Getting Your First Pair of Eyeglasses? What You Need to Know

By Collins Sanders

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), at least 2.2 billion people experience vision impairment issues such as cataracts, refractive errors, age-related macular degeneration, and glaucoma. Most vision issues come with age or as a side effect of diseases like diabetes, but refractive errors are addressed using glasses. Around 88.4 million people experience refractive errors like myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, and presbyopia, which continue to see an upward trend.

Some factors cited for increased rates of refractive errors include excessive screen time, lack of exposure to sunlight, and a higher instance of doing near work. This has caused the demand for glasses to increase, which requires its own preparations and expectations for a smooth transition. Here, we list some of the essential things you should know when getting your first pair of eyeglasses.

Understand your prescription

Before getting a pair of eyeglasses, you need to undergo an eye exam to check your vision and receive a prescription that determines the kind of glasses you need. Understanding your prescription is important since it shows you what refractive error you have, and it’s the reference point used to create the right pair of glasses to correct your vision. An eye doctor will give you a copy of your prescription and explain what your eyes need, but familiarizing yourself makes it easier to talk to opticians when purchasing your glasses.

Some symbols you may encounter include ‘+,’ which specifies long-sightedness, and ‘-,' which represents short-sightedness. This is usually placed beside a number, which indicates the lens power needed. Moreover, the SPH or spherical number determines how strong the correction needs to be, and this can differ depending on the eye. Other figures like CYL (cylinder number) show astigmatism, while ADD indicates a need for reading or multifocal lenses.

Choose the right frames

Once you have your prescription, you need to pick out the frames for your glasses. It’s important to choose comfortable glasses since they’re an accessory meant to be worn frequently in order to see clearly, especially for those with a higher prescription. Generally, you should go for frames that are lightweight but made from sturdy materials, regardless of whether they’re made from plastic or metal.

Additionally, choosing the perfect glasses based on your face shape is essential, as it can complement your natural features. For example, square or rectangle frames are best for round faces, as this creates a good contrast that offsets the natural curve of their face. Conversely, those with square or angular faces should go for rounder shapes to soften their features and balance out the angles of their face.

Expect some side effects

Wearing glasses for the first time comes with some side effects as your eye muscles adjust to the prescription. The most common effects are headaches, but you may also experience mild nausea, dizziness, and eye strain that can be extremely uncomfortable while going through your daily activities. You may be tempted to stop wearing your glasses altogether, but it’s important to keep wearing them to help get your eyes used to your prescription.

If the fatigue or headaches are overwhelming, you can take periodic 10-20 minute breaks from wearing your glasses throughout the day. As time goes on, try to wear them for longer periods of time without breaks to ease into the habit of using your glasses consistently. However, if symptoms persist without any change, you should call your eye doctor to have a check-up and see if there are other reasons causing your discomfort.

Be aware of potential prescription changes

A prescription is not permanent, and there are different factors that can cause changes. For most people, their prescription changes because of the natural changes encountered by the eye due to a person’s lifestyle or health. Those who have excess screen time may need a higher prescription over time because of persistent eye strain, while others need an updated prescription because of older age.

For the most part, your prescription may change every one or two years, but it’s usually not indicative of any illnesses or special conditions. You’ll usually notice that you have difficulty seeing clearly, even with glasses on, or get persistent headaches. With this, you should get an updated eye exam and have new lenses made to accommodate these changes.

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