Getting Used to New Glasses

If you wear glasses, you’re probably familiar with the odd feeling that comes with a new pair of lenses. That disorienting feeling is due to your eyes adjusting to the new lenses. Just like new shoes that need to be broken in, new glasses can sometimes need a bit of time before they feel more natural. Many people’s eyes won’t adjust right away—and there’s nothing wrong with that.

In this guide, we’ll be discussing how long it takes to get used to new glasses, some of the symptoms you might experience, and how to help yourself adjust to the new glasses.

How Long Does it Take to Get Used to New Glasses?

It will take most people 3-4 days to get used to their new pair of glasses although it can take up to a week or longer for some. This depends on whether you’re brand new to glasses, how strong your prescription is, how much of a difference there is between your old prescription and your new prescription, or how much your eyes were overcompensating before you got your glasses. Adapting to your new glasses takes time because your brain and eyes are adjusting to the changes and trying to work together with your glasses to clear your vision.

If you’re still experiencing discomfort after 2-3 weeks, contact your optometrist for advice on next steps.

What Are the Symptoms of Adjusting to New Glasses?

When you first put on your new glasses, it’s common to feel a little disoriented or have some other side effects.

Common symptoms you might experience with new glasses include:

• Difficulty focusing your eyes
• Mild visual distortions – such as a “fishbowl effect” that makes the edges of your field of vision slightly curved
• Eye strain
• Eye migraines
• Issues with depth perception and spatial awareness
• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Headaches

Typically, these symptoms are mild and resolve themselves after a few days as you adjust to your new glasses. If you’re still having difficulty or experiencing symptoms after a few days, feeling dizzy long-term, or if any of these symptoms are disrupting your day-to-day tasks, speak to your optometrist for advice.

Why Does it Take So Long to Get Used to New Glasses?

Sometimes, even if you have the same eyesight prescription, a new pair of glasses can feel odd at first and take a few days to adjust to. This could be due to a couple of reasons. First, the lenses might have a slightly different alignment than what you’re used to. Second, the frame style can feel unfamiliar if your last frames were very different, especially if you’re going from a small frame style to a pair of larger frames. Additionally, the new frames may have fit issues such as being too tight which can also cause discomfort.

It takes a while for muscle memory to kick in and, as the muscles in your eyes are getting used to working in a different way, it can take a few days for those muscles to get used to working with the new prescription – especially if this is your first pair of glasses and you’re getting used to not straining your eyes to see clearly.

However, there might be other factors that are affecting your ability to acclimatise to your new glasses. If you feel like your symptoms are particularly bad, or if they’re lasting too long, there could be another issue causing the problems such as an error in your prescription or scratches on the lenses. Contact your opticians to discuss any concerns you may have.

How to Adjust to New Glasses

The adjustment period can be frustrating and there’s no way to fast-track getting used to new glasses. But there are a few things to keep in mind when trying to adjust to your new pair of spectacles.

1. Make sure your frames fit your face – they shouldn’t be too loose or too tight, they should fit your face just right. Your opticians should fit your glasses to your face and head to help with this.
2. Put your glasses on when you start your day – a sudden change part way through the day can be more disorienting than starting your day wearing them.
3. Wear them correctly – if you only need your glasses for certain tasks like reading or driving, ensure you’re wearing them correctly and only use them for that task to avoid further eye strain.
4. Stop wearing your old glasses – it can be tempting to switch back to your old glasses if your eyes feel strained but doing so sets you back and means it’ll take longer to adjust to your new ones.
5. Take off your glasses if your eyes feel itchy, red, or sore – put them back on when the symptoms have passed.
6. If you’re adjusting to a new pair of bifocals or varifocals, try turning your head rather than just your eyes.
7. Even if it feels uncomfortable, persevere – the longer you wear your new glasses, the quicker your eyes will adjust.
8. Check your prescription – Adjusting to new glasses shouldn’t take longer than a few weeks. So if you continue to struggle with your new glasses for longer than that, it could be because of an error in your prescription.

Common Issues with New Glasses

Wearing glasses changes the way your eye muscles are used to working. Even though it will improve your vision, it just takes a bit of time for the muscles in your eyes to adapt from their usual habits. There are a number of reasons why your glasses might not be comfortable and you may not be adjusting to them properly.

Some common reasons include:

• Headaches – Because your new frames need to be fit to your head it’s common to get headaches when getting used to new glasses. Poorly fitted frames, specifically too tight frames can trigger headaches.
• Poorly fitted frames – whether they’re either too loose or too tight. Using them for other activities – You might experience headaches if you’re using your glasses for something they’re not intended for, such as using your reading glasses to watch TV.
• Digital eye strain – Your eyes generally need to work harder when using screens. Spending lots of time on our smartphones, laptops or tablets means our eyes need to work hard to take in the moving images, glare and flickering from screens. Therefore, digital eye strain is a real risk when you’re getting used to new glasses. The distance we view digital screens is often in-between our vision zones – in other words, it’s just another thing that our eyes need to adjust to.

If you’re having issues with your new glasses, book a style consultation with Leightons to find the perfect fit – our experts will help to make sure your frames fit your face properly, your lenses are the correct prescription, and there’s nothing else wrong with the glasses themselves that might be interfering with your vision or ability to adjust to your new glasses.

Leightons are here to help and offer our expertise – Find a Branch to pop in store or book an appointment.