Weird issue with new glasses? Can I return these?

[chemman]

Long time eyeglass wearer here and I have had improperly made lenses dispensed to me several times over 50 plus years. Go see the optometrist/ophthalmologist who you initially saw and see if the lenses dispensed matches the prescription that was written for you regardless of where you got your eyeglass prescription filled. Mistakes do happen far more frequently than many admit to.

Many opticians today frequently do not take enough of the required measurements that are necessary for a proper set of lenses to be made for the frames you are using. Errors can be made in measuring the pupillary distance, vertical height for the placement of the lens' optical center in a frame, distance between the eye and the back side of the lens, placement of the optical center relative to the pupil, wrong base curve used (many times ignored by the lab and the optician), material used for the lenses (polycarbonate has a very tiny optical center and can cause all kinds of problems), etc. I always insist that the optician who measures me for lenses puts a piece of scotch tape on the frame over each lens area and mark where the optical center of each lens needs to be.

There is no perfect lens material for everyone. I cannot tolerate polycarbonate lenses, and other lenses with a high refractive index relative to glass and standard plastic (CR-39). Also I must have a specific base curve.

Over the last 30 years, I have had the best luck and least amount of hassles/mistakes with Walmart Optical, and the most problems with optical shops associated with ophthalmologists.

Yes, sometimes it may take several hours or a couple of days to get used to new eyeglass lenses. But if the lenses are not properly made, you will never get used to them because something with the lenses is not correct.

 

[SC Maintenance]

if you don't have the base curve of the outside part of the lens correct you will get a sort of "fun mirror" at a carnival effect. You can call it a "Fisheye" sort of view. It is caused by the curvature of the lens affecting the speed of the light meeting the curvature of your cornea as it comes into your eye lens (crystalline lens).. the retina picks this up as an optical illusion and you get the headaches and dizzy.

There is nothing to get used to, it is not correct and I'm betting if you looked at the front of the lenses you'll see (from the side edge) that they're almost perfectly flat. Many opticians have NO clue about base curves and give everyone what they call Plano lenses or 0 base curve.

Yes go back and complain and don't let them tell you it's the index of the material, the only thing that higher refractive lenses do is cause aberrations when you look at colors.. like pure white would have red or blue around the edges. Personally I don't think thinner or higher index lenses are anything more than just that, thinner.. When looking at the specs they're not that great..

This also depends on if you have a higher power or astigmatism, the base curves and no aberrations comes into play...

you're right to return them.. if they can't help you correctly, get a refund and find a new doc. seriously.. lots of bad docs out there, as many as bad auto techs!

I had this issue with the base curvature just going from one pair of glasses to another with the same script. Took them 3 tries. It was in fact the walmart optical store although I got my script elsewhere. They didn't complain at all and it finally worked out.

 

[Burt]

The image projected on your retina is actually upside down and your brain flips so you can see properly. It can straighten out curved lines as well.

 

[John105]

You just have to get used to them.

My first pair of Oakleys were extremely curved. They were the type of prescription sunglasses that some elite cyclist or athlete would wear. My brother told me what you are saying.

After a while I said this is BS, I'm not going to have spent this much and not be able to see and feel dizzy.

I went back to Oakley and told them (used to hate the brand but the customer service was stellar), and they said let's redo them and see. They redid the lenses and then it was perfectly fine.

imho if something seems wrong, it is. Labs make mistakes. The next Oakleys I got were like the ones baseball players would wear, even more curved. These were so curved that the lenses were replaced 4X under warranty--kept eventually cracking (the temples spreading placed stress on the entire lense assembly).

Man I don't miss those days--had to buy glasses due to FSA expiring. I don't do FSA anymore as our current health plan has no deductible and no coinsurance.

 

[John105]

Long time eyeglass wearer here and I have had improperly made lenses dispensed to me several times over 50 plus years. Go see the optometrist/ophthalmologist who you initially saw and see if the lenses dispensed matches the prescription that was written for you regardless of where you got your eyeglass prescription filled. Mistakes do happen far more frequently than many admit to.

Many opticians today frequently do not take enough of the required measurements that are necessary for a proper set of lenses to be made for the frames you are using. Errors can be made in measuring the pupillary distance, vertical height for the placement of the lens' optical center in a frame, distance between the eye and the back side of the lens, placement of the optical center relative to the pupil, wrong base curve used (many times ignored by the lab and the optician), material used for the lenses (polycarbonate has a very tiny optical center and can cause all kinds of problems), etc. I always insist that the optician who measures me for lenses puts a piece of scotch tape on the frame over each lens area and mark where the optical center of each lens needs to be.

There is no perfect lens material for everyone. I cannot tolerate polycarbonate lenses, and other lenses with a high refractive index relative to glass and standard plastic (CR-39). Also I must have a specific base curve.

Over the last 30 years, I have had the best luck and least amount of hassles/mistakes with Walmart Optical, and the most problems with optical shops associated with ophthalmologists.

Yes, sometimes it may take several hours or a couple of days to get used to new eyeglass lenses. But if the lenses are not properly made, you will never get used to them because something with the lenses is not correct.

Totally agree, happened to me with first set of Oakleys, and they were more than happy to redo them.

