Varifocal Glasses: Tips For A Swift Adjustment Period

Varifocal lenses are just as bifocals but better and more appealing.

If you are both long and shortsighted, varifocal glasses are nothing short of a blessing to you. Varifocal or multifocal lenses have different vision powers on their lenses so you don’t have to shuffle between different pairs of glasses. How sweet!

Varifocals are one of the most useful innovations in the eyewear sector and have resolved the lives of millions of bespectacled folks.

As the name gives away, varifocals have various focal powers for various distances. While the top of the lens is reserved for distance viewing, the middle part is meant to give a better intermediate vision and the area on the bottom of the lenses is for close-up tasks.

Unlike bifocals, varifocals don’t have repulsive segregating lines on their lens surface and give more room to smooth transitions. So, they enhance your vision and appearance at the same time.

Who needs varifocal glasses?

Most of the people with refractive errors are nearsighted (the eye condition where nearby objects are clear but distant vision is poor) due to the abundance of close-up tasks they perform everyday.

When we approach our 40s, we are hit by a normal age-related vision change known as presbyopia. It is the common loss of near vision due to the reduced flexibility of the crystalline lens inside our eye.

So if you are already nearsighted and your growing age has made you presbyopic, you will need glasses that give good vision at both near and far distances. There comes the varifocal glasses with their multifocal ability to take away your worries.

Moreover, there is also an eye condition called ‘astigmatism’ that might need you to wear varifocal lenses. Astigmatism is the vision problem that stems from the irregularly shaped cornea. In this case, the light rays do not refract properly on the focal points on your retina.

People with astigmatism may have both distorted near and distant vision. In this case, you could also benefit from a pair of varifocals to get a better view wherever you look at.

Is adjusting to varifocals difficult?

Not only varifocal glasses, your eyes will experience a little trouble with every new pair of eyeglasses. This is what we call ‘the adjustment period’.

Your eyes will take some time to get used to the new found vision power and you will have to deal with eye strain for a while.

However, this problem could be intensely felt in cases of varifocal glasses. Because your eyes are not used to seeing through different lens powers, you might feel headaches, blurry vision and eye pain for upto a week or more based on how consistent you are in your approach.

Here are some ways to help you shorten the adjustment period.

Wear your varifocals for a long time

We know that wearing your new glasses for hours may not be comfortable for you. However, you must get your eyes into the habit of looking through those varifocal lenses. An average human takes about 21 days to build a habit.

Make it your aim to wear your new glasses as much as possible and as long as possible. Use them the first day, second day, third day and every day consistently to help your eyes adapt to the change.

Do not go back to your old pair

There is a reason why your optometrist recommended you new varifocals. We completely get the comfort and ease your eyes have grown accustomed to with your old glasses, but they aren’t of any use to you now.

So, you must train your eyes by training your mind first. If you go back to your prescription glasses, you’ll go one step far from getting used to your new varifocals.

Driving in your new glasses is a risky business

Your eyes are bound to go through episodes of discomfort during the adjustment phase. While you are still struggling to see clearly through your new lenses, you should avoid taking part in any crucial activities that require close attention such as driving. It can increase your risk of life threatening road accidents.

Move your eyes, not your head

The key to train your eyes to look through the different lens sections, you have to move your peepers more and not your head. Whether you are looking at something at a distance or reading a book, move your eyeballs instead of looking up or down by moving your head.

Make sure the frame fits well

Varifocals can be a little tricky to get used to. And on top of that, if your frame doesn’t sit well on your face, there is no way you can ever make it through the adjustment phase. When you are buying online glasses, recheck the facial measurements given by you and always pick a frame that has adjustable nose pads.

Keep that chin up

When you are reading, you can see better if you move your chin slightly up and look down with your eyes. This way, your eyes will learn how to look at nearby objects and you will have a quick adjustment period.

Always buy good-quality varifocals

The quality of your new glasses also factors in when deterring the value they add to your vision. So, if you want your varifocals to be your visual aid the way they are supposed to be, you must buy them from a trusted brand.

Specscart is a proud manufacturer of quality varifocal glasses with protective lens coatings to give the customers maximum visual comfort. If you’ve been coping up with vision problems, you are welcome to have an eye test from us at our stores in Walkden or Bury.