Adjusting To New Glasses
What happens when your vision doesn’t feel as good as it should in your new glasses?
Well, first of all, don’t panic!
Sometimes you just need to get used to the small differences between your old glasses and new glasses.
Small differences in the distance the lenses sit from your eyes, the angle of the lenses or how curved the lenses are can affect how light is projected onto the back of our eyes. This can cause changes in how we perceive the image of the world that we see, even if the new lenses are the same prescription as our old ones!
The good news is that the brain is amazing at adapting to new visual input and if the adjustment required is small, then you will adjust to your new glasses in a short period of time.
If you put the new glasses on and they feel dramatically wrong, or you are still struggling with the new pair after a few weeks, then you probably won’t adjust to them. In these cases, you will need to have your Optometrist troubleshoot the problem with you.
The steps involved for new glasses
There are many processes that go into providing you with a successful pair of glasses and if only one process is done incorrectly, then it is likely that the whole result will fail.
Your Optometrist will need to check over every part of the process to determine what is preventing you from wearing your glasses comfortably and to solve this issue for you.
The issue could lie in the lens design, the spectacle prescription, the spectacle measurements, an inappropriate frame selection, the lens materials, the lens coatings, the spectacle manufacture, or the spectacle adjustment.
Let us look at each of these areas separately
People assume that all lenses are created equal but that is like saying that a Suzuki Swift will perform to the same standard as a Porsche 911.
They are both cars, but which one will perform better? Will they have the same power, speed, agility, or handling? Will they provide the same overall driving experience?
There are many different lens designs available and if you have been given an older technology lens, then you may be driving the Suzuki Swift.
Designing a spectacle prescription is a complex process which relies in part on the responses from the patient. It is easy to get confused if you find it hard to tell the differences in the different lens presentations, if you are tired or if there is a communication breakdown, particularly if you are being rushed.
Sometimes people just see differently on different days. This is essential to recheck if you are struggling with your new glasses.
If the lenses are measured in the wrong spot, then you will be looking through the wrong part of the lenses. This will disrupt your binocular vision and cause distortion to your vision.
All lenses are not created equal, but neither are all spectacle frames.
The frame selection is an important part of getting your vision right. We have written a blog article about frame selection here
Some of the considerations into the frame selection we can help our clients in are:
- Do the frames have an appropriate lens area?
- Are the frames too big or too small?
- Do they sit on the right part of your nose?
- Are the frames too curved or not curved enough?
Lens technology is a key component
Some lens materials provide better optical quality than others
- The right lens coatings can significantly enhance the performance of the lenses.
- Are the lenses durable enough to resist scratching from normal wear and tear?
- Do they prevent reflections? AR coatings can be a game changer!
- Do they cut indoor or outdoor glare?
- Do the lenses cut blue light?
- Do the lenses protect your eyes from UV?
You can read more about lens technology here
Have the lenses been manufactured correctly?
The lenses could have been prescribed and measured correctly but manufactured to the wrong specifications.
The final area to check is the adjustment of the glasses. Are the glasses aligned so that your eyes are looking through the optical centre of the lenses? Are the lenses sitting too close or too far away from your eyes? Do the glasses sit on the nose and ears comfortably? Are the frames tilted or angled correctly?
Getting the right glasses is a complicated process and all of these processes need to be done correctly to give you the best result in your new glasses.
Over 80% of the information which we get from the world is visual, so if your glasses aren’t right, then this will have a significant impact on your ability to perform at your best.
You need an Optometrist who takes the time to get all of these individual steps right because big things are made of little things, and this is especially important in a precise field like Optics.
Come and visit us at Eyes by Design and experience Confident Vision for Life!
This article is intended to promote understanding of and knowledge about general eye health topics.
It should not be used as a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis or treatment.
Always seek the advice of your health care professional prior to incorporating this as part of your health regimen.
Dr Nicholas Altuneg
For over two decades, my greatest passion has been helping people of all ages live improved lives through better vision. At Eyes by Design, vision is so much more than being able to see clearly or read small letters from far away; it determines your perceptions and reactions every second of the day.
Read more about Dr Nick