Eyeglasses and progressive lenses - input needed

My eyesight is OK, I can see without glasses.
Part of my problem is I used to 'getting by' without them.

I now use 2.00 readers for reading, I can read without them, but they do make things clearer.
I've been noticing the last year or so my distance vision in my right eye is getting worse.
I have to take a DOT physical every year and I was concerned about not passing the eye chart test.

I went to the eye doctor and he prescribed glasses for me.
They have progressive lenses in them.
I tried progressive lenses 6 years ago and couldn't adapt to them.
I really didn't see distance any better with them and the reading part was off-center.
With the new ones, I do see better, distance and close up.
Seems I have to tilt my head up to get the computer screen in focus.

But my biggest problem is trying to get used to them.
I've only tried wearing them a few times.
Every time I get nausea, dizzy, headaches, things are closer or farther away than I think they are when driving.

Even after I take them off after wearing them for a few hours, my head and senses are shot.
I feel like I have a hangover.

I've read all the internet "how to used to progressive lenses' on the Internet, but I'd like to get input from real people that either use them or have tried them and they didn't work out.
I've only got another week or so to return them.

I'll admit I'm a bit impatient with stuff like this.
Being that I drive for a living, I can't be at work driving, feeling sick, while misjudging distances.
I did pass my physical without them, so that's good, but I do enjoy seeing clearly.
I'm wondering if I should go with a standard-lined bifocal.

Any input would be appreciated.
TIA

 

I think your expectations from these glasses might be too high.

 

I made the switch to progressive lenses a couple years ago and it does take some time to adjust. A couple suggestions… if your Rx will alow them and you ok with the idea, mono-vision contact lenses. One eye distance vision and one eye near vision. Sounds crazy, but your brain adjusts quickly. Another thing to consider is to get either a set of medium distance or bi-focal medium/near glasses for sitting at the computer.

 

Funny, my distance vision is great, my up close reading stuff/low light, I use 1.5 cheaters. I can read a book ok at arms length, not very comfortable though. 53 now and driving at night is fine until someone w bright lights is oncoming or behind me. Reading a menu in a “romantic” restaurant is hard. I have some 1.5 cheater bifocals for shooting (for the front sight). Very hard to adjust to.

edit: FWIW yellow safety glasses cut a lot of nighttime glare.

 

It was the same for me. I couldn't adjust quickly, got impatient and just wore my old prescription for driving. It mostly made me dizzy when trying to walk and did the head bob thing all the time. Probably looked like a friggin chicken. It was really bad when trying to focus on things a few feet away, like the dash.
Anyway, by the time I was willing to try again, I needed a new prescription. I think it was a combo of them doing a better job making the glasses and me just being more patient until I got used to them.
I keep them in the truck and use them for driving. If I need to read really small print, I'll go grab them or use a magnifying glass.
But yeah, they take some getting used to.
I can wear them all the time now if I want, without getting dizzy or bobbing my head. But I chose not to and just when I need them.

 

That's funny.
I corrected it.

 

I think a big part of this for me is I don't already wear glasses.
Readers sometimes, sunglasses when driving, but not all the time.

Another issue is my impatience with the whole thing and then feeling like I'll HAVE to wear them all the time.
Good to know you can wear them or not and not feel sick.

The new glasses certainly have a much wider useable view than the first pair I had.

Thanks for the input...

 

My close up vision is getting pretty bad too. But I wear contacts for distance and I need to figure something out too. Following to see what everyone says.

 

Yeah, I was "s'posed" to wear glasses since I was 12. I never felt like I needed them and never wore them. My near vision was perfect and distance wasn't amazing but nothing concerning. It wasn't until I was close to 40 that long distance got iffy and night driving with artificial light everywhere was bad. Up close got a little fuzzy too, so I got progressives. Mostly for driving.
I think that's why the progressives made me dizzy. Because I didn't wear glasses all the time. Once I got used to the progressives, I chose to not wear them all the time because I don't want my eyes to adjust that much and then I won't be able to see at all, unless I have them on. But, I can not wear them all day and then put them on to drive and my eyes adjust immediately.
I'm still okay for stuff that's a few feet away like the computer, etc. not sure if I really "need" the progressives. I can always use a magnifying glass for small print. Need them for driving, especially at night.
Anyway, wear them a little at a time, longer and longer until you adjust and pretty soon you can either leave them on all the time or just when you need them.

 

Thanks Ron..

 

When the current style was the smaller, rectangular glasses I couldn't wear them in a progressive bifocal. The reading area was too small and I looked like a typewriter carriage when I read something. Now that slightly larger lenses are acceptable I have no problem. My glasses correct for both distance and reading but are considered a lighter RX.

The best glasses I've ever owned came from Zenni and they are sooo much cheaper.

