There are many ways that a person can get eyeglasses made for them in this day and age. You can order directly from a manufacturer, buy online, or go to your optometrist's office. However, if you're leaving your optometrist out of the equation, you might be setting yourself up for a problem. Here's why you should always consult with your optometrist when getting glasses.

Careful Crafting 

When your glasses are made, they need to have a series of measurements that are perfectly followed. These measurements not only determine how much correction your lenses need in order to provide you with proper vision, but they also measure how close or far apart your pupils are from each other. This is where light enters the eye, so your glasses' lens correction needs to get focused directly over your pupil.

When Things Go Wrong

The problem many people go through when they skip the optometrist's office is an incorrect prescription on their lenses.

There are two ways this can happen: your written prescription can be incorrect to begin with, and then your lenses are made following the wrong prescription. This sometimes happens when you have your vision check done at a drop-in clinic that online services are associated with.

Alternatively, it could be due to your own measurements. Most written prescriptions don't include a measurement of the space between the pupils, as this information is relayed directly from an optometrist when they order your new lenses. If you go without an optometrist, you have to measure your pupils yourself. It's easy to get this measurement wrong, especially if you don't have the help of a second person.

In either case, you can end up with a pair of lenses that are close to your prescription but not quite right. This can lead to eye strain, headaches, and mild difficulty seeing.

How Optometrist Helps

If you go with an optometrist, you can ensure that your prescription is correct the first time. Your optometrist will not only take all your measurements and relay them themselves, but they'll inspect your glasses when they come in. If the glasses don't meet the requirements of the prescription that they sent to the glasses manufacturer, they'll be sent back, and a new pair will be ordered for you.

There's no point in skimping and saving on vision care if you have to get it done repeatedly to get it done right. Make one visit to your optometrist and get the glasses you need to see clearly without headaches or eye strain.