Progressive glasses

hegsag

DIS Veteran
Joined
Dec 31, 2007
Just picked up my first pair of progressive glasses. I think I hate them!!! For those that have progressives, how long did it take for your eyes to adjust? Do you love them now?
 
I got my first pair at 40, had them for about 10 years as my eyes didn't change. Didn't take long at all to get used to them, loved them in fact.

Fast forward 10 years and I've had 3-4 pairs after that and have hated them all. Every time I get new ones I have to go back as they just aren't right. The first pair I went THREE times, and finally just lived with them even though I hated them. The second pair I went back twice, and the second time I have no idea what the guy did but he pretty much fixed the problem. It's always distance, the reading part is always fine, but the distance part never is. It only seems to bother me when I'm driving though, at home it isn't a problem. The pair I have right now was a year old in May and I hate them. I went back twice and the left eye is fine, but the right is still blurry for the distance. I don't know why they can't get it right. The office where I go has 4 different doctors, and each time I've gone I ask for a different one thinking that would help. But no, it doesn't. It's always the same result. Reading is fine, but distance isn't. I hate paying $500 for new lenses (kept my frames last time) and still not being happy with them. We do not have vision insurance. I've been putting off going again, but really need to go for an exam as I have Type 2 diabetes. I need to call and make an appointment, probably for September or October. Already dreading it.
 
Just picked up my first pair of progressive glasses. I think I hate them!!! For those that have progressives, how long did it take for your eyes to adjust? Do you love them now?

Well, I have found that some opticians really SUCK progressive lenses. IDK why, but it is what it is. Most of the time the frames are too small.

I changed opticians because I REALLY needed progressives. (tried twice with old place)

I explained my issues to new optician with getting progressives and they assured me it would be right the first time. It was perfect day 1.

Basically while you DO have to have to "adjust" to them, if they are not set "right" they will never be good. It may not be you. YKWIM?

I need new glasses as well. Good Luck!
 
It took me a couple of months of wearing them every day. I wanted to give up but I'm glad I didn't. All of a sudden one day I could see fine out of them. My husband never really tried and didn't take my word for it that he would get used to it. He swore they were made wrong and threw them in the garbage. :rolleyes:
 
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I got my first pair last year, I am 48. I love mine, did not realize I was lucky until reading the other replies! Now, my progressive contact lenses suck. I still cannot read with them, I have to put reader on so they are pretty much useless to me. Good luck!
 
Tried 2 different times. Hate them but I do use bifocals
 


Parents disliked them so one has the regular bi-focals and the other just takes the glasses off to read :D
 
My experience was the same as msjprincess's. They took a lot longer to get used to than I expected. I went back to the optician's office several times complaining that they "weren't right" and they assured me that I just needed more time. They ended up being correct. I eventually got used to them -- but it took a couple of months, not days/weeks. I like them now. I am on my 3rd pair (new frames, new prescriptions). I have not had any adjustment issues with the subsequent pairs, only the first. So, in my case, the adjustment was ROUGH, but it was worth it in the end.
 
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I gave up after two weeks, tried bi-ficals and gave up on the as well. I have a pair for distance and a pair for reading. I usually just use the distance, as the readers are at a strange focal length. By tbe end of the day I cant see well out of anything.
 
Many years ago I needed readers to go with my glasses. I wasn't ready for new glasses so I would wear readers over my glasses when I was reading. When it was time for new glasses I got progressives and never had any trouble getting used to them. I have had 3 different pairs of glasses with progressives and they have all been great. Also got transitions with my last pair of glasses and felt that was money well spent.
 
Seems it took me about a week to get used to them. Stairs were interesting when I first got them as I recall.
Started with bifocal progressives when I was about 40.
Moved to trifocal progressives when I was about 50.
I love them at age 61.
I have a few coworkers who have computer glasses, and reading glasses and regular glasses, that they always seem to be forgetting at home or losing.
Me, I have every vision correction I need already on my face, just a slight shift of my head, and I have the right correction for the distance I need.
 
