How often should you have an eye test?
Most adults need an eye test every two years, and some people need one every year. See the recommended schedule by age and the signs you should go sooner.
5 min read
The See Better blog
Clear answers about your eyes.
Plain-language answers to the questions South Africans ask most about eye tests, glasses, children's vision and eye health, from the See Better mobile optometry team in Gauteng.
Eye tests
What an eye test involves, what it costs and how often you need one.
How much does an eye test cost in South Africa?
What an eye test costs in South Africa in 2026, what is included, how medical aid pays, and what See Better charges for an eye test at home in Gauteng.
5 min read
What happens during an eye test? A step-by-step guide
A step-by-step guide to an eye test, from the first questions to your prescription: how long it takes, whether it hurts, what to bring and more.
5 min read
10 signs you need glasses
Squinting, headaches, blurry road signs and tired eyes are common signs you may need glasses. Here are ten to watch for and what to do if you recognise them.
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Eye test at home: how a mobile optometrist works in Gauteng
How an eye test at home works in Gauteng, who it suits, what it costs and which areas See Better covers in Johannesburg, Pretoria and the East Rand.
5 min read
How to read your glasses prescription
What SPH, CYL, AXIS, ADD, PD and the plus and minus signs on your glasses prescription mean, with a worked example you can compare with your own.
4 min read
What does 6/6 (20/20) vision mean?
6/6 vision is the metric version of 20/20. Find out what the two numbers mean, how 6/6, 6/9 and 6/12 compare, and why 6/6 does not always mean perfect eyesight.
4 min read
Optometrist, ophthalmologist or optician: who should you see?
The difference between an optometrist, an ophthalmologist and a dispensing optician in South Africa, who to see for what, and how to check registration.
4 min read
Does medical aid cover eye tests and glasses in South Africa?
How optical benefits work on South African medical aids: what is usually covered, the 24-month cycle, frame limits, co-payments and what to ask.
5 min read
Glasses and lenses
Choosing lenses, coatings and frames, and looking after them.
Single vision, bifocal or multifocal lenses: which do you need?
The difference between single vision, bifocal and multifocal lenses, who each type suits, what they cost and how to choose the right lenses for your glasses.
4 min read
How long does it take to get used to new glasses?
New glasses can cause headaches, dizziness or a fishbowl effect for a few days. How long adjusting takes, tips for multifocals and when to go back.
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The best glasses for your face shape
How to work out your face shape and choose glasses frames that suit it. Frame styles for oval, round, square, heart and oblong faces, plus a free virtual try-on.
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Do blue light glasses really work?
What the research says about blue light glasses for eye strain, sleep and eye health, why screens make your eyes tired, and what actually helps.
5 min read
Is anti-glare coating worth it on glasses?
What an anti-glare (anti-reflective) coating does, who benefits most, its downsides, how to look after it, and how it differs from tints and polarised lenses.
4 min read
Photochromic or tinted lenses: which is better?
How photochromic (light-adjusting) lenses compare with fixed tints and prescription sunglasses, including in the car and in the South African heat.
4 min read
How to clean your glasses properly
The right way to clean glasses without scratching them, what never to use on your lenses, how to care for coatings, and whether scratches can be removed.
4 min read
What strength reading glasses do I need?
A reading glasses strength guide by age, how to test which power suits you, the limits of ready-made readers, and when you need a proper eye test instead.
4 min read
How often should you replace your glasses?
Most people replace their glasses every two years. The signs yours are due, how long lenses and frames last, and when to reuse your old frame.
5 min read
Contact lenses or glasses: which is better for you?
Contact lenses and glasses compared on comfort, cost, convenience and eye health, with the safety rules for contacts and how to decide which suits your life.
5 min read
Children's vision
Spotting vision problems early, from the first eye test to the school years.
When should a child have their first eye test?
When to have your child's eyes tested, from babies to school age, what a children's eye test involves, and why a school screening is not the same as a full test.
5 min read
12 signs your child may need glasses
Squinting, sitting close to the TV, headaches and falling marks can all mean a child needs glasses. Twelve signs to watch for, and what to do next.
5 min read
Short-sightedness (myopia) in children: causes and how to slow it
Why more children are becoming short-sighted, the signs to look for, why myopia matters for long-term eye health, and the proven ways to slow it down.
5 min read
Screen time and children's eyes: what parents should know
How screens affect children's eyes, recommended screen time by age, the signs of digital eye strain in children and simple habits that protect their vision.
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Lazy eye (amblyopia): signs, causes and treatment
What a lazy eye is, why it is so often missed, how it differs from a squint, and how glasses, patching and eye drops treat it in children.
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Can poor eyesight affect your child's school performance?
How undetected vision problems affect reading, concentration and marks, the signs teachers and parents notice, and why a school screening can miss them.