 

Progressive lenses do take some time to get used to them. You will adapt in time but it is not without some effort. As we age, the eye muscles get less flexible to adjust to things up close. I was one of the last people on the face of the earth to get RK surgery. It fixed my distance vision until my eye muscles couldn't adjust any more. Then it was contact lenses and reading glasses. Had cataract surgery a few years ago and now I am still with reading glasses. Growing older is not for the weak of heart. Hang tough! You can adapt to what Mother Nature throws at you.

 

@1lowlife - how old are you. Can you post your glasses prescription? I’m Medicare age and have great distant vision but can’t see shit up close especially in low light situations where pupil is dilated and light has to be refracted to be focused on retina. That’s called presbyopia and part of the aging process. If you require glasses for distant as well you’ll need a bifocal prescription. Progressives can be hard to get used to. Also not recommended for aviation since the target shifts as you move your head. You can adjust the height of the near segment. Draw a mark where you want it with a grease pencil. If you have an overhead console like aircraft can add a segment to the top part. Depending on your age also might need to be checked for a cataract or other ocular pathology. If concerned ask to see ophthalmologist rather than optometrist.

 

Any chance there are compounding factors? Asking because it took 3 attempts to get my single vision lenses correct last year. Doc said something has been going on with the quality of materials. Especially polycarbonate lenses. Machines would say lenses were good but i could only see well if looking straight ahead through them. Moving my eyes slowly it was like a wave of distortion across things not straight in front of me. Awful for walking or driving. Ended up getting some alternate grade of plastic that was finally focused correctly at all angles.

 

I needed to change my Transitional "Script" when I moved to Florida;

My old script for driving at night during snow storms needed a quicker transition and no glare when out moving the "Powda"... and now that I'm

in Florida the Script needs to endure much more sunlight and night time driving.. Took a couple of days and then one Lense update but now I'm

good to go..

BUT luckily for me my Dietician has me at the point of not needing them...Sugar is controlled and 20/15 are my new vision numbers..

Bad thing is I do not want to argue with D.O.T. about changing the "little note " on my CDL ... I passed my eye test without my Glasses on BUT

the tech caught it just before we "Snapped" my new photo ....I had them on for picture because they can make you re-test for any major

changes..... paid for my CDL with all endorsements intact...and got the he!! outta' there...license in good till '2030

 

Ugh
This is around the corner for me.
I’ve had 20/15 vision my entire life
At about 46 (11 months ago), I started to notice it’s harder to see shit clearly up close. Trying readers makes my head hurt after a few minutes, and I never remember to bring them with me.
I need to actually go to the eye doctor and get a real prescription. Told my wife I should get glasses that have zero correction for the main part and just the up close correction/bifocal part and just wear them all the time so I don’t forget to bring them.

 

Mono visions are great. Night driving for me with them is a little annoying. Something about the oncoming lights messes with me. Other than that no complaints.

 

I have progressives for several years and they do take time to adjust too, and that means wearing them as much as possible to accomplish that. I will say I have tried to get two pairs at two different places that took my eye insurance, because my own eye office did not, and both times they were done incorrectly, but they insisted they were as they should be. I got my money back both times, as even my eye office said they weren't done right. Whenever I get them from my actual eye doctors office they are correct and I adjust to them within a few days, your brain and eyes have to "learn" where on the lens they need to look for different things. The eye office staff have to measure your face and where your eyes line up etc to make sure they are exactly right, and if you get an inexperienced person they are easy to screw up. I would say maybe try a different place before giving up completely, just in case it's the people fitting you and not you.

Botton line is progressive glasses have to be very precisely done, and it seems not all the workers that fit them are great at it. Also don't let them talk you into the polycarbonate lenses as those can effect your ability to see clearly, one office did those on mine and it was like looking into a fish bowl! Give your existing pair at least a week of consistent wear though first. Good luck.

 

I can not STRESS diet enough for any of us.... When I "Pee'd hot" it even through my doctor for a loop, weight and all the other numbers were

good...

BUT my sugar was elevated...Luckily for me the Med Card already had her signature...SHHH don't tell anyone..

12 years later I still need to "Behave" with my A1C..

Good thing is by sticking to a Diet that "Fits" my lifestyle I will be around long enough to Drive my grandkids nuts ..

 

Personally, I love my progressive lenses. The first day I didn’t think I would be able to wear them and the eye doc encouraged my to stick with them. After a couple days I was accustomed to them and would never consider not having them. My eye will “automatically” find the right part of the lens to see at what ever distance I am from what I’m reading (from up close reading small print on a label, text on my cell phone, or the odometer on my Tundra while driving say). They may not be for everyone, but give them a chance at least before deciding.

