New eyeglasses - third time's the charm...or not?
September 17, 2014 4:54 PM   Subscribe

The new eyeglasses saga somewhat continues. Thought the third time would be the charm... seems like that doesn't ring true for this situation.

This is actually my third question bordering on the saga of getting my new eyeglasses. Questions one and two had a lot of helpful answers (and I incorporated some suggestions, such as asking the optician about certain scenarios). To sum it up for those not wanting to go through the entire saga, reader's digest version: got new eyeglasses and frames - am myopic and has a certain amount of astigamation. First pair of glasses had too strong a RX, slanted perception (very slanted, to the point where it was hard walking in a straight line). Second pair, on my left eye, had too weak a RX, but the right was just fine.

Now, third pair. Ahhhh. It's much better, and an improvement. I'll give it that much. However, several things still are bothering me.

a) The shell I have (it's a glossy finish, as I recently discovered) has different color hues that's not immediately seen in daylight/light, but when I am using my computer in a dark room (with the computer screen the only source of light), or watching TV in a dark room, the light 'enters' the frame (which is semi-rimless) and reflects the light, causing a major distraction. This gets on my nerves, big time. Any ideas or solutions to make this work? I asked the optician if she recommended nail-polishing the frame, but she said that wasn't recommended, and she mentioned that the 'glossy-ness' of the frame would eventually wear off. This isn't workable, though. Any ideas how to fix it, or at least work around it somehow so it's not as jarring? (the frame is a Modo dtort, 3032, titanium, if that helps.)

2) Both RX's in both eyes are great! I can see in a longer distance now. Yay. That part's all good. The problem? I'm still experiencing slant-ness, although to a lesser extent. I've discovered when I put my glasses up further on my nose, the slant-ey effect reduces somehow. It may just be a simple case of adjusting the frame, but it's still a bit annoying. Rooms in my house do not appear to be slanted, but outside does.

3) Sometimes when looking at text on my computer/iPhone, text appears a bit 'furry'/out of focus. The odd thing is, this is sporadic. Sometimes, text is crystal clear. Sometimes, it's a bit out of focus. This happens regardless of where the frame is perched - adjusting the frame doesn't make a difference. I know it's not my eyes, because I tested with my old glasses, and text is consistently crystal clear.

Additionally, when I look around the room/quickly turn my head, it takes a second or so for my eyes to "focus" - it's kind of like using a camera and moving the camera around, if that makes sense. This did not happen with my old glasses, for what I can remember.

I'm not sure if all this is part of the normal adjusting process, or if the eyeglasses are STILL not the ideal fit for me. It's been ~36 hours (got the glasses on Monday, but subtracting sleep, etc).

This has been frustrating for me - I've already used up three questions on this! And I don't want to have to 'bother' the optometrist again. Yes, I know rebuilding eyeglasses is built in the cost, it's my right as a customer, etc., but it's also annoying on my end - having to wait a week or so, adjusting the glasses again, etc. I just want this solved.

The basic question I'm asking is - is what I described normal when adjusting to new lenses/frames? Is it a symptom of something potentially still off with my lens? I definitely don't remember waiting this long to fully adjust to my new lens when I got them two and an half years ago.

Many thanks! And, yes, I know YANMD. If I forgot to mention something, I'll add it in the comments.
posted by dubious_dude to Health & Fitness (7 answers total)
 
The adjustment period for a new Rx should be about a week tops and with none of the extreme issues with focus or slanting effects you mention, just a sense of your eyes getting used to the new normal. The effect with refraction from the frame may be fixable with polishing to make it dull on the inner edge, but maybe not- you might have to live with that part. Your optician is really reaallllyy bad though if they can't get it right on the third try. You need to be reexamined, you need to have the pupil distance and the astigmatism correction double checked. My money is on one or both being wrong. Your optician may not be competent enough to get it right, and I would start talking full refund on the lens and take your frame somewhere better
posted by slow graffiti at 5:20 PM on September 17, 2014


You can ask them to buff the edge of the lens to help reduce reflection. Sorry. Hassle. Moving the glasses closer is effectively reducing your rx and making them closer to your previous/comfortable old shoes one.
posted by lawliet at 5:52 PM on September 17, 2014


It's been ~36 hours

10 days. I'd give it 10 days. Some of us are slower adapters than others.
posted by DarlingBri at 6:02 PM on September 17, 2014 [1 favorite]


Response by poster: Not to threadsit, but to clarify... sorry! The reflection/distraction is from the frame itself - that's what I was referring to in #1. The lens are not causing reflections at all - it's the frame, due to the color hues passing through the frame and reflecting light in narrow, dark spaces with only one source of light (TV/computer in a dark room). The lens do not have any issues with reflections. I hope that clears up #1.

