How long should it take to get used to glasses?

Question

I recently went to an optometrist for the first time (I'm 33) and found out I have a mild astigmatism. I wasn't having any vision problems (that I was aware of, anyway) but I had some headaches and eye fatigue, and my insurance provided a free exam, so I took advantage. Here's the prescription: OD +.75/-1.0/106, OS +.75/-.5/36

Now I'm wearing glasses, and everything is crystal clear, but also very distorted. I've worn them now for about two weeks, and I still feel like I'm walking around in a bubble. Everything appears slanted, and objects on the right are smaller than on the left, so shapes that should be square appear skewed. It's better now than it was the first few days, but still very awkward. Another annoyance is that there's a frame around everything, and I have to turn my head now to see things clearly, rather than just moving my eyes.

I thought I'd try contacts, but was told I wasn't a candidate (not sure why - anyone?).

How long should it take before this feels 'normal'?

Answer 1

I know the feeling here.  I apologize for the length of this post ahead of time.  My brain takes much longer than most people to adjust to an eyeglass prescription and it has been that way since I was child.  I have posted a few times on Yahoo answers about this.  I hope I am making sense because I should be sleeping right now.  

It took me a long time to get accustomed to wearing glasses with astigmatism correction and I only have it in my left eye.  I was originally prescribed glasses for astigmatism when I was a teenager but only wore them a few times because I hated them and the side effects.  My right eye has normal vision so it could compensate.

I still had regular eye exams and was given eyeglasses prescriptions several times that I never filled until the one a few months before my 30th birthday.  I decided after experiencing issues with double vision, headaches, and depth perception that I would try again.

I had horrible side effects for weeks when I started wearing the eyeglasses.  My prescription at that time was similar to yours because I had developed some mild farsightedness as well.  (LE +1.00 -1.50 X50, RE +.75).  This was my first prescription with a spherical number.  It actually suprised since I was not having any difficulty seeing near objects only distant ones.  I went back to my eye doctor and explained the symptoms I was experiencing and asked for a reduced prescription, but he refused to do so.

I stopped wearing the glasses after that yet again.  I found a natural vision improvement program after that that I tried for a few months hoping to correct the astigmatism. I had used up my vision insurance benefits for the year so I could not afford another exam and a prescription and I thought it was at least worth a try  I did get results but not what I had hoped for.  

I found a new doctor when my benefits renewed again and was given the following prescription LE +.25 -1.50 X50, RE plano.  It was a significant reduction to my previous prescription.  I like to believe the vision improvement program worked, but could also be that the previous prescription was incorrect.

I still had similar reactions to this prescription so my new eye doc reduced my eyeglasses to LE PL -1.00 X50 and I also decided to try a contact lens because it can be easier to get used to than eyeglasses because there is less minification/magnification.  The contact lens was at PL -.75 X60.  I wore the contact lens most of the time and I had a few reactions at first but they were not nearly as bad.  I was eventually able to go up closer to my actual prescription.

My current one is PL - 1.50 X50 eyeglasses and contact is PL -1.25 X60.  

I suggest checking with your eye doctor about modifying your prescription and asking about getting a contact lens for your right eye.  Toric contacts start with -.75 and that may be easier to get used to.  The astigmatism in your left eye is not high enough for a toric lens.

Good Luck

Answer 2

A week, before reporting it.

Your Rx as given is one that might well give trouble, even if perfectly correct, given that the axes of astigmatism are almost opposed.

Try looking one eye at a time and see if the vision feels sharp *and* comfortable, and if then the "oddness" re-appears  with both eyes open.

If it feels odd with one eye or the other, then there's every chance the Rx is simply off, on one side.

But if it's only present with two eyes together then it may be the crossed astigmatic axes.   If you're right-handed a +0.25 or +0.50 sphere lens in your left eye might produce a better overall effect.  Giving each eye its best Rx is only *usually* the right answer to Rx prescribing.  

Two weeks is more than enough time to struggle.

You could be a poor candidate for contacts fro a variety of reasons,  such as poor tear qnatity/qualirty, but your left Rx is not one often turned into contacts: astigmatic lenses have to maintain orientation in the eye (unlike sphere lenses, where it doesn't matter if they rotate) , and achieving this makes them thicker, more expensive, and sometimes needing several attempts  with different brands to get right.

Therefore small amounts of astigmatism, like 0.50, are often ignored, slightly compromising the vision in order to avoid the other downsides.  In your case that might be a plus!

Otherwise, you'd have to enquire as to the specific details...

I've not seen your eyes.

Answer 3

First off, have you been back to the optical to have the lens power rechecked? With objects appearing to be slanted it could either be the axis , the third set of numbers (106 &36)could be off and you might be very sensitive to that or your eyes have been compensating for that axis for the last 30 years and now they are OVER compensating causing that slight twisting feeling which will go away in as much as a week.  As for the contacts the RX is well with in contact range so it wust be something else the Dr. might have mentioned such as dry eyes or conjunctiveitis or something like that. Hope this has helped.

Answer 4

a few days.

Answer 5

i have astigmatism too! i got glasses when i was in 6th grade and found it really annoying at first b/c i too saw the frame aoround everything. i'm 18 now and i still see the frame but it's not a big deal. im used to it and have learned to not pay attention to it. it took me a little while, but not too long. i'm sure since ur older, it will take a bit. about the contacts, my guess is that it's so mild, contacts wouldn't be worth it. i know they make special contacts for astigmatism. but i've never tried contacts.