I have worn contacts for 10 years & when I try my glasses I can't see correct?

Question

When I put my glasses on everything seems magnified plus I get a dizzy feeling.. Is this normal? I have not worn glasses for 10 years.

I just got these glasses 1 year ago when my contact prescrition was changed.. My eyes have not changed since then.

Answer 1

I've been wearing contacts for two months now and the same happens to me. I see perfectly clear with my contacts but when it comes time to take them out at night and I put on my glasses, I can't see as clear. My glasses are the same perscription as my contacts, but now I can't see as clear with the glasses like you... I'm interested to see what other answerers come up with.

Answer 2

If everything seems bigger with your glasses, that should imply that you are long-sighted (+ve Rx, lenses thicker in the centre). If that isn't so, there is something wrong...
To a certain extent the effect is inevitable, but it shouldn't make glasses unwearable.
Adapting from contacts to glasses and vice-versa can take some time if the prescription is strong... (a few days, a week at most). Try wearing the glasses an hour or two every evening. It shouldn't affect your vision with contacts: the brain will become better at swapping if both the contacts and glasses *are* OK.

Other possibilities:
The glasses are badly fitted.
The magnification effect is worse if the glasses sit further from the face than is necessary, or at the wrong angle, or with the optical centres of the lenses the wrong distance apart.

That should certainly be checked.

Less likely with modern lenses, but to be considered, is the possibility that the contact lenses are affecting the cornea, causing oedema (swelling) so that when they are removed, the cornea is not a good match for the strength of the spectacles. If that is the case, it can take between week and a month without contacts for the corneas to return to the shape they *want* to be.

If it's not down to a very high prescription, or the fit of the glasses, and the prescription is reasonably up-to-date, that last possibility may need checking.

(Optometrist, retired)

Answer 3

When a prescription lens is placed in front of rather than directly in contact with the eye it actually does two things. It changes the focus of the light passing through the lens but it also changes the size (magnification) of the image you are seeing. Now when the lens is placed in contact with the eye it no longer changes the size of what you are looking at. It only affects the focus of the light passing through the lens.

The stronger the power of the lens in question, the more it affects image size. This is not an unusual problem at all. In fact it is very common for patients who wear contacts pretty much full time to have difficulty wearing glasses because the brain has to adapt to seeing the world in a different magnification size. If you were to totally stop wearing your contacts and only wear glasses for several days, your brain would adapt to seeing the world through your glasses and your dizziness would go away.

Unfortunately, there isn't much that can be done to deal with this problem because I'm sure you don't want to quit wearing your contact lenses. You might think about having laser vision correction. This would solve your problems because you would be able to see full time the same as if you were wearing your contacts and you would no longer need glasses as a backup. Hope this helped.

Answer 4

It may be because you are so used to wearing contacts. There is something called an anti glare coating. Contact wearers are so used to seeing without glare that when they try glasses for the first time in a while they can't get used to them. I would try to go back to where you got your glasses (or get a new exam with a new prescription) and try an anti reflective lens. If you have problems after your glasses are dispensed to you make sure that they gave you your exact prescription.
Also sometimes it take about a week to get fully used to a new prescription (or glasses if you haven't worn them in a while) so with a pair of glasses you should try to wear them full time for a week before you decide they don't work for you. As a contact wearer myself that advice sucks but try it!
Good luck!

Answer 5

It is possible that you have the wrong prescription on your glass or it might be that you are just not used to glasses. Glasses, if they are the same prescription as your contacts, will still cause you to see a little more clearly. But if you are getting dizzy even after wearing them for a while then you might have the wrong prescription in them. I would go to an eye doctor and get it checked out. Good luck! :)

Answer 6

What I just found out was that your glasses prescription is stronger than your contact prescription. It's so you can focus and see things close up while wearing your contacts. That's what happens to me. I can't see as clearly with my glasses than with my cotacts. Just ask your doctor to lower your prescription if it's really bothering you. The dizziness thing though, may be something serious. Talk to your eye docter he can help. It also may be that since you are so used to your contacts it may take while for your eyes to adjust.

Answer 7

I'd be really nervous about messing with my own prescriptions. It might work, but I think you'd be better off with too weak a prescription, than damaging your eyes further with too strong. I know personally that I was sick (stomach aches, and headaches) for about a year after being prescribed an incorrect prescription.

Answer 8

I tell my patients to try them out for 1 wk. If you are still having problems then they should come back and see me. At 1 year it is a little late to say there is something wrong with the glasses and you would probably need an exam.

Answer 9

it may be time to get some new glasses and have your prescription updated in them

Answer 10

you may think you eyes have not changed but they could have