For the past several years I've only needed reading glasses, bought them from Walmart's etc. but tired of taking them off when I'm doing other things and then putting them back on, so I purchased a pair of bifocals with progressive lens after an eye exam and prescription from my opthalmologist. However, since having them fitted last week I have been experiencing more dizziness than usual and I had an attack of vertigo Saturday morning upon attempting to arise from bed. The dizziness is enough so that it is keeping me from my usual activities which are already limited due to the Meniere's and hearing loss. Has anyone else had trouble with progressive lens; should I go back to reading glasses, or is the older type of bifocals with the visible line better for someone with Meniere's?
I have been wearing Progressives since I was 16 and I am 42. When I got a new prescription it took me a good day to adjust and not get dizzy. The eye doctor told me he usually tells people with inner ear issues to only use readers or lined bifocals because the progressive is known to cause vertigo.
I have never been able or perhaps been willing to go to the trouble to wear them. I have a balance deficit and balance mainly with my eyes. With progressives, the blurry space puts me off balance. I used two pairs of glasses til I got so I didnt need glasses for distance and now just wear readers. I got enough going on, I dont need to fight with a pair of glasses.
I wear bifocals,for,a,couple,of years now..when I first got them it messed me up for more than two weeks. Each time I get a stronger prescription it takes awhile to adjust. I think it's normal.
Thanks, fellow MD members. I appreciate your responses. Still not sure if I'll try to make the progressives work, or get different lenses for reading.
I just got progressives in the last couple weeks. Before that I was having lots of vertigo that I now think was MAV (migraine associated vertigo) triggered by eyestrain from my old glasses (just for distance) and my new difficulties reading close up. The adjustment was hard, but not too long. For a few days I had a vertigo triggered by the new glasses, but then I adjusted and they have been great. I haven't had any vertigo since.
I got progressives a little over a year ago, and while they didn't cause me any dizziness, it did take me about 2 -3 weeks to adjust to them. This also included two trips back to the optometrist to have the glasses themselves adjusted (how they sit on my nose, etc.). As far as using traditional bifocals I think it might be somewhat worse for someone with Meniere's since the switch between near and far vision is more extreme.
Just reporting in that I continue to love my progressives and believe they eliminated my MAV from eyestrain. Ironically, I avoided progressives for a long time thinking they would be bad for someone with a tendency for dizziness and vertigo. This week I picked up two more pairs--one progressive sunglasses and the other progressive computer glasses, which I'm using right now and I'm loving. I can see the screen better and can also read/write notes.
It's almost time for me to go check out my vision. I know reading is getting difficult so I know I'll need a new prescription. I will go with the bifocal progressives, but I'm hoping it's not too expensive to get the ones that adjust to brightness like sunglasses all in one. Between the frames and the lenses and all the extras it can add up. I'm going for plastic frames this time as I really dislike the way these plastic things leave deep grooves and redness on my nose. I never had that with plastic frames. And no designer frames for me, I'm too cheap! LOL!
That's not being too cheap, in my opinion. Why should we pay exorbitant prices just to have someone's name on items that we wear?
I have progressive lenses since a couple of years since a couple of years and everytime I change them, it takes a few days to get used to it. In my opinion the frame is definitely not the major point but the lenses should be of very good quality, specially for progressive lenses that makes a hudge difference. I could not get (here in Europe) proper quality for progressive that also get darker in the sun. I then bought no toned progressive lenses of good quality and normal quality progressive sun glasses. Kind regards Oxygen
I keep putting it off. I dislike that adjustment period and have too much going on right now to deal with it. After my sons wedding, Nov., I'll do it. I agree about the lenses being more important than the frames. I always make sure I get the scratch resistant lenses too. It's so sad that everything you add costs a little more and those costs add up. Most insurances don't even cover vision and if they do, it doesn't make a dent in the final cost. Same as insurance doesn't cover hearing aids. What happened? I guess," Quality oF Life," isn't important to insurance companies.
It seemed to me that the opticians were more concerned with the size of the frames for the progressives and that really limited my options (a sacrifice I was very happy to make). I told them that I had been having MAV from eyestrain, and I like to think that made them extra careful. If you have a Costco near you, they have much better prices than the typical optician.
Our Costco has an optometrist. I don't know if they all do. I think his business is separate from Costco, but he was in communication with the Costco opticians, and that was helpful to me. I liked him a lot, and he seemed knowledgeable. He was much less expensive than other optometrists. I'm guessing he has less overhead in Costco.
I went for my two year eye appointment today. My vision has changed, but not too much. I picked out cheap frames, $140.00. I got progressive, bifocals, transitional glasses. Total cost 430.00. I had a 50% coupon off of lenses. Insurance covered eye exam with a $15.00 co-pay. Insurance will also reimburse $70.00 on glasses. Unfortunately our insurance is changing and we will no longer have vision benefits. That sucks. What Is going on with insurance companies?? If you can't see or can't hear you're okay?? I don't get it. Just wondering if the cost of my new glasses seems excessive to anyone. Hubs didn't think it was so great...until I broke it down for him. I'll get my new glasses tomorrow. I wonder how long it will take me to get used to the new prescription.
Yay for seeing so well! I think mine were something like $270 at Costco. I know they have very good prices.