Seeing Better with NO glasses

[Parrothead64]

I bought a new pair of glasses about a month ago.  My old pair was still OK with just a little blurriness so I got a new RX and new glasses.  Right from the start I noticed they were more blurry than the previous pair and noticed this especially when I looked at our LED cable box.  It was blurry with the NEW glasses, but not with the old ones.  Also, standing more than 4 feet away, the cable box was blurry with the new glasses, but with either the old glasses or NO glasses on at all, it is crystal clear.  They adjusted the nose pads because they thought the glasses were sitting too high on my face.  But whether I look through them at the very top of the frame or at the bottom, what I see is still more blurry than with my old glasses or with no glasses at all.  I've read that I should give them a break-in period of about two weeks.  Would this be normal if I can see better without glasses than with the new glasses?

[JohnHaganMD]

I'm assuming you are somewhat myopic (near sighted) and thus at certain distances you can see clear with or without your glasses.  Given what you've said your RX is probably pretty small like -1.00 or less.   If you will re-read my answer I think it says it all. Your new glasses should be better than the old glasses at distances greater than 20 feet (look out the window at something far away and compare the w) and better with new for something very very small like medicine bottle printing. If not something is wrong with the new glasses and waiting won't help and you are better off asking for your money back or having the old RX put in new RX  at no charge. If very far away and very close is clearer with new glasses you may adjust over 2 weeks if not get back in quickly so you don't end up with a pair of expensive glasses you don't like.  JCH MD

[Parrothead64]

Sorry, I meant to add that I did bring them in for a recheck, and they said everything should be working fine.  They don't understand what the problem is.

[Parrothead64]

Your assumptions are correct, I am 51 and both my old and new glasses are bifocal progressives.  It seems odd that no matter how I adjust my new glasses (slowly move them up or down in front of my eyes) I just see a green blob instead of numbers from anywhere more than 4 ft away.  What I don't understand is that looking at something from any distance greater than 4 ft it's clear either without glasses or with the older ones.  One final question please -- should I wear them for two weeks to "break them in" or am I past that?  Thanks for your help.

[JohnHaganMD]

I am assuming, perhaps incorrectly, that 64 is your birth year meaning you would would be about 50. If that is the case then likely both your old and new glasses would be a bifocal type hopefully progressives. If you have lined bifocals or trifocals there will be distances you can't see because they are too close for the top and too far for the bottom. In that case to compare the new and old you would need to look at something further than 20 feet away through the top (distance) and compare old and new. The new should be better. Then you should compare them through the reading part about 20 inches away and the new should be clearer.  If not you need to continue to work with the "doctor" and optician to get a pair you are happy with. If you wear single vision and you are younger than 40 something is wrong with the new glasses.  If you are older than 40 and you wear single vision glasses you may need progressive bifocals (no lines) to see as good as you can. (you yourself mentioned your old glasses seemed a little blurry).  You should schedule a "glasses recheck" with the optom or ophthalmologist that wrote the RX. Bring new and old glasses. Ask when you schedule this if you will be charged. Most MDs and ODs will do at least one "glasses recheck" at no charge if done within 30 days or less of getting the new glasses.   JCH MD

[Parrothead64]

By the way I went back to the eye doctor and their on-site lab verified that the lenses were done at the specs she requested.