Hello! I have a question about glasses and I thought maybe you could help me with it. I have astigmatism and recently bought some new frames. It's the first time I've ever had round glasses and adapting to them has been hard: I keep tripping everywhere and getting headaches. I'm wondering if there's something wrong with my lenses and I should get them redone or if the round frames are the problem and I should perhaps change them. Thanks so much for reading this
*Disclaimer* I am still a student of Optometry and do not have my degree yet. Below is my personal suggestions and should not substitute advice given by your personal doctor.
Depending on the size of the frames, that could be a factor. If the are John Lennon size round, you should be fine. If they are Elton John size, that could be an issue.
If this is the first time you’ve have astigmatism correction, then it can take awhile to adjust. General rule, when you first wake up, put the new glasses on and wear them a few hours (or as long as you can), try to wear them more each day. Typically we ask patients to give it at least 2 weeks. Don’t start out driving in them and typically spend a day just walking around your home rather than outside.
If the frames are perfectly circular, there is the potential for rotation of the lens or being on the wrong side: right in left and vise versa. Lenses with a cylinder component (corrects the astigmatism) needs to be in the correct orientation. We call this the axis and it’s measured in degrees 0-180. In a frame with distinct sides, the lens will only fit one way and only on one side, unlike circles.
You can call your doctor to ask if it was a large Rx change from last time. If you bought your glasses from your doctor or a physical optical, you can always go back and ask them to verify the lenses and how they fit on your face. They could be the correct Rx but sit wrong on your nose. If you got them on-line, you can probably still take them to an optical to verify, but make sure you have a copy of your Rx. They may charge you for the service though.
Most doctors will have a grace period (30-60 days) where if the glasses match the Rx that was given and you still have issues, you can go back for a new refraction to confirm the new Rx or that a mistake was made.
I’m not sure of the return/remake policies at corporate opticals or on-line glasses providers.