Table of contents:
- The reason for the need to use glasses
- Why do you get dizzy when you wear new glasses?
- How to reduce dizziness when wearing new glasses?
For those of you who are new to wearing glasses, have you ever felt dizzy when you first used them? In addition, you may feel dizzy when you just change your glasses. This can make you wonder if this is normal or not. So, does dizziness when wearing new glasses indicate certain conditions?
The reason for the need to use glasses
Usually, doctors prescribe glasses for certain medical conditions. The most frequent cases, namely nearsightedness or myopia.
People with nearsightedness have a blurry vision when looking at objects that are further away. This happens because the light that enters the eye falls in front of the retina, not on the retina. Usually, this condition is caused by the shape of the cornea of the eye that is too curved or the eyeball is longer than usual.
Apart from nearsightedness, there are several other medical conditions that require a person to wear prescription glasses, farsightedness or hypermetropy, esotropia, cylindrical eyes or astigmatism, and lazy eye or amblyopia.
Why do you get dizzy when you wear new glasses?
Using glasses for certain medical conditions can make your vision appear clearer. However, sometimes you can feel dizzy when it's the first time you use it or when your doctor changes your eyeglass prescription.
Generally, this is very natural. Laura Di Meglio, an ophthalmology instructor from Johns Hopkins Medicine, said that when you first wear glasses or use new prescription glasses, your eyes are adapting in the process of seeing.
At that time, your eyes are learning to compensate for their unusual vision. The small muscles in the eye suddenly have to adjust to the new vision. As a result of this sudden adaptation, you can experience dizziness or headaches.
Dizziness when wearing new glasses usually lasts one week. Over time, your eyes become accustomed to and are more comfortable when wearing these glasses.
If the condition persists for more than a week of use, this could be a sign of something wrong with your eyes or glasses. It could be that the eyeglass frame you are wearing does not fit your face so that it presses on the nose or behind the ear.
Also, you may get glasses that don't match the prescription. The optician you are aiming for may be misreading the doctor's eyeglass prescription. However, your doctor may also give you an incorrect prescription.
In this condition, you can experience tired eyes or eyestrain so that it can cause dizziness. When it's like this, you have to rest your eyes and go back to the doctor to get the right prescription.
How to reduce dizziness when wearing new glasses?
The dizziness that occurs when wearing new glasses can make you uncomfortable. However, you have to get in the habit of getting rid of the dizziness.
Brieann Adair, an optometrist and clinical instructor at NYU Langone Health, says wear new glasses for at least 3-4 hours then take a break for a few days. This habit can make your eyes adapt.
However, if dizziness when wearing new glasses bothers you, consult a doctor. The doctor will recheck if there is something wrong with your glasses or eyes.
As for getting rid of dizziness due to tired eyes after wearing new glasses, you can rest your eyes for a while. Adjust the lighting in your home, limit viewing on a computer screen or cell phone, or use eye drops to treat dry eye caused by fatigue.
