Has your doctor told you that you need prism glasses? This might seem odd, especially if you’re thinking of the prisms people hang in the window to make rainbows in the room. Here, we give you the rundown on prism glasses, how they work, and why you might benefit from them.
Prism correction involves extra prisms in the lenses of eyeglasses. A prism is just a pyramid shape, like a 3D triangle, which bends light, and that’s really the function of eyeglasses, too. The prisms in eyeglasses don’t create rainbows, but rather redirect a little bit of light into the eye. When extra prisms are placed in specific locations in the lenses, at a specific power, it helps make up for weakness in the eye muscles. Having extra prisms in your glasses, even though the shapes are 3D, feels just like having regular glasses.
Who can benefit from this kind of advanced eyewear?
Prism glasses are typically recommended for people who are experiencing double vision, blurred vision, or other conditions caused by the eyes being slightly misaligned. Eye misalignment causes a host of problems for about two-thirds of people in the U.S., including eye strain, dry eye, neck pain, shoulder pain, eye fatigue, and even motion sickness.
In many cases, however, prism correction can solve these problems. By bending and redirecting the light before it reaches the eye, aiming it to the right place on the retinas, prism correction helps a person to see just one clear image. Prism glasses don’t work for everyone with double vision, but they’re helpful if the problem is an eye muscle problem like strabismus, a nerve-related concern like diabetes, or a neurological or brain-related problem like a head injury, migraine, or stroke.
You might be wondering, “Do I need a prescription specifically for prism glasses?” and the answer is yes. If your doctor gives you a typed prescription, the prism correction will be noted in a specific box. If the prescription was written by hand, you might notice a little triangle, representing your prism! Sometimes prism correction glasses can be expensive, but in many cases they’re no more costly than the typical pair of eyeglasses.
Of course, the first step in getting prism glasses to correct your double vision or other vision problem is to have a thorough eye exam. It’s particularly important to have an accurate pupillary distance measurement, taken by a trained and experienced professional. When you need eye care, trust the team at Northwest Eye Center, PC. We have the best ophthalmologists in the country, with a well-trained, highly professional staff of certified ophthalmic technicians, certified opticians, LASIK consultants, and insurance and finance specialists. We pride ourselves on offering compassionate patient care. Visit our website to make an appointment or contact us or call 303-720-7247 today!