Help Your Eyes Adjust to Bifocals

by Aimee Amodio | More from this Blogger

09 Mar 2009 01:08 PM

The day may come when the eye doctor switches you from regular glasses to bifocals (or trifocals) -- especially if you have trouble seeing close up and things that are far away. For someone used to single-prescription glasses, the switch to bifocals can be disorienting.

Eye doctors say that it may take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks to get used to multifocal lenses. You may need to re-visit the optometrist for adjustments -- you're dealing with two separate prescriptions living in one glasses frame. The measurements need to be more precise than traditional single-focus glasses.

Here are some tips from the Northeastern Eye Institute that may help you get used to your bifocals:

• Wear your glasses all the time, even if you don't need them. A week or two of constant glasses-wearing can help you adjust quickly.
• Try not to look at your feet when walking -- the bottom half of your glasses is probably not the part with a prescription for distance viewing.
• When you read, hold the material closer to your body -- try resting the book against your chest or stomach. Lower your eyes, not your whole head, to read. That way, you'll be reading with the lower portion of the lens (the part that usually has the prescription for close-up viewing).
• If you're reading something large like a newspaper, move IT -- not your head -- as you progress. The steadier you can keep your head while you read, the easier it may be. Fold a large paper into half or quarters so you can maneuver it more comfortably.

If you're still having trouble after a week or two, don't be shy about giving your eye doctor a call. Your prescriptions may need to be adjusted. And if all else fails, you may simply be more comfortable with separate glasses for reading and other tasks.

Learn more about Aimee Amodio

Aimee is a fiction writer... dog lover... music lover...

View Full Profile | More from this Blogger