Is my optician talking shit?

[opticianfish]

A couple of years ago I went to the optician and was prescribed glasses for reading. I never got on with them. They made me feel seasick, and although I tried them for up to 10 minutes at a time, I really couldn't last longer than that. My eyes are basically fine though, so I just didn't bother.

At my checkup today, I mentioned this to him. His response was that because I have astigmatism, my brain needs to get used to wearing glasses and his solution was to prescribe me some distance glasses to wear all day every day for a week AND a pair of glasses for computer/reading work. The distance glasses will only need to be worn for a week full-time until my brain gets used to reading glasses. Two pairs of glasses plus cheap frames, that's £200

Also, apparently my eyes were blinking after he put a bright light in them (?!), that'll be £11 for some eye drops for dry eyes.

Do I need to look for a new optician or does this make any sense? I tried asking him lots of questions, but he was a bit of a bullshit waffler, which has made me distrust pretty much everything!

The only problems I actually have are night vision when driving, and yes, I've noticed one eye is stronger than the other and small print is more of a struggle than it used to be.

Night driving with an uncorrected astigmatism is more difficult, so the distance glasses could help for driving. Personally though I’d get another eye test at a different optician and see what they say.

I don't know about his solution with the distance glasses, but I've been given similar advice about astigmatism. I wear contact lenses all day every day, and the last few pairs of glasses I've got (just to have as spares) have made me feel very seasick when wearing them. The optician told me that because of the astigmatism correction in the glasses, this can be normal and would wear off once I got used to them.

Hmmm, not sure. I've got two (different and quite large) astigmatisms in each eye and I've never had to "get used to" glasses before. I am short sighted though.

I'm a regular glasses wearer and have been for the last 25 years. When I get a new pair of frames (same prescription) it takes me up to week to get used to them. The adjustment of the how the frame sits across your eyes does affect your sight and whilst I'm not suffering any kind of wild vertigo, I do definitely experience that slight dizzy or wonky feeling until I settle into the frames.

Whether it needs a £200 collection of frames to push through this stage is another question. If you only have a mild prescription, I'd recommend popping into Boots or some such place and picking up a pair of their pre-made glasses, choosing the one closest to your prescription. You can get a set for around a fiver. Give them a go for a week or so and go from there.

They tend to do those eye tests in heavily air conditioned rooms so I am not surprised you need eye drops.

As to the rest of it, it sounds about right. I also have astigmatism and it took me a hellishly long time to get used to my first glasses.

There are still certain situations where the glasses don’t seem to help. When I am tired and on my phone in bed, it’s easier to take them off and sort of squint at my phone with one eye closed.

It’s definitely a degenerative eye setup and I was told 4 years ago (I am 2 years overdue) that it’s very likely I will need reading glasses next time. Had I gone on time I would have been 47 at the time.

I sometimes think medical professionals get flustered talking to those with little knowledge of technical stuff and it feels like them just trying to fob you off. But honestly any optician can pick up any set of glasses and tell you the prescription so if your guy is trying to flog you stuff you don’t need, he’s going to be found out if you go elsewhere next time. I just don’t think they would risk their license - or whatever it is they have - for the sake of a few hundred quid. It would be far less risky for their shop assistants to try to flog you the most expensive frames in the shop.

Oh and astigmatism means something like having rugby ball shaped eyes or something? So it sounds right to be that it takes longer for the brain to get used to process glasses information.

We are not normal :)

But there are many of us.

Upselling seems to be the norm now with opticians. Before you're half way through the door they're pushing their contact lens scheme, then telling you you need blephoritis wipes, or eye drops, then its the glasses insurance. The eye test is almost an afterthought.

Your glasses prescription(s) seem weird, correction for astigmatism (unless its crazy numbers) is no harder to get use to than "nomal" lenses, IMO. I'd go somewhere else and get a second opinion, see how they match.

Missing point of entire thread but I hadn't realised having astigmatism would mean it would take some time to get used to glasses. I got a mild prescription 2 years ago for it having never worn glasses and didn't get on with them so stopped bothering! Oops!

I've had an astigmatism for decades and have never had to get used to glasses
I don't drive, but you may find a benefit in the distance glasses when driving at night

4 years ago I had to switch to varifocals, it was hell, constantly felt seasick till I got used to them and I'd worn glasses for 30 years. I have an astigmatism

I have varifocal and astigmatism.
When I first got varifocal, it took me a while to get used to them.
BUT I’ve never had any issues with astigmatism + short sighted only.

The questions I’d have is

• do the reading glasses you have also correct astigmatism?
• if you don’t need long distance/day glasses, is it because your astigmatism is actually quite mild? (I’m thinking general vision but also night vision there)
• im struggling to see how getting used to glasses during the day will help you with reading glasses as they will be very different prescription/glasses anyway. Surely you adjust just as much to the glasses themselves than to the type of prescription.

Fwiw I’ve had issues with adjusting to new prescription with varifocal. But I’ve also had issues adapting when the (new!) prescription was wrong. A review with the optician was needed and new lenses ordered (at their cost btw)

I got told by a hospital opthamologist that if you get travel sick it can be harder to get used to wearing glasses. Smaller lenses would be easier to wear.
This was after I got my first pair which I couldn't walk in. It felt like I was on a boat. Weirdest feeling. I was ok sitting down. Luckily I only needed them for driving.

I now have the smallest lenses I can find and I can walk in them.

My daughter has astigmatism also and they gave her a new prescription and she felt the same. She wore glasses prior all the time. He said to wear them at home and her others to school to help her used to them xxxx

IDK if he's talking crap but at my last eye test, I specifically asked for some distance glasses that corrected my astigmatism without correcting my reading/close work purely for driving at night. They were a godsend and I am lost without them (and of course, I've lost them). It's annoying paying for two pairs but it makes such a difference for driving.

What sort of eyedrops were they?

Took me w while, kept grabbing things like door handles and missing them - weird! It was fine after a short time tho

Hycosan Extra

You don't say how old you are @opticianfish but if you are over the age of 40 two pairs of glasses/varifocals are very common. And dry eyes are too. Unfortunately these are all age related changes.

FWIW You can get hycosan cheaper online as a general rule.

What I haven't hear about before is needing distance glasses for a week, so I would be tempted to take your prescription to another opticians and get it checked. You aren't required to buy your glasses etc from where you get your test done.

I'm 45, so understand it's likely I'll need glasses.

It's the "pair of glasses to get used to the other pair of glasses" that seemed odd.

Very odd @opticianfish and neither have I. Although I have had glasses most of my life. The cost of a test is fairly low so I would definitely check it out elsewhere or just bite the bullet and buy only the primary pair of glasses, saying that if you struggle to settle with them you will rethink.