How do I Adjust to Continuous Vision Glasses?

As you age, you can develop a degenerative condition that makes it tough for your eyes to focus on objects, according to Maryland-based Shady Grove Eye and Vision Care. You can get relief in the form of continous vision lenses. Because of the design of these lenses, whereby the power of the lens adjusts to accommodate to changing distances between you and the object you're focusing on, these glasses take some getting used to.

Things You'll Need

• Continuous vision lenses, aka multifocal or progressive lenses
• Properly-sized frames
• Fitting by an optometrist
• Specialized glasses, such as occupational lenses, as needed

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Instructions

• 1

  Make sure you're a good candidate for this type of lens in the first place. Because of the way the lens is designed, distortion can result in the outer parts of the lens, in turn distorting your side vision. For this reason, you have to develop techniques to adapt to this distortion, such as moving your head and not your eyes from side to side while reading, according to Dr. Mark L. Skowron of Illinois-based Skowron Eye Care. Because this back-and-forth motion is necessary, these lenses are probably not a good idea if you're prone to motion sickness.

• 2

  Learn to read in a different way. This is the biggest obstacle for people who wear this type of lens, also known as a progressive or multifocal. Because you're relying on the lenses to focus, and not your natural eyes, you'll want to move your whole head as you read, according to Skowron. This may seem very unnatural at first. Other techniques also work, and should soon become habitual. Skowron suggests that while reading a newspaper, for example, you can fold it and move the paper instead of your head as you read.

• 3

  Wear your lenses as much as possible at first, even when you don't really need them, according to Shady Grove. By wearing your new glasses for all tasks, you'll get adjusted to this new way of seeing more quickly. Most eye care providers, including Shady Grove and Skowron, suggest taking at least two weeks to get used to using the lenses effectively before getting frustrated and giving up on your new glasses.

• 4

  If you are still having problems after the recommended timeframe, it might be time to see your optometrist again. Oregon-based eye care clinic and vision center A New Vision reports your glasses may not fit your face properly. Another culprit could be the size of your frame; it may be too big for your face. Either way, you'll need to have a professional readjust how your glasses fit so you can finally adjust to your lenses.

• 5

  Look for specialized lenses. For people with problems focusing, there is a subset of lenses called "occupational." If you're having problems particularly with certain types of tasks, such as reading a computer screen or typing, you'll want to get this type of lens instead, according to A New Vision. If you do a lot of computer work, you'll want to consider occupational lenses before you invest in any other types of continuous vision lenses.