Vision problems despite a new pair of glasses?

Your new glasses look stylish and fit you perfectly. The only problem: You still cannot see clearly. You may be wondering what might be wrong with them. How come your vision is not perfect despite your new glasses? Such vision problems have many different causes. The good news: Usually, the problem can be solved, and you can turn to your eye care professional for further assistance. 

Glasses were invented in order to allow people to acquire the perfect tool to counter-balance failing eyesight. Whether it’s for near-sightedness, far-sightedness or presbyopia – the right lens is now available for virtually any visual impairment. Obviously, if you get a new pair of glasses and you can’t see clearly with them right away, you might get quite frustrated.

However, there are many different reasons why you might have to go through this experience:

Whenever you get a brand new pair of glasses, you will have to get used to them. Some people only need a couple of days to get accustomed to new glasses, while others need up to two weeks. So it’s completely normal if you can only see the frame rim of your glasses when you first put them on. The reason for this lies in the brain’s visual center. It first needs to adapt to the new, greatly improved visual conditions. This also affects people who have been prescribed lenses with a different strength than before, or who have chosen new frames or a different type of glass. Therefore it is important to continue to wear your glasses consistently so that your eyes can adjust to them. 

It is only natural: Between the ages of 40 and 49, people’s vision begins to deteriorate and they will eventually need glasses. In a study of over 20,000 subjects, it was determined that close to 60% of all people who actually need glasses for the first time wait far too long before purchasing a visual aid. And after they have finally acquired glasses, their brain’s visual center also needs to adapt to the new conditions for the first time. This usually happens very quickly, though. Nearly all former non-eyeglass wearers wonder why they did not get a prescription for glasses sooner.

Valuable advice for people who already wear glasses and whose lens strength has increased dramatically (for example, due to a severe astigmatism or near-sightedness): Because of a long control distance, the brain center has to get used to the new visual impressions before you can enjoy comfortable and perfect vision again. So be patient with your new glasses. In general, an eye test every two years is recommended for anyone who already wears glasses.

Progressive lenses facilitate clear vision at all distances. The zones for different sight distances continuously blend into one another. This makes it possible to see every detail – both close-up and far away – clearly and without image jumps. The familiarization period can last up to three weeks. During that period, be sure to wear your glasses at all times. Familiarization is especially difficult for older people if in their field of vision the differences between the near and far ranges are great.

A tip from the experts:  If you are experiencing problems, start by wearing your new glasses only while seated. Slowly adjust to your new progressives by wearing them as you move around every day, for instance while climbing steps, driving a car or playing sports. It goes without saying that the quality of the lenses plays a significant role. For professional consultations and assistance, always see your eye care professional.

Do you suffer from occasional incidents of suddenly impaired vision even though you are wearing a new pair of glasses you just had fitted? If so, you may have a chronic condition, such as diabetes of hypertension. Both disorders have an enormous impact on a person’s visual acuity. In this case, your vision problems are probably not caused by your glasses, but by major fluctuations in your glucose or blood pressure levels. Many people do not even know they suffer from these conditions, so it may be time for a check-up.

Some medications can also impair your vision. Ask your doctor whether this might be the case with something you take.

If you are still not satisfied and your visual impression is not improving, have your eye care professional check the specifications at his or her practice one more time: Make sure the lens strength matches the prescription and the lenses are centered. You may also want to have the fit of your glasses re-evaluated: glasses that slide around on your nose or do not sit straight can affect the correction and thus the visual performance. The eye care professional  is the expert who can perform all of these checks and also have your lenses reviewed by the manufacturer.

By the way: If you should have any other problems with your glasses, for instance with the lens surfaces, contact your eye care professional. He or she will evaluate the circumstances and decide whether it is necessary to have the eyeglass lenses inspected by the manufacturer. Mechanical, thermal or chemical influences can potentially lead to a change in the coating. Scratches on your glasses can also cause vision problems. This is annoying because the scratches cannot be removed and the lenses have to be replaced.