Dizziness & Vertigo Support Group
Dizziness is the sensation of instability. Vertigo refers to dizziness with a sensation of motion. Vertigo is more likely than other types of dizziness to be associated with nausea, vomiting, or double vision, to occur even when lying down, and to feel better with the eyes closed. If you are a frequent sufferer of dizziness or vertigo, join the group and find support.
Has anyone who wears glasses experienced differences (pros/cons) in getting progressive lenses . . . bifocals/trifocals . . . contacts . . . or separate glasses for reading/long-distance vision?
I needed to replace my glasses (progressive/trifocals). Am feeling like my new ones are increasing my dizziness for long distance. Am feeling very discouraged trying to be normal even about getting new glasses.
The ophthalmologist who did my eye exam acted like my vestibular problems were no big deal. He checked for nystagmus (think he asked me to track his finger) . . . said I didn't show any evidence of this. And that was the end of the discussion.
When I was ordering new glasses, I mentioned my dizziness problem to the optician. No response there.
So now, I just got through going back over info about vision problems on the vestibular website. . . and frankly, I'm angry with myself for not being better informed before I went in for the eye exam and glasses. I just assumed . . . lesson learned!
I would appreciate any advice, opinions, experience others with a vestibular disorder have getting new glasses. Thanks!
P.S. My ENT has given me a "vestibular neuronitis" diagnosis.
I needed to replace my glasses (progressive/trifocals). Am feeling like my new ones are increasing my dizziness for long distance. Am feeling very discouraged trying to be normal even about getting new glasses.
The ophthalmologist who did my eye exam acted like my vestibular problems were no big deal. He checked for nystagmus (think he asked me to track his finger) . . . said I didn't show any evidence of this. And that was the end of the discussion.
When I was ordering new glasses, I mentioned my dizziness problem to the optician. No response there.
So now, I just got through going back over info about vision problems on the vestibular website. . . and frankly, I'm angry with myself for not being better informed before I went in for the eye exam and glasses. I just assumed . . . lesson learned!
I would appreciate any advice, opinions, experience others with a vestibular disorder have getting new glasses. Thanks!
P.S. My ENT has given me a "vestibular neuronitis" diagnosis.
Well... I didn't have a problem until I was in my 40s and it was time to get my first bifocals. Then, instead of just the walls moving inward as I turned my head this way, they would move both in and out. Again, I spent a lot of time just standing in one place and moving my head back and forth to get used the the effect. Fortunately, people accept that sort of behavior from an adult better than from a pre-teen.
After about six months I was still only partly used to the effect, and then another vertigo episode kicked in. I'm not certain, but I THINK the bifocals messed up one of the ENG tests. I was supposed to keep looking at a dot on the wall while moving my head back and forth, first slowly and then rapidly. But I couldn't see the dot at all without my glasses, and with the glasses I had the distortion. I came up with wonky results on the test and I don't know if that's a real diagnosis, or if it was because of the glasses and not because of my real (episodic, not always there) vertigo.
I don't think the glasses caused my balance problems. But they did throw a wrench into one of the most important coping mechanisms, visual compensation when the vestibular system is unreliable and needs a backup. I was just fortunate that I did have several months to start getting used to the glasses before I had an episode. If I'd had an episode much earlier in the process of getting used to the bifocals, I might have gone back to my old glasses for a while or maybe even gone without glasses (I can't see well enough to drive without glasses, but I can do most other things, and it's nice to have more confidence about where the floor is before you move your foot forward).
It seemed to take longer for my brain to adapt to the bifocals than to my first pair of glasses. Is that because my brain is older and learns more slowly? Or is it because the balance problems make my vision more important so my brain resisted the new information?