New Varilux Comfort Lens and "Swim"

[Joe787]

I purchased new eyeglasses four weeks ago and still can’t get used to the side-to-side swimming. Any left or right movement is uncomfortable causes reading material to appear as if it were moving up and down with a twist. The new and the old glasses both have Varilux Comfort Lenses and the main prescription is about the same. However, the new lenses are smaller at about 50 mm wide x 35 mm height versus the old and the reading portion increased from +1 to +2.25 (OD –5.50, -2.225, 165. OS -6.25, -1.00 180)

I’ve spoken to the optician and was told that I would have to get used to them. Is this all I can do?

Thanks,
Joe

(By the way, already a new replacement lens is on order since the original developed a several of 2 mm long fractures radiating from the periphery of the lens to the center. I was told this was caused by the antibacterial agent in the Dawn dishwashing detergent despite having used the same product on my previous lenses as per the optician’s instructions.)

[DragonLensmanWV]

I purchased new eyeglasses four weeks ago and still can’t get used to the side-to-side swimming. Any left or right movement is uncomfortable causes reading material to appear as if it were moving up and down with a twist. The new and the old glasses both have Varilux Comfort Lenses and the main prescription is about the same. However, the new lenses are smaller at about 50 mm wide x 35 mm height versus the old and the reading portion increased from +1 to +2.25 (OD –5.50, -2.225, 165. OS -6.25, -1.00 180)

I’ve spoken to the optician and was told that I would have to get used to them. Is this all I can do?

Thanks,
Joe

Of course, I hope you realize that long-distance trouble-shooting is going to be off by a mile.
But..
Since your reading add more than doubled, you will experience more distortion. That is a fact that cannot be eliminated. The Comfort has a pretty "soft" design to minimize that effect, and is a good lens, but a 2.25 addition will be a lot more "swimmy" than a 1.00 addition.

(By the way, already a new replacement lens is on order since the original developed a several of 2 mm long fractures radiating from the periphery of the lens to the center. I was told this was caused by the antibacterial agent in the Dawn dishwashing detergent despite having used the same product on my previous lenses as per the optician’s instructions.)

From that I assume you have polycarbonate lenses - not the best choice of material since you can get a 1.60 lens that will have better, less glinty optics.
Since you already have replacements ordered, have your optician check to see if they can lower your bifocal 1 or 2 mm. That will give you less swim in the distance, but will require more vertical eye movement to read.

As always, your local optician should be available to discuss different lens materials with you and not put you into a material as a matter of course. Of course, some chains virtually require you to get polycarbonate. I think that is basically a CYA factor.

[Steve Machol]

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