Can't read the computer at all with my new progressive lenses!! :(

[PrincessShmoo]

Oh man, you guys! I am in trouble with this subject.

I have worn readers for years. Two different ones - one for reading and one for watching tv. Driving wasn't a problem until now.

Sooooo, several months ago I got progressives from Target. I made it into the parking lot before I ripped them off. I knew they were going back and they did within a week. I just could NOT do it. I could hardly walk with them on.

More recently I ordered bi-focals from the Optician that is connected to my doctor's office (for a lot more money). I brought those back, too. They made me a nervous wreck and I was having crying fits just trying to get used to them. Besides, I hated not having mid-range and I hated the way they looked with the line. So, they are changing them into progressives (for even more money). I believe it will be a better quality than Target (?) so I am gonna give them a chance before I wind up with single lenses from the Optician. I think that is my last option.

I just don't think I can do it - with either bi-focals (does anyone wear bi-focals??) or progressives. I have no idea what to do at this point. I know everyone says to give it time. But, I put them on and literally can't stand them. I don't know what to do!

When I get new glasses (went directly to progressive lenses when I started wearing glasses), I don't just put them on and expect to wear them 100 percent of the time.

I will keep wearing my old glasses, but, every morning when I get up I put on the new ones for XX amount of time (increasing length of time every other day or so). When I can't stand it any longer, the old ones come back out.

It usually takes about 3-4 weeks to feel fully comfortable with the new glasses (for me), so it is a process and takes time. The hardest thing I had to learn when I first started wearing glasses was getting used to the light reflections on the lenses and my brain learning to ignore them. That and the actually having to look down (with my head, not just my eyes) when going up/down stairs.

I was told by my eye doctor that procedure works best because, after you've been asleep, your eyes will accept whatever correction is put in front of them more readily in the morning. And as the day wears on, you brain just seems to recognize that something is different than it used to be and tells you to give up after a period of time. But each day starts a new cycle.

Typically the people who do best adjusting to progressives are those who never wore glasses before. Then come those who go from single vision to progressive. The people who've already had lined bi-focals do the worst making the adjustment.

 

[floridafam]

Have them take measurements again. This shouldn’t be happening. Yes, they can be an adjustment, but this sounds like incorrect measurements.

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

I have been fighting the idea of this for the past few years. I can see everything up close just fine, but I cannot see anything in the distance. So I keep my glasses on top of my head and just flip them up and down. It is not the best system I know.

 

[mom2rtk]

I've never been able to read on the computer with my progressives. They're great for distance and for reading. But computer? Nope. So I just take them off. Sometimes I just embrace my inner librarian and look over the top of them.

 

[PollyannaMom]

I often find myself pushing my progressives up slightly when I'm working on the PC, as if I need a thicker nosepiece. But my yearly check is in about a week, so I'm waiting to see if my Rx has changed a little.

 

[LouChris]

I have had progressives for 18 years. I have had one set that where not made properly, the way that I could tell that is that when I was watching tv (i'm hearing impaired) I could not see to read the closed caption and I was sitting quite a way back. Those I took back and they measured them and yep they were made way wrong.

As for the computer I am at a double monitor all day. I have had them make a pair of "computer glasses". It's a combination of my near and far vision that is especially for my computer. When I first started it I got a pair of 89 dollar frames and the cheapest lens they had. Now I rotate my old frames down to my computer glasses frames and get a little better lenses. Otherwise my neck would be killing me at the end of the day. It just depend on how much you will be at the computer.

 

[ronandannette]

I've never been able to read on the computer with my progressives. They're great for distance and for reading. But computer? Nope. So I just take them off. Sometimes I just embrace my inner librarian and look over the top of them.

After having congenital cataracts removed at a young age and artificial lens implanted, progressives were the only viable option for me. I took their advice and also had a special pair of “computer bifocals” (they only correct near and mid-distance) made as my work requires me to be at a screen 8 hours a day. Best money I ever spent. I do have to switch them out several times a day for meetings and when I’m up and around away from my desk but honestly, I’d encourage everyone with this problem to look into it.

 

[rotlex]

I started wearing progressives 4 years ago. I love them. With that said, as others have mentioned, when I first got them, I thought something was horribly wrong with them. I do computer work for a living and could not see my screen. Looked like a fish bowl even. After 1-2 weeks, things got better. Much better and they work perfectly. Now, I switched to contact lenses a year ago and will never look back, lol. I just keep the glasses for emergencies, lol.

 

[John VN]

Have them take measurements again. This shouldn’t be happening. Yes, they can be an adjustment, but this sounds like incorrect measurements.

+1 ^^^ My first pair of Progressive's followed 34 years first with regular then lined bifocal then lined trifocal. Had to give up on the Progressive because focusing for the job I had was very difficult and went back to tri. Waited a number of years and tried Progressive again with success thanks to improvements. The current pair I wear has a very expansive FIELD OF CLARITY even if not looking straight at objects.