Just picked up my first pair of progressive glasses. I think I hate them!!! For those that have progressives, how long did it take for your eyes to adjust? Do you love them now?
:( Totally don't love them; they are an evil necessity. I went from being extremely near-sighted all my life to having to have artificial lens transplants (very similar to cataract surgery) which obliterated my near-vision and set my optimum acuity at 12'. Even with my progressives I can barely do simple, in-close tasks. It's been life-altering but the one small, positive piece of advice I can give is to get a separate pair of computer bi-focals (written on a specific prescription by your optometrist). I have a desk job and they save me an untold amount of neck strain and headache after 8 hours at the screen.
 
Tried them also for weeks then went back to regular bifocals. I also have "computer bifocals" for desk work. And I have a pair of what I call my "TV glasses" that are just regular distant glasses that generally never leave the TV room.
 
The best advice I ever got came from the technician who fitted the glasses for me: What is your nose pointed at? That's the only thing you can see with progressive lenses. Seriously, progressive lenses are only good for straight-ahead vision ... your side vision is worthless with progressive lenses; that is, whatever you're looking at will be distorted. Also, you'll learn to lift your chin slightly when you're reading. You'll feel a bit self-conscious doing this, but it'll work.

Keep it up. It will likely take you months to become comfortable with your new lenses. Doesn't mean anything's wrong with them. It's a big learning curve. I know you wish it were different, but you also wish you didn't need glasses at all, don't you?

One more tip: I wear my Progressive lenses all day, but if I sit down at night to read something, I usually put on a pair of readers. I store a pair in the case where I keep my Kindle. Why? The readers are "all bottom half" of the Progressive lenses, and it's just more comfortable for a long reading session.

Last tip: I have so many pairs of glasses now. I have my Progressive lenses for all the time ... as mentioned above, I have drugstore-purchased readers for long reading sessions ... I have a pair of prescription sunglasses with "distance only" prescription, which I use for driving and outdoor activities where I'm not going to need to read ... I have a pair of drugstore-purchased sunglass readers, which I use by the pool. I'm genuinely "friends" with all my glasses, and I don't mind switching them out.
 
My first pair? 2-3 weeks. A long time. It was horrid. But, I did adjust, and now with each new pair, I have a brief period where I am bothered (a few hours?). My brain has been trained. LOL.
 
There are two things you need to consider here. Everyone is different. I LOVED my progressive lenses. My other half HATED them. So there is an individual bias here.

Also - the people who make your glasses may be a factor. While technically they're all 'made the same' consider that a person has to do this. There may be some slight variations.

Bottom line - give it a couple of weeks. If you're still not seeing properly, go back to the place that made them. Tell them the issues you're having. If they won't/don't help you, take your Rx for the glasses and go elsewhere.
 
. Seriously, progressive lenses are only good for straight-ahead vision ... your side vision is worthless with progressive lenses; that is, whatever you're looking at will be distorted. Also, you'll learn to lift your chin slightly when you're reading. You'll feel a bit self-conscious doing this, but it'll work.
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My wife had a pair like that. They actually made her nauseous the second she put them on. The Dispensing Optician at the eye Doctor is in the same office, but is independent from the Doctors. The owner, a guy in his 60's insisted they were correct, but when my wife said they were not, so he set up an appointment.....for the NEXT day..... with the Doctor to check them. My wife went in, and it took the Doctor about 30 seconds to look at them, walk her over to the owner of Dispensary and say "dude, these aren't even close to being right". The remade ones were perfect for forward and through Peripheral vision
 
I'm 58 and have never gotten used to progressives. I HATE them. I know it's a pain, but I just take my glasses off to read. I find that I just don't have a big enough field of vision in any of the 3 categories of the lens. In addition, I sew everyday and just don't wear anything at all when I work. It's just easier. I also get disoriented when walking downstairs with them on. I'll stick with single vision.
 
By the end of the day I cant see well out of anything.

That's me as well! I have progressives in both contacts and glasses. I had no trouble getting used to them - no headaches or dizziness, and I could see well in a couple of days...but only for so many hours at a time. (Apparently, I compensate unconsciously, but my eyes just get really tired doing it.) I switch from contacts to glasses when home in the evening, and that helps for a while. But to read late at night, I just take them off completely.

And for really small print, I need not just magnification, but extra light, so I keep one of these in the pencil basket on my kitchen table and another in my purse:
pocket-magnifier-with-led-light.jpg

(They are from the "Current" catalog - the one with cards and wrapping paper and stuff, and they are marvelous!)
 

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