Auckland needing new glasses or contact lenses, look no further than us at NVision Eyecare. We’re an independent optometry practice offering general and specialty eye care using state-of-the-art technology. We also offer more specialized eye care services.

That only means that if you need anything for your eyes, you can expect nothing but the best from us!

When you come in, you can rest assured that before we tell you to buy anything, we will thoroughly examine your eyes and give you our best recommendations. Any NVision optometrist you encounter during your visit will only give you the finest service - that’s a guarantee.

We’re at Suite 104 at the Apollo Health & Wellness Centre. Call us at 09-884-0034 or fill out this form to set an appointment.

We look forward to serving you soon!