Glasses are supposed to correct your vision, so if a new pair makes you feel dizzy, you may wonder if the prescription is incorrect. Luckily, this probably isn’t the case. It’s fairly common for people to experience some mild dizziness with a new set of corrective lenses or contact lenses. If the dizziness is extreme or persists for more than a week, contact your eye doctor. In the meantime, keep the following points in mind.

Why Do I Feel Dizzy Wearing My New Glasses?

Although your vision may be poor, your brain has grown accustomed to interpreting the visual world through it. For instance, a person who is nearsighted begins to innately learn how close or far an object is by how blurry it is. You may not be conscious of this, but it’s simply the brain’s way of adapting to poor vision.

When you get a new prescription that corrects your vision, everything will look much clearer. That means the brain will interpret all of these suddenly clear objects as being too close. The result of this effect is often dizziness.

Who Is Most Susceptible?

Dizziness following a new prescription is especially common in patients with particularly strong lenses—unless they wear contacts. Light bends when it passes through glass. This effect is more noticeable with strong lenses, and it can make objects in the world look smaller at first than they normally would. 

Don’t worry about this side effect. While you should get in touch with an eye doctor if it lasts for a week or more, it’s fairly common as you adjust to the new lenses. In only a few days, your dizziness will be gone, and your vision will be much stronger.

Do you or a member of your family need a new pair of glasses? If so, get in touch with Staarmann Family Vision Center in Fairfield, OH. They’ll equip you with the ideal lenses for your needs, and they’ll happily answer any questions you may have. Contact them online for more information, or call (513) 874-1718.