What Causes Dizziness When You Wear New Prescription Glasses

It is a familiar experience. You are excited to get your new, stylish glasses. When you put them on, you feel great. Then, as you proceed through your day, you begin to feel a little dizzy. You may even develop a headache. In spite of the fact that you are not used to your new glasses, you are tempted to return them. It is possible to take some time to adjust to new glasses regardless of whether your prescription has changed, your lens type has changed or your coating has changed. Six major muscles and six major nerves make up your eyes, which are complex structures which work together to regulate light, control impulses, and transmit messages to the brain. Since your eyes and brain are used to compensating for poor vision, it may take some time for your brain to adjust to the new lenses and accept the sharp image as the correct one. In addition to visual distortion and problems with depth perception, you may also experience the fishbowl effect, headaches and nausea.

You purchased a pair of new glasses that looked great in the store, and you were very enthusiastic about the purchase. However, upon arriving home, you discovered the shoes were stiff and needed breaking in before they were entirely comfortable. In a sense, your eyeglasses require breaking in as well. In fact, the process of breaking in begins with your eyes and brain.

The most common causes of nausea and dizziness are bifocals, trifocals, and progressive lenses; however, these symptoms can occur with all types of lenses. As your body adjusts to a new way of seeing, you may experience motion sickness as a result of your new glasses. If you experience nausea or dizziness after wearing your new glasses, you are likely dealing with a depth perception issue. It is normal that this will last between two and three days to a week.

Symptoms like these can occur when you have a stronger prescription, a new lens type such as progressive lenses, or even if you have a new frame or lens shape that you are unfamiliar with. Adjusting to New Glasses By wearing your new glasses for a bit, you will be able to reduce dizziness and other problems sooner. You can adjust to your new glasses by sticking with them. You should avoid planning long trips involving driving or any activities requiring an extensive amount of eye care for a period of a few days or weeks. Don’t give up, and let your eyes adjust. Wear your glasses every day to adjust properly. The three rules of thumb are:

• Do not become discouraged. Understand that the process takes time and that what you are experiencing is not unusual.

• Keep yourself safe while driving. If you are experiencing a lot of visual distortion, do not drive alone. Instead, walk or have someone drive you if you are experiencing a lot of visual distortion.

• You should resist the temptation to go back to your old glasses. You need to give your brain and body adequate time to adapt to your new prescription.

Occasionally, a person will experience some distortion in the visual field, discomfort in the eyes, dizziness, or headaches. It is, however, a good idea to consult your eye doctor or even your medical doctor if you end up with a headache that does not go away within a day or two. You should not ignore it if it persists for that long, as it could be caused by the glasses or by another medical condition. It is important to remember that some frames enter the visual field differently and require adjustment in order to be properly fit.

Please consult your optometrist or ophthalmologist if you suspect this may be the case. Also, you may want to consider going in for a check up if your issues do not disappear within a week or so after having your glasses adjusted. In some cases, the problem is not related to the prescription glasses but to the blue light that can cause eye strain and other problems. Payne offers non-prescription blue-light-blocking lenses in addition to prescription glasses that can be coated with blue light-blocking coating. You may want to consider getting blue-light-blocking glasses.