problem with glasses on new prescription

[louannef77]

I have been wearing glasses for over 30 years and have gotten a new prescription a few months ago, these are with bifocals, my first and I have a bad astigmatism.  I noticed that the vision in my left eye for close up was not clear, I returned to the store where they were purchased and was told, that people have a dominate eye and that the two must work together.  I have never been told anything of the sort previously and I feel that the prescription for the lens is not right.  Wouldn't it put a strain on both eyes?  I do a lot of reading and computer work.  Another patient told me on the way out that his wifes glasses were also not right according to an optometrist, and there was someone next to me when they looked at the glasses that had the same sort of complaint.
Thank you.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

You're welcome
JCH III MD

[louannef77]

Thank you very much for your assistance!

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

There is no way to tell for sure. The first pair of bifocals is usually an adjustment for most people, some never adjust.

You might get out an old pair of single vision glasses and compare the distance vision in the two eyes and see if you find a difference in the two eyes. If you do then what you were told may hold.

It is true that one eye often sees better than the other and that the loss of focus power in the two eyes is frequently not exactly equal.

JCH III MD