How Often Should You Really Update Your Prescription?

There’s no single rule for how often you need a new prescription — it depends heavily on age, existing eye conditions, and how quickly your vision tends to change — but there are real signs worth paying attention to, and real risks in leaving it too long.

The general guidance

Most optometrists recommend an eye test every one to two years for healthy adults, with more frequent checks for children (whose eyes change quickly as they grow), people over 60, and anyone with diabetes, a family history of glaucoma, or an existing eye condition. These aren’t arbitrary numbers — they’re based on how quickly the relevant risks tend to develop and how much difference early detection makes.

Why “my vision feels fine” isn’t the full picture

Vision changes gradually enough that most people adjust without noticing — squinting a little more, holding a phone slightly further away, sitting a bit closer to the TV. None of that necessarily feels like a problem day to day. An eye test also checks for things that have nothing to do with how sharp your vision feels, including eye pressure, the health of the retina, and early signs of conditions that don’t announce themselves with blurry vision at all.

Signs it’s time to book one anyway

Headaches after screen time, difficulty adjusting between light and dark, noticeably more effort reading small text, or simply not remembering your last test are all reasonable prompts to book one. If you’re already wearing glasses, a prescription that’s a year or two old is also worth rechecking even if nothing feels obviously wrong — because “fine” and “correct” aren’t always the same thing, and the gap tends to close in gradually rather than announce itself.