Do I need glasses?

[Ordinary_me]

Hey, I was just wondering if I need glasses, based on a few symptoms:
1, I get eye strain headaches quite often. Some times during the day, not everyday, but I do almost every night. I've heard this could be because my eyes don't focus properly, and eyes get worn out over the day?

2, I used to be able to read for hours on end with no problem, but now if I read for two long, my eyes will ache anywhere from very to little, to the point that I need to take pain killers and close my eyes.

3, This one mostly happens whilst using a computer, reading, browsing, playing games, or whatever. My eyes, (seemingly randomly) will completely lose focus, or I'll go cross-eyed. Oddly enough, I don't usually realize for a second or two. Then after a moment, I re-focus, and get back to whatever I was doing.

4, Some times at night, I'll have trouble focusing on things. Usually things moderately far away, like things down / across the street. But sometimes closer. I usually only have this problem a couple of times a week, so I don't know if it's a huge issue.

That's pretty much it. Eye strain, problems reading, and problems focusing.

Also, I have no optic insurance, so how much does your average eye exam cost?

Thanks in Advance.

[Ordinary_me]

Hm?
Blank post?

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

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[Ordinary_me]

Okay, I'm looking at eye conditions, and Strabismus (esotropia) and far sightedness sound like they could be my problem.

One symptom was "Eyes that appear crossed" - (I have often thought my eyes looked partially crossed in a mirror, but never thought it was a problem.

Strabismus is caused by a weak eye muscle or a weak signal from the nerve that controls the eye muscle. Frequently, uncorrected farsightedness and focusing problems are the underlying causes of strabismus.
Accommodative esotropia: An inward turning eye that occurs because the eye is attempting to compensate for uncorrected farsightedness or a focusing disorder.

I just keep finding things that could apply to me...

Astigmatism

Skipping lines or losing your place while reading can be a sign of a vision problem. Often, astigmatism or an eye muscle problem such as strabismus is to blame.
Patients with astigmatism often feel tired after reading and find that letters and words appear to be slanted. Squinting and tilting the head seems to improve vision distortion caused by astigmatism.

I actually tilt my head while standing quite often, not conciously, it's just something I do without thinking about it. Also, My friends joke about me looking asian because I squint all the time.

It's so confusing... I'm not sure how I can talk my mom into taking me for an exam. She's convinced that nothing is wrong.

[JodieJ]

If you have medical insurance (like Blue Cross), it will cover most of the cost of an eye exam if done by an ophthalmologist (but not an optometrist)--even if you don't have eye care insurance.  My portion of an exam comes to about $35 plus my 10% co-pay.  (The amount covered by my insurance is way more than Dr. Hagan's estimate.)

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

Yes you need an exam. Average cost exam $55-105 dollars. Find a nearby eye MD at www.aao.org

JCH MD