 

As another post mentioned, precise fitment is key. It can be as simple as adjusting nose pieces to get the lenses/frames centered on the measurements taken when the glasses were ordered.
You need a good tech to measure accurately and before you remove the trial frames take a picture of them on your face. When your new frames come in to be fitted, show the pic to the tech as a starting point.
It’s normal for new glasses to seem to distort….it’s not the glasses….it’s your brain. In a few days your brain will adapt, assuming all is correct with the prescription and fitment.

 

I have been wearing progressive lenses for many years. The only issue I had with them when I first got them was staircases. Going down stairs I had to bend my head forward and look down to see the steps. I have gotten past that an no longer have that issue.

If you can not get accustomed to your lenses, it is possible that the lenses were not made correctly. Try pushing the glasses up higher on your nose and lower on your nose to alter the spot where the focus changes. If you can find a sweet spot, then your lenses may need to be adjusted to put the sweet spot in the right place in your vision.

 

I'm a creature of habit.
I think if I can get used to them, it will become second nature and I won't even think about having them on.

Thank you to everyone that responded..
I'll keep trying to wear them.

 

I think you are on point.
When I first put them on a couple of weeks ago, I could see better in my right eye, but not like the flip of the lens when doing the eye tests.
As I've tried to wear them more, the right eye is clearer than before.

I also found myself pushing the bridge up from time to time.
They did all kinds of measurements when I ordered the glasses.
The tech said with my insurance I've got the best lenses and coatings one can buy.
I still had to pay $400 out of pocket but they were $900 glasses.

I'll wear them another week and go back to the eye doctor for a precise fitting.
I also haven't tried wearing them a night when I think I need them.
I'll try that at work tonight.

Thanks again, everyone.

 

I’ve been wearing progressive lenses for years. I definitely get the head tilt thing. Stairs get me sometimes I hate when the step is blurry! It always takes me a week or so to adjust to the new prescription. For driving I’ve got single vision sunglasses. That seems to help - at least in the daytime. I’ve thought about getting a cheap backup pair of single vision for nighttime driving.

 

Ive been wearing progressive for many years. At first it was a big change for me to go from single vision to progressive, but after a couple days i was fine.
Biggest issue i had at first was stairs. Now its all good.

One thing i found out is, not all optometrist or their labs are the same. Meaning; Ive had issues with lenses where the bifocal changes, the physical location was either to high or to low and they had to re-make them.
Other issue is, each lens will have the settings etched into the lens, you may or may not see it, but its there. Previous optometrist had to remake my lense because the etching was in sight and i refused to accept them.
I think it depends on what brand lenses you get and how that company does their etching.

My current pair are from Lenscrafters and they are the fancy Ray-Ban's (LOL) no really fancy, just a brand name. They fit really well and the progressive is perfect. As soon as I put them on after the adjustments, i could tale
a difference right away from my old pair to this pair. Major difference and my RX only changed slightly.

 

I tried progressives once and that was the end of them, dizzy upset stomach. I only wear single vision now. I can read fine without any glasses and have a set esp for using with a computer.

 

I have been wearing glasses since I was 12. I am now mid 50’s. My distance vision is crap. I have worn progressives for about 10 years. The one thing I have noticed is the quality of the lens production/fitting to the frame seems to be worse now than in the past. Fitting for a progressive is very important. If stuff is swimming when you are looking thru them it sounds like something is off. I would go back and have them checked.

It usually takes me about 3 days to get use to a new pair. But I have worn glasses a very long time. If I’m still have a problem with them, something’s off.

 

Thanks guys, I wore them almost all day today.
It was mostly cloudy but the sun came out a couple hours and I had to put my sunglasses on.

I did better, no nausea but still had an off feeling.
I think it will wean away in time.
Getting familiar with how to move my head and what angle I need to see a particular thing (dash, mounted cell phone running WAZE, looking out the windshield).
How to move my face and point my nose at what I want to look at.
I'm learning even stuff at a distance needs to be centered in the lens.

Distance vision is sharp up to 150 to 200 feet, but gets a little worse beyond that.
Even further distances are better with the glasses, but not as sharp as closer things.
I'm wondering if I'm expecting too much from the glasses.
As someone who never wore them, perhaps I'm expecting perfect vision.

I'm going to run by the eye doctor one morning this week and talk to them about it.
Either make sure I have the right prescription or to see and understand what I should be getting out of the glasses..

I think they are going to work out.
I like not having to put readers on every time I look at my phone when I'm not driving.
I'd like not needing readers to read a menu if the wife and I go to a restaurant.
I think this will all become second nature after a while.

If I can get these to work, I'll probably get a pair of prescription sunglasses.
Just not sure if I should make those single lenses or progressive.
Insurance only pays for ONE pair every 2 years, the sunglasses are on me...

 

When I went to progressives, I was told 30 days to adjust. It took me 90. Was a pain, but am very happy with them now.