New glasses often feel weird due to your brain adjusting to a different way of seeing. Your eyes and brain have become accustomed to the old prescription or lack thereof, and the new lenses present a shifted visual experience.
Common Reasons for Feeling Weird with New Glasses:
Several factors can contribute to the initial discomfort when wearing new glasses.
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New Prescription: If your prescription has significantly changed, your brain needs time to adapt to the corrected vision. This adjustment can lead to:
- Eye Strain: Your eye muscles might be working harder to focus due to the new prescription.
- Headaches: The change in visual input can trigger headaches as your brain attempts to process the new information.
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Lens Type and Design: Different lens types and designs can also cause initial disorientation.
- Progressive Lenses (No-Line Bifocals): These lenses require precise head movements and eye coordination to find the correct focus points for different distances. This can result in a "swimming" sensation or blurred vision in the periphery until you adapt.
- High Index Lenses: These thinner, lighter lenses are often used for strong prescriptions. Although beneficial, they can sometimes introduce slight peripheral distortions.
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Frame Adjustment: The fit of your new frames also plays a crucial role.
- Incorrect Pupilary Distance (PD): If the distance between the optical centers of the lenses doesn't align with your PD, it can cause eye strain and blurred vision.
- Improper Frame Alignment: Frames that sit crookedly or too far from your face can distort your vision and cause discomfort.
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Astigmatism Correction: If your new glasses correct for astigmatism, you may experience spatial distortion or a "warped" view, especially with cylindrical corrections. Your brain needs to remap the visual field to accommodate the new way of seeing.
Symptoms of Adjustment:
The feeling of "weirdness" can manifest in several ways, including:
- Blurred vision, especially at the edges of the lenses ("fishbowl effect").
- Eye strain and fatigue.
- Headaches.
- Dizziness or nausea.
- Depth perception issues.
- A feeling that objects are closer or farther away than they actually are.
- Light sensitivity
How to Adapt to New Glasses:
- Wear them consistently: The more you wear your new glasses, the faster your brain will adjust. Try to wear them all day, every day, unless otherwise instructed by your eye doctor.
- Give it time: Most people adapt to new glasses within a few days to a couple of weeks.
- Avoid switching back and forth: Constantly switching between your old and new glasses can prolong the adjustment period.
- Consult your eye doctor: If your symptoms persist beyond two weeks, or if you experience severe discomfort, consult your eye doctor. They can check the accuracy of your prescription and the fit of your frames. They can also rule out any underlying eye conditions.
- Practice focusing: Try focusing on objects at different distances to help your eyes adjust.
- Clean your lenses regularly: Smudges and dirt can exacerbate visual distortions.
- Be patient! Adjusting to new glasses takes time and effort.
