It’s good to be aware of the effects of wearing wrong prescription glasses.
Wearing the wrong prescription glasses won’t damage your eyes but can cause unnecessary discomfort. If you’ve never worn glasses before, you may not know any different and think feeling dizzy while wearing glasses is normal—the good news is, it’s not.
However, when you are wearing glasses with a new prescription or are wearing prescription glasses for the first time, feeling some discomfort is normal and it can take a while for your eyes to adjust. For some people, it can take only 2 to 3 days and for others, it can take up to two weeks. If you’re still feeling dizzy after two weeks of wearing your new glasses, book an appointment with your local optometrist to get your eye prescription checked.
There are many other effects of wearing wrong prescription glasses that may warrant a visit to the optometrist. Keep reading to learn what these symptoms are.
Effects of Wearing Wrong Prescription Glasses: Vertigo or Dizziness
Vertigo is the sensation of dizziness and being off balance when sitting or standing. These uncomfortable sensations can arise from many different causes ranging from blurry vision to inner ear problems.
Vertigo associated with a prescription lens error may relate to changes in your depth perception from reading glasses or bifocal lenses. If you already have a type of vertigo, the wrong glasses can exacerbate the problem. While vertigo may accompany the wrong prescription, it may be a symptom of something else entirely.
Headaches
Wearing the wrong prescription for a prolonged period of time can cause eye strain, resulting in pain around and behind the eye. People often compare this pain to a headache.
According to the American Headache Society, you can experiment by not wearing your glasses during certain parts of the day to see if the frequency or severity of your headaches is affected. If your headaches seem to be more of a problem when wearing your glasses, there could be an error in the prescription.
Blurry Vision
When lenses are off by even a few degrees, it can cause blurry vision. However, blurry vision can also occur as you adjust to a new pair of prescription lenses of the correct strength.
Blurriness during adjustment to a new prescription should last a maximum of 2 weeks; and if blurriness continues beyond 2 weeks, there is a good chance that either you have the wrong prescription or perhaps the lenses do not match what was prescribed. If there is doubt about the prescription, contact your eye doctor regarding an appropriate adjustment period.
Other Effects of Wearing Wrong Prescription Glasses
Other effects of wearing wrong prescription glasses that have not yet been mentioned are:
- Nausea
- Computer eye strain
- Eye Fatigue
Computer or digital eye strain can be exacerbated in adults who wear prescription eyewear because sometimes bifocals and progressive lenses are not suited for reading on the computer.
Anyone with symptoms of the problem should make sure their glasses are optimal for computer work. They may need glasses with computer lenses or occupation lenses that work well when they are sitting at the computer.
Combination of Effects of Wearing Wrong Prescription Glasses
A sudden onset of vertigo, headaches, blurry vision, headaches, and eye fatigue can indicate many different health problems, some of them more serious than others. Though a new pair of glasses can be suggestive of the source of the problem, it is important to give your doctor a detailed history of your health and chronic conditions so that other serious causes for these symptoms can be considered and ruled out.
Document Your Symptoms
We put a lot of faith into our educated optometrists (as we should); the truth is, they’re only human. When taking our eye measurements to find the correct prescription, they could very well make mistakes.
The next time you go for either an eyeglass or a contact lens fitting, note every day afterwards how well your eyes see and feel.
Listening to our instincts is important and it’s always good to document symptoms in a journal and call your local optometrist or doctor or if you have any questions or concerns.
If your young child has new glasses, it is also good to ask them lots of questions to ensure their prescription is accurate, especially when it comes to those early yet monumental years in school.
At iSight Optometry, we pride ourselves on being a trusted clinic in Kelowna for 60 years as well as being one of the most technologically advanced optometry offices in the Okanagan Valley. We use advanced techniques to provide comprehensive testing, diagnosis, and treatment options for your individual eye care needs.