And, as for the text, it's really weird how text appears crystal clear/fuzzy - kind of like the lens are having issues focusing. I'm not sure if that's part of adjusting or not.

I remember I was able to adjust just fine within ~24 hours in 2012, and this is a small RX change over the older RX.
posted by dubious_dude at 6:06 PM on September 17, 2014


I've discovered when I put my glasses up further on my nose, the slant-ey effect reduces somehow. It may just be a simple case of adjusting the frame, but it's still a bit annoying

I have similar issues and have commented here before regarding the optician (not eye doctor) solution I now use and how that's worked out for me.

My story is basically that a large part of my eye issues went undiagnosed, despite being obvious in retrospect (I thought it was normal for the glasses I was perscribed for nearsightedness to make me see double, I shit you not) until I was 20 or so. Prisms were the solution, but they're tricky to get right, if you ever *really* do get them right...

The doctor who finally spotted this in my exam warned me that I'd likely go through a few sets of lenses whilst my eyes adjusted, and fought with, his efforts to write a working script for my vision correction. At one point early on he even specifically said, and I quote, "We will likely need to iterate though prescription strengths for your prisms as your eyes will tend to 'eat' the prism." Another really useful way of putting things was that he said my untreated vision issues could be causing a myriad of things, up to and including headaches and irritability, because 'my eyes should be doing the aligning of the objects, but wasn't so my brain was having to pick up the slack, that along with squinting or head tilting.'

I eventually, and in short order, went through 3 sets of different scripts/lenses and as many weeks of headaches and damn near immobility due to motion sickness as the glasses and my eyes fought a nuclear war with me getting all the fallout.

But I'm rambling... to the point, which I think may have something to do with the glasses being unfavorably aligned on your face and nose.

i'd recommended you find a optician you can trust and look into frames, and specifically temples, that may help address the issue of keeping your glasses aligned and in place on your nose. I'm currently wearing some Shuron Ronsir frames with the Relaxo wire hook temple. Be aware, that style of temple isn't common these days so you'll likely have to hunt for it, or have your optician do the same. Not to mention that wearing it takes some getting used to. By that I mean it puts pressure on a place that's not used to being pressured, so it hurts at times. But eventually it becomes bearable, then totally unnoticed.

My situation, needs, and preferences simply doesn't allow for normal or aviator (ha!) style temples. I'll never wear anything else and since lasik isn't an option, nor contacts, that means I'm stuck with them for good.

Good luck.
posted by RolandOfEld at 10:16 PM on September 17, 2014


Oh, they do make a thingymabob that can transform a normal glasses frame temple into a cable style temple. Asking for it at the local doctor's offices might prove useful or snagging them online to DIY or take in to have the office staff do it for you. I know they work for wire frame style glasses but have no idea if they'd work for thicker/plastic frames.

I just bring that up in case you're stuck with your current frames but actually did want to try the other temple style. Beware, the conversion is permanent due to the fact that they'll need to snip the end off the existing temples as a matter of course.

I've had both (temples built as cable style and the conversions tips put onto metal frames) and don't recall much functional difference. The rubber pulled hair a bit more than the metal twisty kind, which admittedly didn't pull hair as much but when it did it would pluck instead of pull, but I was always told that heat shrink tubing would solve any issues with the latter plucking me. I never tried it because it's simply not enough of a problem to futz with.
posted by RolandOfEld at 10:28 PM on September 17, 2014


Response by poster: Just a small update that I've finally decided to go back to the previous provider. I am in the process of getting a refund from the provider I was working with (Visual Health) and will have an exam with the other provider next week. Here's to hoping it'll finally work out. Sometimes, sadly, the third time isn't the charm!
posted by dubious_dude at 9:43 PM on September 25, 2014


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