 

[NotUrsula]

I have 2 prescriptions, my regular daily one for contact lenses that is tailored mostly for close/middle distance (I normally only wear one, in my "bad" eye; the other is OK for distance most of the time), and a pair of distance-vision glasses that I keep for driving long distances, because my contacts get too dry when I have them focused at the same depth of field for hours at a time. I recently changed eye doctors and am now going to one that is more of a specialist.

I told the new doctor that I had tried progressives twice, and abandoned them both times after spending quite a lot to get them made. After the exam he said that he was not surprised. Apparently, people like me who have a very different visual acuity in each eye often cannot ever really adapt well to progressive eyeglasses. My scrip is -3.75L/+.5R. (Why every other eye doctor I've ever seen failed to explain this I don't know.)

 

[lisaviolet]

Have not read the entire thread but how large are your frames?

Some places will put progressives in lenses that are simply not large enough.

 

[DVC-Don]

I have glasses for just the computer now.

 

[goofyernmost]

I can, but it requires pointing your head upward, looking down through the lower part of the lenses and that can get uncomfortable. When reading something below our eyeline it is natural to be looking down through the lower part of your glasses. Computers are eye level basically. I just always use readers when on the computer because progressives are a lot handier when outside doing regular close up work but worth it in those cases. It eliminates carrying around an additional pair of glasses.

 

[lucas]

I really can't understand how anyone can walk around with these things! Seriously, I don't know.

As I stated above, my first pair didn't work out. I am giving it another try and waiting for them to come in. I am really worried I am not going to be able to do it. What then? Will I have to stick with my drug store readers (even for driving?!).

 

[DVCjj]

I just received my new glasses today which have progressive lenses (it's my first time with this type of lens). I know they will take a while to get used to... I've dragged my feet to even get to this point because I've dreaded not having a full field of vision. I can be kind of picky with certain things and just had the feeling that seeing blurry spots and having to keep moving my head every which way to focus would annoy me to no end, but decided to bite the bullet and just go for it.

Granted, I've only had them a few hours... I do intend on giving them a fair chance and waiting a couple weeks to see how I adjust. Yes, I am annoyed by certain things but I feel with time maybe I can adjust. For almost everything I need to focus on it's simply a matter of moving my head into the right position for things to become clear and focused. HOWEVER, there is one thing that is just not working at all and that is not being able to focus on the computer screen. I cannot bring the words into clear view no matter what distance I put the computer or how I angle my head. I've tried the computer near, medium, far, my head tilted down, up, and in the middle... nothing is working! The clearest I can get the computer text is still all warpy and somewhat doubled, and even slight movements of my head make everything on the screen seem to do a weird fisheye movement. Also, the best I can get it still only focuses on a small area of the screen; I have to move my head around if I want to see other parts of the screen. I do freelance graphic design at home which is all on the computer, and during the day I work with middle school kids, a good bit of time is on the computer. Is it normal to have this much trouble focusing on the computer screen with progressives? I feel like I can't see it getting better since I can't ever get it to be clear. I figured it had more to do with your head/eye coordination and your body just needing time of learning the best angle to focus, yet if that's the case, then what does that mean for my inability to find ANY angle that gets the computer screen in focus? Will my eyes just magically start to focus one day?

Feeling super frustrated... Any advice appreciated!

Do NOT give up. I was literally holding walls the first few days and still having some problems the first week. I had numerous people tell me not to give up and SO glad I did.

I LOVE Progressives. Your eyes will adjust. Just don’t get discouraged and make sure a reputable place (I always go to Costco) has followed the Dr’s lens prescription.

Good luck to you.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

I had issues with my progressive lenses, too, so ended up getting glasses with a very narrow computer distance band (the narrowest I could get) and my glasses are basically bifocals. They also turn into sunglasses. I got a separate pair of computer glasses. This works out the best for me.

 

[lucas]

I was just wondering, with all the modifications some seem to get... where do you buy your progressives?

 

[lucas]

OP, I am having the same problem!

Just got home with new progressives that I purchased from the optical store connected to my doctor's office. They are Varilux lenses and seem to be way better than the ones I got from Target Optical.

They seem to be good, except I am also having a hard time figuring out how to use them in front of the computer!! How do I hold my head?? They are very blurry in front of the computer screen. When I look down at the keyboard, that part is crystal clear. I have only been home for about an hour, so hopefully over time, it will get better at the computer? Or, maybe my drugstore readers will be best for just the computer??

(Whew! I had a hard time even typing this post - it took forever!)

 

[SharonZ]

My first pair of progressives, I walked out of the office without any problems (none with computer) - they were perfect. I also wear "monovision" contacts. One contact for distance, one for closeness.

 

[goofyernmost]

I think a lot of people have that problem. It is that unnatural way you have to raise your head and then look down through the bottom of your glasses. I don't even worry about it, I just take my glasses off and have a cheap pair of readers nearby and use them. Even though I have a problem using the progressive ones on the computer I have no problem with them reading anything else and that tends to point to the angle that the object you are trying to see is being held. If the screen is blurry and the keyboard is clear that defines it completely.