New glasses can feel a bit different at first and that’s completely normal. Most people adapt quickly within a few days or up to two weeks. During this time, your eyes and brain are simply learning to work with a new prescription, clearer vision or an updated lens design.
Your new lenses are designed specifically for you, to help you see more clearly and comfortably. However, eyes adjust more quickly than brains do, so you may have to allow your brain a bit of time to adjust to the “new normal”. As such, here are some tips we have put together to help you through this period:
- Wearing your new glasses consistently and trying not to switch back to your old glasses often helps the adaptation process to go more smoothly.
- Moving around in your new glasses (assuming they aren’t dedicated reading glasses) can also really help, even though this can feel odd at first. Taking a walk or going shopping in your new glasses is often the quickest way to help the brain adapt.
- Children often adapt to glasses more quickly and easily than adults. Encouragement and consistent wear at home and at school can ease the transition. Positive reinforcement from parents often makes a big difference in helping children to feel confident with their new glasses.
First time with progressives brings its own challenges, but the benefits are absolutely worth the few weeks it takes to adapt. Most of us over a certain age are wearing progressive add lenses (PALs), which provide clear vision at multiple distances, and it’s normal for the eyes and brain to take a bit of time to adjust, especially with the first pair. Here our pointers for getting used to your first progressives:
- Pointing your nose toward what you want to see can help your vision feel more natural and after a bit of practice, finding the right viewing area becomes automatic.
- Take your time on stairs at first and lower your chin to focus further out when stepping down at first.
- You may have to adjust the distance and height of your computer screen and/or chair for clear vision and comfortable posture at your desk. Some patients using multiple screens for long stretches find dedicated computer progressives (optimized for screen use) are life changing and yet other patients find with minor adjustments that one pair of progressive lenses can do it all.
Our team at Pierce Family Vision wants you to feel happy with your new glasses! If you have concerns during the adjustment period, especially past 1-2 weeks, please reach out. We’re always happy to help, and sometimes a small adjustment can make a big difference. We are here for your best vision and comfort, now and in the future.
