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Problems Adjusting to New Glasses
Timothy wrote:
Hello, I went to see an optometrist because I was having some blurred vision mostly at night time. My optometrist diagnosed it as an astigmatism. I Was prescribed eyeglasses. I have worn them two nights in a row at work and my eyes dont seem to be adjusting to the prescription.. I find my vision is mostly unchanged, I still have blurred vision.. I'm not sure what to do..thanks.
Dr Carol Doman's response:
Hi Timothy,
Anytime you get a new pair of glasses there is an adaptation period, which is the time it takes to get used to the new glasses. Depending on the person, the type of the prescription and the amount of change to the prescription this can take as little as a day or two or as much as 2-3 weeks. My recommendation would be to wear your new glasses full time for the first few weeks to allow your eyes to adjust to the new prescription. Once you feel comfortable with the new prescription you should then be okay to just wear them part time. However some people feel prefer to wear the glasses all the time as they like seeing things clearer with the new glasses. If you have worn the glasses for a few weeks without any improvement it is best to return to where you purchased the glasses to ensure that there is no problem with how the glasses were made. I hope this helps and good luck with your new glasses.
Dr. Doman
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Re: Eye Drops Prior to an Eye Exam
Bill wrote:
I just had a eye exam done. First they put the eye drops in. I was in the waiting room reading a magazine. After about 20 minutes, I could not read up close because my vision was getting blurry. It was somewhat blurry looking far away also. Shortly after, they started the eye exam. They did not find anything wrong inside my eyes. When they were checking for my prescription, I told her that my vision was still blurry from the eye drops. She said it does not matter for the eye test. She wrote my perscription. I got my new glasses a week later. One eye is blurred, the other is sharp. My old glasses were better than the new ones. My question is: Do I wear my new glasses to adapt to the new prescription? Or should I get a second opinion on the prescription? I really believe the eye drops they used influenced and caused an invalid prescription. I believe the prescription should be checked first, then they should have put in the eye drop.
Do you agree with this?
Dr Carol Doman's response:
Bill,
It is common practice to instil eye drops and check for the glasses prescription shortly after. Generally the eye drops will not affect the prescription. Depending on your age and the type of drops used this can be done very successfully. Under age 40 certain drops can affect the prescription somewhat, but usually this would not be a significant difference. With any new prescription it will take time to adapt. This can take anywhere from 2-4 weeks. The first step in solving your problem would be to return to where you purchased your glasses to make sure everything is in order with the glasses (they were made to the proper specifications) and to see if adjusting how the frame is fitting on your face will make a difference. In many cases this will solve the problem. If after having this done and wearing them for a significant amount of time to adapt to the new prescription you are still having a problem, I would suggest returning to the original Optometrist to have your prescription rechecked. When we determine a prescription for glasses it is not an exact science and we can find slightly different answers from day to day. Having your prescription rechecked and finding the numbers to be slightly different, doesn’t necessarily mean that the first numbers weren’t correct. That being said sometimes the numbers do need to be tweaked. I hope by the time you read this that you have already adapted to your new glasses!
Dr. Doman
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Re: Barrel Distortion with New Lenses
Kelly wrote:
Dear Doctor, I am experiencing barrel distortion with my new frames and progressive lenses. When I scan from side to side, looking at a flat surface, the surface warps and teeter-totters. The last time I changed my lenses and frames two years ago, I got the barrel distortion looking out of the top of my lenses, such that the roofs of houses, or tops of fences looked warped as I scanned by them. This time, I have got progressive lenses for the first time and the barrel distortion is apparent only when I am looking through the middle to bottom of the lenses. A few questions if you are willing: 1)I have Multiple Sclerosis . Does this make me more likely to see barrel distortion? I have balance problems and vertigo from the M.S., which makes this barrel distortion really hard to cope with. 2) I was 43 years old the first time that new frames and lenses ever gave me this problem. Is seeing barrel distortion age related? (Incidently, the first time I got this problem, my frame size was being downsized. Presently, my frame size has been upsized to accomodate the progressive prescription ) 3) Are progressive lenses more likely to cause this problem than regular lenses? My optition has never encountered anyone like me before and right away was talking about giving up on the progressive lenses. Is that the solution? 4) If my brain can adjust, then what is the longest time I should give this? 5) I have got the most expensive Digital Freeform Progressive lenses, 1.6 index plastic thin and the base curve kept the same as the last two lense changes. Is there anything better than Digital Freeform Brand? 6) My prescription is OD -4.50/-0.75 x 110 + 1.25 PD:61.00 OS: -5.75 Sph + 1.25. Does this problem have anything to do with my prescription? Thank so much for your Q&A website. This is a very disabling problem and it is good to have the availability of a second opinion. Kelly
Dr. Virginia Donati's response:
Thank you for your questions, Kelly.
To answer them respectively:
I am not aware of MS being more likely to cause spectacle-distortion.
Increasing age does not increase the likelihood of spectacle-distortion.
It is common for patients to describe unusual visual disturbances when adjusting to progressive lenses for the first time, but not barrel distortion specifically, and you mentioned that you had experienced this distortion in your previous pair of glasses (before the progressives). With that in mind, I would not say that it is fair to blame the progressives.
Although you have a moderate amount of near-sightedness, I would not say that you have a complicated prescription. I highly doubt that it is to blame.
Keeping the base curves constant is a great idea, as is using a digital lens.
My best guess (without seeing you) would be that it has something to do with your frame-choice, or something to do with the fit of the frame. Check to make sure that the frame is not warped in such a way that it “wraps” around your temples. Ask your optometrist to ensure that the lenses are centered correctly to your pupils, and that the frames sit correctly on your face. I would also recommend that you ask your optometrist to verify that the lenses themselves are not warped.
I hope you find an answer to this frustration condition soon!
Dr. Donati
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