Are you new to the glasses game? Have you received a prescription for a new pair of glasses?
If yes, you may get to know that there is a period of adjustment for being familiar with new glasses.
In addition to this, whether you wear glasses for the first time or replace an old one, you may feel uncomfortable and clumsy with your new image. Not only that, but you may feel particular symptoms of adjustment, which are equally problematic.
Now, what are these symptoms of adjustment? How long does it take to adjust to new glasses? And what tricks can be helpful to reduce the unpleasant changes?
Let us try to find answers to the above questions and vanish away the discomfort of wearing new glasses.
Problems You Face While Adjusting To New Glasses
Following are the problems you may face during the adjustment period of new glasses:
- Ill-Fitting Frames
The first problem you may face while putting on new glasses is ill-fitting. Whether you are a newbie or an old user, if your frame is too tight or loose, you will be able to experience headaches and bodily pain.
To avoid such conditions, the most appropriate thing you can do is match up your face shape with regard to the style and size of the frame. You can follow this helping guide to know about suitable glasses for your face shape.
- Eyestrain
Eyestrain is another major problem that many people face while adjusting to new glasses.
There are two causes behind this problem. The foremost cause is the familiarity of your eyes with the old prescription lenses. And another cause is the focal point of the eyes that gets fixed on the old lenses.
So whenever you wear the new glasses, the routine of your eyes and focal point on the lenses gets changed. As a result, your eyes feel stress, redness, or tears in the worst cases.
However, as time passes with the constant use of new glasses, your eyes will learn to focus through these glass lenses.
So, don’t worry if you are not sure that do your eyes have to adjust to new glasses. As it requires only a couple of days to get habituated to new prescription eyeglasses.
- Headache
Headache is the common side effect you may face while getting familiar with new prescription eyeglasses. It happens because your brain has habituated to react to the old prescription eyeglasses.
But, when you wear new eyeglasses, your brain finds it difficult to respond to the new focal points, which causes headaches. To dodge this problem, put on your new glasses regularly. You can also avoid this problem by doing eye exercises.
- Distorted Vision
People who opt for bifocal and varifocal glasses require plenty of time to adapt to new glasses. So, you can say that in such cases, the question of how long does it take to adjust to new glasses gets answered very late!
That happens because such people have never used glasses or have only a single eye lens in their eyeglasses. Yet, by wearing bifocal and varifocal eyeglasses, they can obtain the benefits of both concave and convex lenses to rectify myopia and hypermetropia.
Since the upper part of these glasses enables the wearer to see distant objects. And the lower portion of the eyeglasses allows them to view closer things. So, it is evident for the wearer to encounter distorted vision.
However, with patience, practice, and regular usage of such eyeglasses, it is possible to adjust to the new glasses within a few days.
- Fishbowl Effect
The fishbowl effect is also another adjustment period effect. It occurs when images you view from your eyes appear to turn along the edges. The world would look like you are looking through a fishbowl.
How long does it take to adjust to new glasses with the fishbowl effect?
If you are experiencing the fishbowl effect, the most helpful way to adjust to your new eyeglasses is by sporting them while driving, cooking, or going out.
- Issue With Astigmatism Eyeglasses
People who have moderate or severe astigmatism also need a little time for modifying themselves with new astigmatism glasses. The wearer may feel dizziness, a little pain, or headache in the initial days of wearing. However, the acquaintance with new eyeglasses may get better between three days to a week.
If it takes more than 2-3 weeks, then there are chances that your glasses prescription may be wrong, or your eye lenses might not have been made correctly. So, to double-check your prescription, you can schedule a visit again with your optometrist.
How Long To Adjust To New Glasses Exactly
It does not matter whether you are wearing glasses with an increased prescription or sporting them for the first time. Your eyes and brain can take a period of a few days to two weeks to adjust to a new eye frame.
Now, if you buy new glasses with the same old prescription, different glasses or frames can change your vision till you get used to the new glasses.
Another thing that needs consideration is the complexity of your prescription. That implies whether you buy lenses with premium optics or ordinary spherical lenses. Both have different impacts on the adjustment time of the frame.
Similarly, the polycarbonate material can also impact the adjustment time. So, you can consult your eye doctor to know your possible adjustment time.
After you have understood how long to adjust to new prescription glasses, let us go through some helpful tips that may help you to acclimate to new glasses.
Some Useful Tips For Adjusting To New Glasses
Following are the tips you could get help from:
- Wear New Glasses Regularly
The first thing you need to do is to start wearing glasses regularly. Whether you are reading, sewing, or doing anything, make sure you carry them everywhere. Because having them may help you avoid stress and see things with clarity.
- Stop Wearing Previous Glasses
Most people keep their old glasses with them forever if they are not broken. Folks, there is nothing wrong with doing this. But do not think of wearing your old glasses again, as switching between old and new glasses will only deteriorate the situation.
The most appropriate thing you can do is re-use your old frame if it is in satisfactory condition. You can also only replace its lenses with new ones.
- Use The Advanced Coating Glasses
Nowadays, people work on computers or electronic screen devices for long hours. Due to this, their eyesight gets more vulnerable to UV rays and blinding glares.
You can buy blue-light-blocking eyeglasses with an anti-glare coating to protect the eyes from these effects. Furthermore, you can purchase photochromic glasses too. Photochromic lenses are the lenses that change color in the existence of UV rays.
In addition to the above, there are a few other actions that you can follow to protect your eyes from constant stress. That is to honor the 20:20 rule. Under it, you will take a 20-second break after every 20 minutes of spending time on electronic devices. Also, make sure you do not use mobile phones during this 20-20 break.
Other good things you can do are stop using smartphones before sleeping, eat a nutritional diet, drink sufficient water, and work out. You can do a few eye exercises to keep them healthy.
Long Story Short
We know that the adjustment period of eyeglasses is the most annoying phase. But the happy news is that it will end for sure. It could take two to three days and approximately one to two weeks maximum to get disappeared.
However, it can take longer if you opt for bifocals, varifocals, or astigmatism glasses. Whether for the first time or as a new prescription.
And, if you are still experiencing eye strain, distorted vision, dizziness, and headaches after two weeks. Then, it is time you should contact your doctor.
Your eye doctor may go for the required changes in the prescription or also find if there was an error in the old glasses prescription.
We hope your queries related to knowing how long does it take to adjust to new glasses are answered now.
Still have questions? Let us know in the comments below. We are happy to help you out.

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