Glasses with prisms

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I am about to get glasses with prisms. Does anyone have experience with these? Hints for how to know if they are working?

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@eyemgh

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I presume you’re getting them because you’re seeing double. Is that correct? If so, you won’t see double if they “work.”

It is certainly more nuanced in some cases, particularly with phorias that are on the edge of breaking down or with vertical prism.

what’s bothering you?

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Was your doctor suggesting Neurolens or Sequel? If so, you should notice a reduction in headaches, eyestrain, fatigue, etc.

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My dad wore them for some time to correct double vision. Worked well. You wouldn’t know it was a prism.

Currently have a friend who needed them after an accident. He was really bad off with double vision but the prisms corrected it. The prism lens gets changed periodically as the muscles in his eye improves over time. It’s been a lifesaver.

You can’t tell it’s a prism lens unless you are at a certain angle from him and the sun is shining. Straight on it looks like normal glasses.

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I saw double for a while until I could not stand it any more and went to see my optometrist. Fortunately, he had good experience the vision condition I was having. He suggested I wear with glasses with prisms and said this would be the type of glasses I need for the rest of my life. At first, I was reluctant as I thought glasses for prism were for much older people. I was “only” 62. He pointed out that glasses with prisms are for those who need them, regardless of age.

He put prisms on my glasses temporarily to see how I felt wearing them. I felt a bit weird for the first hour or two and was fine after that. A week later, I went back and had my new glasses done with prisms. That was 3 years ago. So far, no issue. No one can tell that I wear glasses with prisms, either.

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It depends completely on the individual.

For the OP, those are progressive designs with very small amounts of prism compensation in the corridors. It’s probably not what you’re referring to.

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Sequel is a digital device lens for pre-presbyopes. At least in my neck of the woods, patients are asking about them. Vision insurance companies are covering the lenses so they are becoming more popular.

OP’s doctor should have explained what symptoms they are trying to alleviate by prescribing prism.

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It is a “digital device lens” a random made up term, because the lens designers use small amount of base in prism in the corridor to reduce the amount of required convergence. It has nothing to do with digital devices per se, but rather looking at anything, digital or otherwise, up close.

This may or may not be a good thing. Prism adaptation is a real phenomenon necessitating the continued use of prism when you reduce the muscular effort of your own natural convergence.

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I’ve also started seeing double (a few years ago). Are there exercises to slow/stop the seeing double? My ophthalmologist says no, but I’m seeking a 2nd CC opinion :rofl:

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By digital device lens, I’m referring to lenses such as Eyezen, Unity Relieve, Zeiss Smartlens, Nikon RelaxSee, Shamir Relax, Seiko Smartzoom. Just about every manufacturer has one now. They are intended for non presbyopes and have a slight add or “boost” for near work. The Newton family of lenses are the ones with base in prism.

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The answer is
it depends.

If you have a nerve palsy (III, IV, VI) exercising (called orthoptics) doesn’t do anything UNLESS you are having surgery. Then the best ophthalmologists will prescribe it prior to increase your chances of post-operative flat fusion.

If you have a decompensating phoria or something in the convergence insufficiency continuum, where your eyes are capable of alignment, but the drive is intermittently insufficient, exercising can help, but it’s temporizing.

Depending on the issue, prism or extra plus power for reading can help too.

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They work pretty well for me, unless I’m really tired. I have them on both my regular and reding glasses, with the only problem being that wearing my reading glasses for a while means that I have to adjust to my regular glasses, and I have blurring during the period that I adjust.

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Most freeform lenses can have custom prism added for near only. The prescriber just needs to know how to measure how much they want to prescribe. It’s a matter of skill and time. Newton pulls that process out of the doctor’s hands and does it well
sometimes.

Like many healthcare products these days, the primary purpose is to aid wallet biopsies.

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We’re saying the same thing. Not all prescribed prism is for diplopia.

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Thank you!

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For me this would be related to vertigo and dizziness.

He said I seemed more ‘comfortable’ in the test lens w prisms

I was wondering about the adjustment phase. I despise reading glasses as it seems to take an inordinate amount of time for my lens to readjust when I remove them.

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Have you seen an ENT and had an evaluation of your vestibular system? That’s where I’d be looking.

The visual system does not cause vertigo or dizziness. It merely provides proprioceptive queues that can override anomalous signals from other systems.

Check to see if your symptoms bother you with your eyes closed. My suspicion is that they will, especially with head movement right and left, or chin up. If they do, it’s not your eyes.

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Yes, I have seen an ENT, no help there, as in no new Tx ideas.

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I assume you’ve also seen a neurologist, but if not, you may want to consider one. My H treats patients with certain types of vertigo. He sometimes recommends seeing a physical therapist specializing in vertigo and dizziness.

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