How Long Does My Eye Prescription Last?

You will usually receive a copy of your prescription when you get a new pair of contact or eyeglasses. You will notice that the eye doctor includes an expiration date on the prescription. The expiration date is the last date the eye doctor recommends you use the prescription to get prescriptive eyewear. 

Eyewear prescriptions usually change over time as your eyes change. When you are growing up, the eyes experience the most change, and vision usually stabilizes at about 18 years old. However, your eyesight may still get worse over time but at a much slower rate. Prescription expiry dates are a way to keep track of these slow changes.

So how long does an eyewear prescription last? Read on to learn more about this and more about prescriptions.

The Law

Eyewear has been experiencing great evolution for the past few decades. More brands are coming up, and style and fashion influence what type of glasses you wear. Also, there are many new ways and many more providers from whom you can purchase eyewear. 

A few decades ago, the only place you could purchase glasses was the eye doctor's office. The glasses had little variation and were not much of a fashion statement. Also, eyewear prescriptions would last up to five years. Since then, the expiration date for prescriptions has significantly reduced. 

The government wanted people to have more accurate prescriptions, reducing the time between exams. They implemented laws to ensure patients got their prescriptions after shorter periods. Also, eye doctors were mandated to provide their patients with their prescriptions after the exams. 

The government also outlaws any optician from providing eyewear to a patient using an expired prescription. They will usually ask you to get an updated prescription before they give you any lenses. 

Why Do Prescriptions Have Expiry Dates?

As mentioned above, our eyes keep changing over time, and often, our eyesight becomes worse. Prescriptions are just a way to ensure you have the best vision at every point in your life. It helps make sure you can navigate the world effectively. 

Good eyesight is important for most of the activities we do daily. Moreover, eyewear not functioning correctly can cause unwanted side effects.

What Happens When You Use Outdated Eyewear?

You will notice a few things happening when your prescription is no longer active. You may not notice it in your vision per se because the change is gradual. However, you will experience specific side effects like:

• Eye fatigue

• Double vision

• Squinting

• Sensitivity to light

• Headaches

• Nausea

• Eyestrain

• Blurred vision

When you experience these symptoms, it is time to update your prescription. Also, because some of these are symptoms of other eye conditions, it would be best to get an eye exam. 

How Long Does an Eye Wear Prescription Last?

Contact lenses and eyeglass prescriptions usually have different validity. Eyeglass prescriptions normally have a maximum of two years’ validity. But if your eyesight worsens faster than normal, you will have a shorter expiry period. When this is the case, eyeglass prescriptions will last only a year. On the other hand, contact lens prescriptions all have a one-year expiry date.

For more on how long eye prescriptions last, call Brandon Eyes in Wisconsin. Call 608) 833-7256 for Middleton or (608) 833-0301 for Madison.