This happens to me every time I go to a new eye doctor.?!
Question: This driving me crazy. I am nearsighted with a little astigmatism thrown in to boot. Every single time I go to a new eye doctor to get my vision checked and corrected (if needed), as soon as I get my glasses- I put them on and I get that "fish bowl" distortion. I mention this to the optician and I can bet money on the fact that the next thing they'll say is something to the effect of "Well, since your prescription has changed, you need to wear them for a couple of weeks for your eyes to adjust." I have never found that to be true and it makes me feel as if they're not taking me seriously (they're my eyes, I know if something's not right) In the most recent case, my doctor stated that my prescription had only changed "slightly." If such is the case, then why would my eyes need any kind of an adjustment period to the new prescription. In other words, if the change was only "slight" why so much significant distortion? Or, do some people just have extremely hard to correct eyes?
Answers: This driving me crazy. I am nearsighted with a little astigmatism thrown in to boot. Every single time I go to a new eye doctor to get my vision checked and corrected (if needed), as soon as I get my glasses- I put them on and I get that "fish bowl" distortion. I mention this to the optician and I can bet money on the fact that the next thing they'll say is something to the effect of "Well, since your prescription has changed, you need to wear them for a couple of weeks for your eyes to adjust." I have never found that to be true and it makes me feel as if they're not taking me seriously (they're my eyes, I know if something's not right) In the most recent case, my doctor stated that my prescription had only changed "slightly." If such is the case, then why would my eyes need any kind of an adjustment period to the new prescription. In other words, if the change was only "slight" why so much significant distortion? Or, do some people just have extremely hard to correct eyes?
Without knowing your exact Rx, its hard to tell. It could be a couple of things, ranging from the lens material to how the frame is adjusted. Are you wearing single vision lenses, lined bifocals or trifocals, or progressive (no-line bifocals)? If you are wearing some type of a multifocal lens, it could be their measurements that are off. But if happenes EVERY time, i doubt that EVERY place would get your bifocal seg's measured wrong.
My biggest question is...what lens material are they giving you? Plastic? Or polycarbonate (also known as featherweights or Ultra-lite)? Some people cannot wear polycarb lenses, ESPECIALLY higher myopes. They get a tunnel-vision effect (I guess kind of like a fish-bowl) and everything straight ahead is clear, but anything off to the sides is blurry and distorted. This is called chromatic abborations (sp?) and some people seem to have problems wearing them. My best friend, who is also an optician, is very nearsighted (at a -8.00ou) and CANNOT wear polycarb. She wears hi-index plastic lenses, which are thinner, and are aspheric, so it gets rid of most of the distortion that would otherwise be in a polycarbonate lens.
Also, you may want to have the opticians check the adjustment of the frame. If the frame is not wrapped enough or it is too wrapped (meaning the front of the frame curves in toward your face, like an Oakely but not that extreme.) it can affect your vision. Also, have them check the tilt of the frame. If your frame is too tilted or not tilted enough, it can affect your vision. Also, have them check how far out from your face the frame sits. Again, it can affect your vision. If you have a pair of glasses in your possession that you are able to wear and see out of comfortably, I would take those in and have the optician compare them with the new fish bowl pair. Have them compare lens materials, the adjustment of the frame, the front and backside curve of your old pair (which, you guessed it - can have an effect on your vision)
It could be one of these; it could be all of them together. It could be that you're wearing polycarbonate lenses, and that the frame is adjusted all wrong. But I would definitely have them check all of these things and see what they come up with. And, as I said, if you have a pair of glasses that you love, take them in and let them compare the two and see what is different between them that causes you have such a problem with the new ones.
One other thing: If the can get you taken care of and can locate the problem, make a note of it so that the next time you get glasses you can tell them what you normally have problems with so they don't repeat the same mistakes. For example, if it is found that you cannot wear polycarbonate lenses, make a note of that so that if you go some place else next time, you can tell them, "Hey, I can't wear polycarb. I need plastic or hi-index plastic..." You can save yourself a lot of trouble.
Good luck! I hope they are able to pinpoint the problem and get you fixed up.
**EDIT** Polycarb lenses have been around for quite awhile. I've been doing this for 11 years, and they have been out before I started in optics. It certainly is something to look into...it could be contributing to the problem.
**ANOTHER EDIT** Just thought of one more thing...have them check the optical centers of the lenses. If you are selecting large frames and your eyes aren't anywhere near the center of lens, the optical centers could be off. The optical center of a lens is the clearest part of the lens and if it is not sitting in front of your eye, then you are not seeing through the clearest part. So if your frames are too wide, your eyes may sit towards the nasal portion of the lens, which means the optical center are probably over in the other direction. If the frame is very deep, and your eye site towards the top of the lens, then the optical centers may be down too low. Something else to ask about...
By process of elimination, they should be able to narrow it down and find SOMETHING that is causing you this grief. I'm just throwing suggestions out to you...these are exactly the things that I would check had you come to my office with the same problem.
Some people have extremely hard to correct eyes. My friend is one of those people. Her eyesight is so messed up. Her prescription is for the opposite problem that she has, but for some reason it helps her.
Mortimer, in light of past problems, make sure you are seeing a ophthalmologist, not an optician or optometrist, for the eye exam. (That's an M.D. with an eye specialty.) Tell him or her of your past dissatisfactions with new lenses.
It sounds to me (with no medical training but similar eye problems to yours) like these lenses are not the best you can do. Except for switching to bifocals or trifocals, there should be almost no adjustment period for a glasses prescription which is only a slight change.
ask for your prscription details from optician and take to other opticians and see what results you get.
Some glasses when - even slight adjustment made -
need to be worn for couple hours each day just to get used
to the alteration especially with varifocals