What Do You Need to Know About Your New Glasses?

Every adult should get a complete eye exam by age 40, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO). Whether you already need corrective lenses or your first exam reveals the need for them, getting used to new glasses isn't always easy. Take a look at what you need to know about your new prescription and adjusting to it.

A different adjustment period is needed for different types of lenses. The most common lenses that eyeglasses wearers need include single-vision and multifocal. Single-vision glasses are just what the name implies. These glasses change one aspect of your vision - either nearsightedness or farsightedness.

While single-vision glasses typically come with a short adjustment period, multifocal lenses may take longer. These glasses, again like the name implies, have multiple corrections in each lens. These include:

• Bifocals. The bottom half of bifocals helps you to see near (for reading), and the top corrects your vision for distance viewing.
• Trifocals. Trifocals helps you to see near, at intermediate or middle distances, and far.
• Progressives. Progressive lenses allow you to see both near and far, without a dividing line.

The different areas of vision in multifocal lenses are often challenging to adjust to. It may take one to two weeks for your eyes to get used to the division lines or transition.

If you don't wear your new glasses, your eyes won't have time to adjust to them. This doesn't mean you have to force yourself to wear the lenses 24-7 or push through the headaches, dizziness, and minor discomfort that can accompany the adjustment. Start with a few hours a day. Take breaks as needed if possible.

Gradually build up to wearing your new glasses all day long. While this strategy can work for people who don't need to wear their glasses constantly, it's not advisable for anyone who needs corrective lenses to drive, work, operate machinery, or do anything similar. If you can't go through your normal daily activities without glasses, talk to the optometrist about alternative ways to overcome the adjustment.

You've tried to make the adjustment. You've waited, watched, and expected your vision to change. But it's not happening. Why can't your eyes adjust to your new prescription - even after weeks of trying?

It's possible the prescription is off. Even though it can take several days to fully adjust to your new glasses, you shouldn't feel uncomfortable (or like you have distorted vision) for more than two weeks.

Contact your vision professional to verify the prescription. The eye doctor may need to reevaluate your vision or make slight changes.

Sometimes the lenses have very little to do with this adjustment. Moving from small, sleek wire frames to chunkier plastic ones may make you more aware of your glasses. You may feel your glasses differently on your face or see the edges of the frame while you're wearing them.

Like any other sensory change, this one takes time. You may need to change the positioning of the glasses on your face or ask the optometrist to make the adjustments for you.

Along with minor physical discomfort, new frames can slightly change the way you see out of your old prescription. If your prescription hasn't changed but the frames have, you may need an adjustment period. Again, this shouldn't last longer than two weeks. Failure to adjust within this time-frame requires a trip back to the eye doctor or optometrist.

Do you need a new prescription or new glasses? Contact Hummel Eye Associates for more information.