Most adults are fairly familiar with the signs that a child needs to see the eye doctor. If they struggle to see the chalkboard, sit really close to the TV, and bring books really close to their face to read, they probably need an exam. But for some reason, those same adults tend to put off their own eye exam appointments. The longer you wait, the worse eye problems tend to get. So, if you're an adult who experiences any of the following issues, make that call and schedule your eye exam ASAP.

Needing to Squint to See

It's not normal for adults to have to quint to see. It's easy to rationalize this and think that you're fine since you're still able to see clearly if you squint, but actually, this is a sign of vision loss. It will only be a matter of time before you're not able to see clearly even when you do squint, and it's wise to figure out what's going on before then.

Frequent Headaches

There are many possible causes of frequent headaches. You may be allergic to something in your home. You could also have an ongoing sinus infection. However, if your doctor has ruled out these and other possible causes, there is a pretty good chance your headaches are due to a loss of vision. Without even realizing it, you may be straining to see things, and that could be causing irritation to our optic nerves and the related nerves in your head, leading to headaches. A pair of glasses should clear things up quickly.

Eye Fatigue

If your visual acuity is waning, then your eyes are going to have to work harder to do their job. This is going to make your eyes feel tired. You may find that you're having to close and rest your eyes partway through the day. You may also feel like your eyes are swollen, irritated, and don't want to stay open. The more close-up visual work you are doing, the faster this eye fatigue will creep in. For example, on days when you start staring at a screen at 8 am, your eyes may feel tired by noon. On other days, your eyes may not feel tired until 4 pm.

If you experience any of the issues above, contact a local eye doctor and schedule an eye exam. There's a good chance you need glasses or contacts.