Warning Signs of a Wrong Eyeglass Prescription
For many people with refractive errors, wearing prescription eyeglasses is the way they achieve clarity of vision. Whether you’re being fitted for your first pair or your ninth pair of eyeglasses, the promise of sharp vision is always exciting.
Many people opt for the quick fix of eyeglasses when it comes to improving vision. After all, immediate results are what you get with eyeglasses.
Or so you think… cue thunder and lightning.
We put a lot of faith into our ophthalmologists and opticians, but the truth is they’re only human. When taking our eye measurements to find the correct prescription, they could very well make mistakes.
Human error is nothing to be ashamed of; we’ve all made our share of mistakes, I’m sure. However, that doesn’t mean we can’t be on the lookout for these mistakes. The next time you go for either an eyeglass or a contact lens fitting, note every day afterward how well your eyes see and how they feel. And, in the meantime, remember that doing eye exercises and undergoing vision therapy can help your eyes get stronger and see better in the long run.
Even after a careful fitting appointment, it’s totally possible that you have the wrong prescription. Here are some signs to look out for when you get a new prescription.
Headaches from Having the Wrong Prescription
Headaches are the most telling sign of a wrong prescription. Have you ever worn someone else’s glasses and suddenly felt dizzy with your head throbbing? You likely don’t have the same prescription as your friend.
However, when you get a new prescription, the headaches won’t come on as quickly as wearing someone else’s prescription. When your prescription is wrong, it’s probably off by the slightest amount.  But, this amount is enough to give you headaches.
What you want to look for is frequent headaches a few days after you’ve started wearing the new prescription. If you notice the headaches happen when you’re wearing your glasses or contact lenses, but suddenly disappear when you take them off, then you may need a different prescription.
The wrong prescription can cause your eyes to strain as they try to adapt to the lens they’re seeing through. When this happens, you’ll get frequent headaches while wearing the prescription.
However, if you’re prone to headaches, you can test your eyes by wearing your glasses at different times of the day. If you’re prone to those midday headaches after hours at work on a computer, don’t wear your glasses at this time. Wear them during a time you know you normally don’t get headaches. If headaches show up at that time, you may need to head back to the eye doctor’s office for another evaluation.
Vertigo
This is more than just dizziness. While dizziness can be cured by sitting or lying down and waiting for it to pass, vertigo is much more aggressive.
Vertigo is the sensation of dizziness or the feeling of being unbalanced while standing or sitting. It’s persistent and requires medical attention.  While it’s often associated with inner ear problems,  vertigo can also be caused by blurred vision.
Of course, if you already have vertigo, the wrong prescription will only worsen the problem. Vertigo due to the wrong prescription lenses will also affect your depth perception. If you’ve read our blog before, you’ll know that depth perception is crucial to our survival. Without it, we risk injuring ourselves.
If you’ve been diagnosed with vertigo already and you find that your eyeglasses are worsening your symptoms, speak to your doctor about correcting the lenses.
If you’ve never had vertigo before, but suddenly experience the symptoms after receiving a new prescription, see your doctor. It’s imperative that you not only get your prescription fixed but also have your general physician evaluate your symptoms. Vertigo can cause or be caused by other serious health problems.
Blurred Vision
Finally, we come to the most disheartening of signs of a wrong prescription: blurred vision. You leave the optician’s office excited to be able to make out street signs and small writing. But, that dream soon falls flat when you realize that your vision is still fuzzy and blurry.
There is a silver lining; blurred vision after receiving a new prescription could also just be a sign of your eyes adjusting to the new lenses. If you experience blurred vision in the first few days, don’t be so quick to call up your eye doctor. Give your eyes some time to adjust.
Generally, if the blurred vision persists for longer than two weeks, then you should call your eye doctor to have them re-evaluate your prescription. If the blurred vision is accompanied by vertigo or headaches before the two weeks are up, contact your eye doctor. The last thing you want is for your symptoms to escalate.
Our eyes are very sensitive. Although they can adjust to change quite easily, if even the slightest thing is off, the eyes will know. Blurred vision needs to be monitored because your vision and overall health will suffer in the long run if it’s left untreated.
Fixing a Wrong Prescription
Having the wrong prescription is like having one leg that’s shorter than the other. That small difference of a fraction of an inch will throw your whole body’s alignment off. The same goes for your eyes. The slightest miscalculation will cause blurred vision, which in turn will lead to headaches, migraines and vertigo.
We aren’t suggesting you not trust your eye doctor. Trust them! Tell them all your eye concerns. They’re there to help you. If they make a mistake, don’t hesitate to bring it up. Don’t think that you’re wrong because you don’t have a medical degree in eye health – eye doctors are only human.
You know your body better than anyone else. If something feels off, chances are there’s something wrong.
Now, if you’re looking for a more permanent fix to your refractive error, consider training your eyes either through at-home exercises or a vision therapy program. Vision therapy programs are tailored to your specific needs and will help you to be rid of your refractive error and those pesky prescriptions.
Don’t forget to eat a balanced diet and make sure that your eyes are getting the vitamins and nutrients that they need! With all of this in mind, you’ll be well on your way to improving your blurred vision, regardless of your prescription lenses.
Our Rebuild Your Vision Ocu-Plus Formula Contains All 17 Vitamins, Minerals, and Herbal Supplements to Improve Your Eye Health!
Is there anything I can do if I was given the wrong prescription. Have been getting very pain headaches. Would appreciate any information.
On my last eye exam, it was determined by the doctor to change my prescription for stronger lenses.
I could not afford their price so opted to take the prescription else were and got an affordable price.
The new pair as I picked them up felt ok. but as days went by , I noticed light headache and walking out of balance.
I was ordered a Head CT scan by my family doctor in case something wrong was within my head, No problem found .
Went back with my new pair to the doctor who prescribed me first , even paid extra to get my lens checked, the eye examination revealed no changes from previous prescription provided couple wks before but found the centre of the lenses not matching my vision centre and to go back to the manufacturer to get the lenses done properly.Also the manufacturer of my new pair sent me to a private clinic cause it was found instead to have cataracts.( I am not affected in any ways neither 3 previous eye exams had revealed any such findings))
Here is when the dispute started between the two places ,each maintaining been right..
I have stop wearing the new pair now and back to my old pair, the motion out of balance, is gone away .
What help can I get to start enjoying a healthy relaxed life style again
It has been now over a month and can’t get any solution ,neither any help.
What are my options please ?
Thank you in advance.
Name withheld
Hi, I got my new eyeglass 3 days ago. I started to get headache and then I got fever. Is this a sign of wrong eyeglass prescription?
Why did you not mention optometrists in this article?
I am getting increasing spells of vertigo
6 months ago my right retina dropped and
was reset using gas bag and I had lost 50 per cent of my vision. I had glasses made
prior and was getting double vision out of
my right eye so a new prescription using
lens that eliminate double vision were made
My right eye has recovered 90 % of its
vision and when I put a magnifying glass in
front of the right eye reading is perfect
Doctor recommends cataract surgery
I think it is wrong prescription as my eye
has recovered
When doing the eye exercises you do not wear your glasses correct? If not however, I can’t see the dot or comma.
Cheryl
When you are doing your eye exercise you don’t need your glasses. You are not reading. You are moving your eyes – up and down- side to side- circles, squares.
Can you email me your instructions
how to excercise my eyes
I lost the sheets I printed