 

[eljefino]

Well it looks like Walmart has a 60 day return policy. Maybe that was my first mistake, but atleast I have lots of time to see what's wrong.

Walmart's optical center and pharmacy are professional-- they aren't going to cheap out in a way that hurts your body.

If you have a concern, start with the people who support you-- start with the doctor and work your way to the optician.

-4 is thick and little errors introduced can be magnified but again this shouldn't be your problem.

 

[The motor guy]

Walmart's optical center and pharmacy are professional-- they aren't going to cheap out in a way that hurts your body.

If you have a concern, start with the people who support you-- start with the doctor and work your way to the optician.

-4 is thick and little errors introduced can be magnified but again this shouldn't be your problem.

You mean go back to the person who wrote the prescription? The eye doctor and the people who sell the glasses are separate even though they're right next to each other in Walmart

 

[eljefino]

You mean go back to the person who wrote the prescription? The eye doctor and the people who sell the glasses are separate even though they're right next to each other in Walmart

Yes! They are your point of contact for eye health, and will be a good auditer for if your lenses meet your needs. Otherwise they themselves botched your prescription and will make good.

 

[Earls1st]

were you -5.50 when your were 10 yrs old?

 

[Earls1st]

in re: base curve selection: this isn't exact, but if you're -5.50 and you think you want a 6-base front surface (like some plano sunglasses highlight), the back surface is going to be roughly -11.50 and that's likely to be untenable in multiple ways. in lens fabrication's history, "best practices" have led to a nomogram which predicts best choice for anterior surface shape - it's very likely to be +2.00 for a -5.50 lens, so it's normal for a -5.50 lens to appear flatter than a -2.00 lens.

 

[Earls1st]

in re index of refraction: typical lens materials are homogeneous, so index of refraction is the same in the center as it is in the periphery. One exception is Photogray (glass photochromic, not plastic Transitions), lined bifocals where the bifocal area is an inset of a different index of refraction fused to a "pocket" engineered to accept said insert, but that's just an exception and not truly germane to this discussion. An electrically adjustable multifocal was introduced 10-15 yrs ago and I believe it was designed to deliver a current to a special matrix than would than change either shape or index of refraction. I can't recall the name of the product or if it is still produced, but it's not really germane to this discussion, either.

 

[The motor guy]

were you -5.50 when your were 10 yrs old?

No slowly worked my way up from -.75 to where km at now

 

[LDB]

I meant go back to who wrote the RX to check the work of who made them. That's what I've done in the past. Good luck sorting things.

 

[Earls1st]

Prentice's rule says in effect that induced prism is directly proportional to the dioptric power of the lens so it would be normal to note image jump much more readily in a -5.50 vs. a -0.75 lens. If there were no intermediate stops/steps in the eyeglass power, nothing you've experienced is surprising.

 

[SC Maintenance]

Walmart's optical center and pharmacy are professional-- they aren't going to cheap out in a way that hurts your body.

If you have a concern, start with the people who support you-- start with the doctor and work your way to the optician.

-4 is thick and little errors introduced can be magnified but again this shouldn't be your problem.

Yes, walmart optical is excellent. You need to be careful - some stores have an independant optical store in the walmart - not "walmart" optical.

The one here sold me Zeiss lenses. Those are some of the best lenses you can get - or were. They re-did them 3 times to get the base curvature right - nothing but apologetic.

When my kids wore glasses, they warranty them for anything for a year. Just bring back the broken parts, they will get you new stuff. Again, no questions asked.

I do go to a different optometrist. There likely miffed I don't buy my glasses there. Oh well.

 

[Hall]

The eye doctor and the people who sell the glasses are separate even though they're right next to each other in Walmart

Your eye doctor wrote a prescription. He/she absolutely want to make sure the prescription provider fulfilled it correctly. Plus, he/she has no financial incentive to insist or convince you that "they'll be okay, you'll get used to them". If the RX is actually wrong, it's (almost) 100% on the lab that cut the lenses.

 

[The motor guy]

Your eye doctor wrote a prescription. He/she absolutely want to make sure the prescription provider fulfilled it correctly. Plus, he/she has no financial incentive to insist or convince you that "they'll be okay, you'll get used to them". If the RX is actually wrong, it's (almost) 100% on the lab that cut the lenses.

I wonder if I have to pay for another exam to have them checked

 

[Hall]

No

 

[Dave Hess]

I once had a pair of new glasses that the lens did not have the correct strength (diopters) and I had to take them back and the incorrect lenses replaced.

 

[chemman]

My experience with the Optometrists at Walmart Optical Centers has been nothing but excellent. They admit if they made a mistake and do everything they can to correct it, and in my experience they do not charge for a prescription check as long as you have it performed shortly after receiving your new glasses. If you wait say 30 or more days, then that is something else. Contact the prescriber ASAP and you will be OK.

By the way, Walmart owns and operates several optical laboratories to service their company owned optical centers across the USA. Quality control is extremely important to them and they do take "making lenses" correctly quite seriously. Virtually every step of the process is double or triple checked. Also, they do source lenses from several reputable manufacturers such as Nikon, Essilor (Varilux), Zeiss, etc. and many of them are the same lenses that are dispensed at Ophthalmologist/Optometrist Offices with optical centers, and independent Opticians.