Every so often, a patient returns to my office within just a few months of their comprehensive eye exam, complaining of blurry or uncomfortable vision with their new glasses. Of course I am happy to double check my measurements and see if some change is in order, but I often find that the situation could have been prevented a couple of different ways.
First and foremost, whenever you have an eye exam, bring as much information as possible regarding your current and/or preferred vision correction. As an optometrist, my goal is not only to give you the clearest vision possible, but also to make it as easy as possible for you to adapt to your new glasses. If I have no idea what correction you’ve been using, I also have no idea if I’m making a big enough change to give you a headache. I have known people who almost seem to hold back information – because they don’t want to feel like the doctor is simply copying a previous prescription – but that sort of thinking can come back to bite you in the end.
If you do ever find yourself in the 2-4% of patients who have problems with their new glasses, my recommendation is first to stop by the optical department before ever seeing the doctor. I would venture to say that at least 50% of glasses re-checks I see involve problems that could have been solved by the optical department through measuring or adjusting the glasses. Especially if you are wearing a bifocal or progressive lens, stop by the optical first.
At the end of the day, prescriptions are variable, and mistakes can be made. If your eyes were quite dry or irritated the day of your exam, your vision may change once your eyes are feeling better. If your doctor saw 20 other people for exams the same day as you, statistics would suggest that at least one number on one person’s prescription was slightly off. I definitely subscribe to the theory of “measure twice, cut once,” but no one is perfect. If you can’t wear your new glasses that you paid good money for, please come in and let us help you! The last thing we want is for those beautiful glasses to go in a desk drawer until next year.
Costco Eye Doctor 