Prism correction is for people who experience double vision or diplopia, a vision problem often resulting from eye movement issues. With the vision problem, eye muscles fail to work properly, and the patient sees two images of a single object.
Prism glasses, made of custom prism lenses that refract or bend light correctly, help align the double images into one. It is helpful to know what prism correction in eyeglasses does.
What Causes Double Vision
Clear vision occurs when the light entering the eyes focuses on the retina properly. If the eyes have a refractive error, the light does not hit the retina in the correct spot for the creation of a clear image.
When a patient has eye misalignment, the light is filtered correctly by the cornea but focused on different areas of the retina. It causes each eye to send a different image to the brain, resulting in double vision.
How Prism Eyeglasses Work
Prism eyeglasses refract or bend the light before it gets into the eye, compensating for the misalignment. Light is directed or focused to the right position on the retina. It allows the brain to create a single clear image, resolving the double vision problem. Prism eyeglasses can help individuals with monocular diplopia due to corneal abnormalities.
Getting Prism Eyeglasses
Prism glasses look like regular prescription glasses, but they usually have one thicker lens. Selecting a thick frame can help hide this lens’s disparity. To get prism eyeglasses, you will require a vision test at Village Optical to determine the right prescription.
You will get a vision prescription and a separate prescription for the prism added to the lenses. The prism is applied based on the type of diplopia experienced. The prisms can be ground permanently into the lens for long-term correction or you can get a Fresnel Prism lens for temporary use.
Candidates For Prism Eyeglasses
Prism eyeglasses can help fix double vision caused by eye misalignment. Candidates for prism correction are patients with eye muscle problems, including strabismus, Graves’ disease, and myasthenia gravis.
As well, the glasses are ideal for people with neurological issues like stroke, head injuries, tumors, and migraines. They can also treat double vision due to nerve-related problems such as diabetes mellitus and multiple sclerosis.
Side Effects Of Prism Eyeglasses
Negative symptoms of prism eyeglasses are rare, but it is possible to experience some eyestrain. It can take several days to get used to wearing prism eyeglasses. Some people experience some side effects during this time. These include headaches, double vision, eye pain, and nausea.
If you experience the symptoms, contact your eye doctor. Incorrect use of prism eyeglasses can hurt the eyes. A new prescription or a better frame fit may help provide relief.
Prism eyeglasses help correct types of diplopia or double vision. In many cases, double vision can be occasional, caused by lifestyle habits. This type of double vision resolves quickly on its own. Prism glasses help when the diplopia is due to permanent or long-term underlying conditions.
For more on prism correction in eyeglasses, visit Village Optical at our office in New Hyde Park, New York. You can call (516) 352-2316 today to schedule an appointment.
