New Eyeglasses Don't Work? Get Results!

Few discoveries disappoint more than putting on brand new prescription spectacles and not being able to see clearly.

What happened? Things were so sharp, so crisp in the eye doctor's examining room!

Could I have been imagining things?

Is my eyesight not as good as I believed?

Relax, you have not lost your mind. Odds are there is a clear explanation and an easy solution.

The most likely answer is that an error has occurred. Yes, a mistake! Somewhere between the vision chart and the cash register somebody goofed-up. Let's break it down:

• Measurement errors made by the doctor leave your poor eyes over-corrected or under-corrected.


• Transcription errors are extremely common in a busy clinic. For example, accidentally putting a MINUS sign where a PLUS sign was intended. Sometimes measurements for each eye are accidentally switched.


• Tabular errors happen when data from one form (or screen) is incorrectly transferred to a different form (or screen). Your doctor's written prescription may be precise but the clerk in the optical shop copied it wrong.


• Processing errors also happen in busy workplaces. Mrs. Anita Jones' new lenses are mistakenly fitted into Mrs. Anna Jones' new frames.


• Fabrication errors can be discovered by verifying the lens correction. Opticians and lab technicians are humans, too!

Some estimates claim one-third of all prescription eyewear harbor a significant measurable error. If you suspect that your new glasses have a problem, bring them back to the local optical shop and ask the manager to remeasure the lenses and verify that the optician's numbers precisely match the eye doctor's prescription. If the optical shop says their glasses conform to the original prescription bring the new glasses back to your eye doctor. Be sure to bring all paperwork, receipts, and prescriptions. The eye doctor's staff can also remeasure the lenses and verify that the numbers on your most recent clinic chart match the doctor's prescription.

If everyone says that the glasses are exactly as prescribed then consider asking for a follow-up appointment and a repeat refraction.

Related Topics:

• Eyeglasses That Do the Job: Appropriate Lenses for Computer Work, Sports – and More
• Eyeglasses for Infants and Children

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