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Getting Used to Bifocals

Millions of people wear bifocals successfully and you may soon be one of them!  When you first put on your bifocals, you will be aware of some unusual sensation: the presence of a dividing line, the blur in the lower part of the glasses as you walk, the “jumping” image as you look from one part of the lens to the other, and the feeling that the floor does not seem to be where it belongs. It will either look too close or too far away.

You will find that your brain is remarkably adaptive, which helps you get use to these sensations and eventually ignore them. So think positively and be patient. Try to accept the idea of wearing bifocals and tell yourself that you can do it. Concentrate on how well you can see up close.

Here are a few suggestions to ease your adjustment to the bifocals:

-                     If you have never worn prescription eyeglasses before, you can begin by wearing the bifocals in short durations—only when you need them for up close work. You will find yourself gradually being able to wear them for longer durations. This method does prolong the time the time it will take for you to acclimate to your bifocals.  The quickest way to become use to the bifocals is to wear them all the time.

-                     If you need to wear a distance correction most or all of the time, do not switch back and forth between the bifocals and your old glasses. This will only prolong the adjustment period.

-                     Try to stop thinking about the bifocals. If the floor looks blurred, don’t continue to look at it.

-                     Ignore the peculiar sensations, “funny” vision, and reflections in the glass. The less attention you pay to them, the sooner you will not notice it.

-                     If the frame is bothersome to you, have it adjusted by your optical dispenser.

-                     Keep in mind that the bifocals reading segment (also known at the “add”) gives you sharp vision at only a specific distance range from your eyes. Everything closer and farther away will be blurred, so you may have to move closer or farther from an object to see it clearly through the “add”. If the add segment is not in the correct position for comfortable reading, you may have to tilt your head back too far to see up close, or else have the height of the glasses adjusted or the lenses changed.

Please—don’t assume that because you are having a difficult or slow time adjusting to bifocals that a mistake was made in the prescription. Errors can happen, but 99% of the time it’s simply a matter of adapting to the bifocals. If you have been diligent about wearing them for a few weeks and still think the lenses are not correct, have the dispensing optician check them. Then if the problem is not resolved, make an appointment for the ophthalmologist to check the measurement of the eyes and the glasses to determine whether an error has been made in your prescription.