How do you know if your prescription is too high?

Asked by: Jaron Rohan Sr.  |  Last update: December 16, 2025
Score: 4.1/5 (34 votes)

There are a few warning signs to look for if you think your glasses are too strong, including blurry vision, eye strain, headaches, dizziness and nausea, and problems with depth perception.

How do you know if your glasses prescription is too high?

One easy way to check if your prescription is too strong is to slightly move your glasses away from your eyes while looking at the distance. If your vision improves or at least remains the same, then the prescription is stronger than you actually need.

What is considered a high prescription?

Before we jump into what each section of how to read an eye prescription means, as a general rule, the higher the numbers on your prescription, the worse your eyesight is and the stronger your prescription will be to provide the necessary correction. Mild: -0.50 to -3. Moderate: -3.25 to -5.00. High: -5.25 to -10.

How can I tell if my glasses prescription is wrong?

You can tell if your glasses prescription is wrong if you experience blurry vision, headaches, eye strain, dizziness, or difficulty focusing. If these symptoms persist, it's best to consult an eye doctor.

What happens if you wear a higher prescription?

1. Eye Strain and Discomfort. Headaches: Wearing glasses with the wrong prescription can cause headaches due to the eyes exerting extra effort to compensate for the incorrect refractive errors. Persistent headaches may indicate the need for a prescription adjustment.

How do You Know Your Glasses Prescription is Wrong?

21 related questions found

How to tell if a prescription is too strong?

There are a few warning signs to look for if you think your glasses are too strong, including blurry vision, eye strain, headaches, dizziness and nausea, and problems with depth perception.

Can your eyes adjust to the wrong prescription?

Did you recently get new glasses or contacts? If so, you could experience blurriness as you adapt to your new lenses. This adjustment period can last for up to two weeks. You likely have the wrong prescription if the blurriness persists for over two weeks.

Can optometrists get your prescription wrong?

When an optometrist gives a wrong prescription, it can result in various problems. The new glasses or contact lenses might cause eye strain, leading to headaches, blurred vision, or dizziness. Multifocal lenses, in particular, can cause issues if incorrectly prescribed, as they correct vision at multiple distances.

Can wrong prescription glasses cause anxiety?

When your vision is misaligned, it can cause blurred or possibly double vision resulting in dizziness, imbalance with walking, and visual over-stimulation (such as crowds, carpet patterns, busy wallpaper, malls, high ceilings, freeway driving, etc.) resulting in feeling anxious and overwhelmed.

What is a bad eye prescription?

Mild: -0.50 to -3. Moderate: -3.25 to -5.00. High: -5.25 to -10. Extreme: greater than-10.

At what prescription should you wear glasses all the time?

20/200+: This means you have a significant vision issue. You will most likely need to wear glasses all the time. Your eye doctor may also recommend specific lenses to improve your overall sight.

How do I know if I'm legally blind?

In order to be legally blind, you must have a visual acuity of 20/200. This means that even with glasses or contacts, you can only read the first letter at the top of the Snellen Chart, if that.

What is a bad astigmatism number?

Between . 75 and 2 diopters is considered mild astigmatism. Between 2 and 4 diopters is moderate astigmatism, and 4 or more diopters is considered significant or “bad” astigmatism. Generally, eyes with 1.5 diopters of astigmatism or more require correction.

Is +1.75 a strong prescription?

A 1.75 prescription, whether -1.75 (shortsightedness) or +1.75 (farsightedness), indicates moderate vision impairment. Shortsightedness is when a person can see close things more easily than distant objects, while farsightedness is when a person can see distant things better than nearby objects.

Why do my glasses feel like the wrong prescription?

New eyeglasses commonly take 20 to 40 cumulative hours of wear before they feel normal. In the beginning, new glasses can alter your sense of space and make objects that are normally straight appear bowed. It can take longer to acclimate if you wear the glasses sporadically rather than for extended periods.

Can you lower your glasses prescription?

The short answer is yes, it is possible to wear lower prescription glasses. However, there are a few things you need to keep in mind to make sure that your vision is not compromised. In this article, we will take a comprehensive look at everything you need to know about wearing lower prescription glasses.

How to tell if your glasses prescription is too strong?

If one or both of your eyes are blurry or hazy, you may have a strong argument that your eyeglass prescription is too strong. Yes, you will likely need to check-in with your optometrist or ophthalmologist to be 100 percent sure.

What is anxiety eye strain?

Stress can cause the muscles in the eyes to become tense, constricting the blood vessels and leading to sore eyes and muscle spasms. Although the effects of stress and anxiety on the eyes are usually short-term, they may have long-term effects if they occur regularly.

How do I tell if my glasses prescription is wrong?

How Can You Tell If Your Prescription is Wrong?
  1. Eyestrain.
  2. Headaches.
  3. Neck pain.
  4. Dizziness.
  5. Double vision.
  6. Burning or itchy eyes.

What is the eyeglass rule?

The Federal Trade Commission enforces the Eyeglass Rule. It requires eye doctors – ophthalmologists and optometrists – to give patients a copy of their prescription, whether they ask for it or not and before offering to sell eyeglasses. It's the law.

What is the fishbowl effect on new glasses?

Fishbowl effect

This is when the images you see through your lenses seem to bend at the edges as if you were looking through a fishbowl at the world. Wearing your new glasses frequently will help you get used to them if you're having problems with the fishbowl effect or other things.

Why won't my eye doctor give me my PD?

Pupillary distance is mostly used for sizing your glasses. Your eye doctor might use PD to check parts of your vision or eye function, but it's not usually important for managing your vision treatment. That's why it's not on your prescription even though you need it when you're ordering glasses.

Can you sue a doctor for giving you the wrong prescription?

What Legal Action Can You Take Against a Doctor Who Prescribed the Wrong Medication? If your doctor prescribed the wrong medication, and the consequences of giving the wrong medication were that you were harmed, you may be able to sue the doctor for medical malpractice.

Can opticians get your prescription wrong?

Sometimes, your glasses prescription could be wrong due to inaccurate response during your eye exam (especially if you're experiencing eye fatigue). It could be due to human error from an incorrectly written prescription. It could also be because your prescription has changed over time.

How do you tell if you have eye strain?

Symptoms of eyestrain may include:
  1. Red, watery, irritated eyes.
  2. Tired, aching or heavy eyelids.
  3. Blurred vision and problems with focusing.
  4. Mild headache.
  5. Muscle spasms of the eye or eyelid.
  6. Inability to keep eyes open.