Eyeglass prescriptions must be precise. Correcting vision allows little room for mistakes. The first time you put on a new pair of glasses, you expect your vision to be clearer and sharper than with your previous prescription. If, instead, your new lenses are less than perfect, you need to recognize the difference between a wrong prescription and a simple need to adjust the new glasses.
Lens Prescriptions
You should understand your glasses prescription before you leave the office of your ophthalmologist or optometrist. All vision prescriptions follow a standard format, notes the website Eyeglasses.com. The first line, labeled OD or R, is the correction for your right eye and the line labeled OS or L is for your left eye. The abbreviation OU refers to both eyes. The prescription contains numerical measurements in units called diopters with a plus or minus sign in front of the number, for example, OD+3.25. A plus sign indicates magnification, or a way to correct for farsightedness, which is the inability to see near objects clearly. A minus sign corrects for nearsightedness, or the inability to see distant objects clearly. If you have astigmatism, your corneas have an uneven shape and your lenses must correct for the unusual curvature. This correction is expressed on the prescription as sphere and cylinder power.
Wrong Prescription Symptoms
Blurred or fuzzed images are the most obvious sign of an incorrect glasses prescription, says the website Eyeglasses.com. You may not realize your glasses are the wrong prescription if the difference between the correct and incorrect prescriptions is minor. A large mistake, however, may cause headaches from eye strain, dizziness, vertigo and nausea.
Long-Term Effects
Using eyeglasses with an incorrect prescription will cause no long-term effects, states Eyeglasses.com. Your vision will not worsen if you continue to wear the incorrect glasses. The glasses will not damage your eyes in any way. If your vision is not properly corrected, however, you risk injury by continuing to wear the wrong lenses. You may have difficulty seeing while driving, or dizziness may hamper your ability to drive or operate machinery.
Adjustment Difficulties
Some types of glasses, such as bifocal lenses, require an adjustment period before you become accustomed to wearing them. This adjustment period may last days or months, says Eyeglasses.com. Common signs that you are having difficulty adjusting to your new lenses include headaches and feeling disoriented.
Resolution
If you experience headaches, blurred vision, or other symptoms of a wrong lens prescription with a new pair of glasses, determine whether you simply need more time to adjust to your new glasses or if the prescription is wrong. Eyeglasses.com recommends trying to move your head rather than your eyes, particularly if you are wearing bifocal or multifocal lenses. Reposition the glasses on your face. Multifocal lenses must be centered directly in front of your eyes. If these techniques fail to resolve your symptoms, see your prescribing ophthalmologist or optometrist. The glasses may be the correct prescription but the lenses may need adjustment within the frames. The prescription may need to be changed if the initial measurements were taken improperly.