5 min read
Eye conditions
Common eye problems explained: what they are, what helps and when to get help.
Short-sighted or long-sighted: what is the difference?
Short-sightedness (myopia) and long-sightedness (hyperopia) compared: what each feels like, what causes it, the prescription signs and how it is corrected.
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What is astigmatism? Symptoms, causes and correction
Astigmatism in plain language: what it is, the symptoms, what causes it, what CYL and AXIS mean on your prescription and how it is corrected.
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Why is it harder to read up close after 40? Presbyopia explained
Presbyopia is the normal loss of near focus that starts in your 40s. The signs, why it happens, how it progresses and your options for clear reading.
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Dry eyes: causes, symptoms and how to get relief
Why your eyes feel dry, gritty, burning or watery, the most common causes of dry eye, the treatments that work at home, and when to see an optometrist.
5 min read
Eye floaters and flashes: when should you worry?
What causes floaters and flashes in your vision, why most are harmless, and the warning signs of a retinal tear or detachment that need same-day care.
5 min read
Cataracts: early symptoms, causes and treatment
The early symptoms of cataracts, what causes them, how they are diagnosed, when surgery is needed and what you can do to slow them down.
5 min read
Glaucoma: symptoms, risk factors and how it is tested
Why glaucoma is called the silent thief of sight, who is most at risk, the symptoms of the sudden type that is an emergency, and how it is tested.
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Diabetes and your eyes: how to protect your sight
How diabetes affects the eyes, the symptoms of diabetic retinopathy, why yearly eye checks matter even when you see well, and how to protect your sight.
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Pink eye (conjunctivitis): symptoms, treatment and how long it lasts
How to tell viral, bacterial and allergic pink eye apart, how to treat conjunctivitis at home, how long it stays contagious and when a red eye needs a doctor.
5 min read
Itchy eyes: is it an allergy, and what helps?
Why your eyes itch, how to tell an eye allergy from dry eye or an infection, what triggers hay fever eyes in South Africa and the treatments that bring relief.
5 min read
Why is my eye twitching? Causes and how to stop it
The common causes of a twitching eyelid, from stress and tiredness to caffeine and eye strain, how to stop it, and the rare signs that need a doctor.
4 min read
Why is my vision suddenly blurry? Causes and when it is urgent
The causes of sudden blurry vision, from dry eyes and migraine to stroke and retinal detachment, how to tell what is urgent and what to do right now.
5 min read
Can poor eyesight cause headaches?
How to tell whether your headaches come from your eyes, which vision problems cause them, when glasses help and the warning signs that need a doctor.
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Stye on your eyelid: causes, treatment and how to get rid of it
What a stye is, how to treat it at home with warm compresses, how long it lasts, the difference between a stye and a chalazion, and when to see a doctor.
5 min read
Macular degeneration: early signs, risk factors and treatment
The early signs of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), dry versus wet AMD, who is at risk, how to check your vision at home and how it is treated.
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Eye emergencies: when to get help straight away
Which eye symptoms are emergencies, what to do in the first minutes after a chemical splash or injury, what not to do, and where to go in South Africa.
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Colour blindness: types, tests and living with it
What colour blindness is, the main types, how adults and children are tested, what it means for school, work and driving, and whether glasses help.
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Everyday eye care
Screens, sun, food and habits that keep your eyes comfortable.
Digital eye strain and the 20-20-20 rule
The symptoms and causes of digital eye strain, how the 20-20-20 rule works, how to set up your screen, and when tired eyes mean you need an eye test.
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The best foods for healthy eyes
Which foods support your eyes, from spinach and morogo to pilchards and butternut, whether carrots really help you see, and who needs eye supplements.
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Sun and your eyes: how to choose sunglasses that really protect
How the South African sun damages eyes, what UV400 means, polarised versus UV protection, whether cheap sunglasses are safe, and how to protect children's eyes.
5 min read
Can you improve your eyesight naturally?
An honest look at eye exercises, diets and pinhole glasses: what the evidence says, what does not work and what really protects your vision.
6 min read
Driving, work and seniors
Eye tests for your licence, your workplace and older family members.
The eye test for your driver's licence in South Africa
The vision standard for a South African driver's licence, what the eye test checks, how to use an optometrist's certificate, and what happens if you fail.
6 min read
Trouble seeing when driving at night? Causes and fixes
Why headlights dazzle and road signs blur at night, the eye conditions behind poor night vision, practical fixes that work and whether night driving glasses help.
5 min read
Eye testing at work: a guide to corporate eye screening days
Why Gauteng employers bring eye tests to the workplace, how an on-site testing day runs, what it costs, and how medical aid and privacy work.
5 min read
Eye tests for elderly parents at home
Why older people need yearly eye tests, the signs that a parent's sight is failing, and how a home eye test works for seniors, including with dementia.
6 min read