Tips for Adjusting to Your New Progressive Lenses
Posted on: 8 January 2016
When you find yourself making the transition from traditional eyeglass lenses to progressive lenses, the first few days (or weeks) can be a bit challenging. It takes some practice to determine exactly where to look through your lenses for the clearest view of things at differing distances, and feeling some distortion in your vision is perfectly normal in the initial stages. With a little bit of patience and some work on adapting to the focal ranges, viewing things through your progressive lenses will become second nature. Here are some suggestions to help with the transition.
Make Sure They Fit Properly
If the frames of your progressive lenses don't fit properly, you're going to struggle to adjust, because your lenses will constantly shift on your face. You need to be sure that the ear pieces are secure around the backs of your ears and the nose pads sit comfortably on the bridge of your nose. This ensures that the frames stay secure so you're always looking through the same areas.
Check the Focal Range Placement
The first time you put your progressive lenses on, you should choose an object about twenty feet away from you and focus on it. You should be able to see it clearly if your prescription is correct and the focal range is properly positioned on that lens. If you cannot see it clearly or you're noticing distortion from the center of the lens, you'll want to have the lens adjusted.
Learn How to Shift Your Vision
Since progressive lenses have a range of focal points across the lens from the top down, you're going to see some distortion on the sides of the lenses if you try to just shift your eyes to look at something instead of moving your head. Getting the clearest vision from your lenses means moving your head toward the things you want to see. A good rule of thumb is to point your nose directly at whatever you're looking at. This prevents you from looking through the wrong part of the lens.
Commit to It
When you get your new lenses, commit to making the change. Don't go back to your old glasses out of frustration, because your eyes need the consistency of the new lenses in order to adjust. If you keep changing things, you'll struggle even longer with the transition.
With these tips, you can make your new progressive lens transition a successful one. If you have concerns or you find that you're struggling with a specific aspect, talk with an optometrist, such as Envision Eyecare, or your eyeglass shop for more specific and individualized guidance.
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