Why Do Varifocal Glasses Make You Stiff?

NOTE: What we call varifocal glasses in the UK are called progressive lenses in most countries.

Many people notice they get dizzy when they start wearing varifocals.

Then they get used to them.

What's happening when they get used to them? Have they learned a new skill: “How to Use Varifocal Glasses”?

Alas, no. They've just got used to feeling off-balance
… and they've adjusted.
They've stiffened to avoid falling over.

Stiffening is what people usually do when they feel off balance and don't know why they're off balance.

So why do people lose their balance when wearing varifocals?

In order to see clearly with varifocals, you need to be looking through exactly the right part of the lens.

The only way you can look through a particular part of the lens is to keep your head at a particular angle.

Tilt your head back too much and you're looking through a lower point on the lens. That makes your focus too close for what you're looking at.

Tilt your head forwards too much and you're looking through a higher point on the lens. That makes your focus too distant for what you're looking at.

Keep your head still at the right angle and you can see

But you can't balance.

You can't balance because, to stay in balance, you need to be able to make small counter-balancing movements with your head. If you can't, you can't balance.

It doesn't matter whether your head is tied to a pole running down your back or whether you have to hold your head still in order to see.

Either way the problem is the same: your glasses stop you balancing so you stiffen to stay on your feet.

Does it affect contact lenses?

Yes, the principle with varifocal contact lenses is just the same. You look through a different part of the lens to see at different distances.

How about bifocals?

Bifocals are not as bad as varifocals. They don't clamp your head position with such an iron grip because you've got a bigger range of head positions that give you the vision that you're looking for.

The principle is the same, though.

The other option is laser surgery

I know very little about this but have a friend who had it done earlier this year and he's really pleased with it.

Apparently, there are two types of laser surgery:–

1. An older resurfacing of the cornea
2. A newer treatment where they do incisions into the cornea. There seems to be a lot more risk associated with this and my friend received advice from many sources not to go for this one.

Personally, I would be wary of any form of surgery. Who knows what the long-term risks might be?

Also, even though the effect (after you've healed from the surgery) is almost magical, your eyes are still subject to the usual further deterioration as you get older.

So, assuming you don't opt for surgery …

How can you manage without varifocals?

1. Use two or three pairs of single-focus glasses instead.
2. Don't put your glasses on in the morning until you really need them. You will be able to see better that way than you can if you put your glasses on straight away and later try taking them off.
3. Let no glasses be one of your collection of glasses. What do I mean by that?

There should be one distance at which you can see without glasses. Take your glasses off for that distance.

For example, my wife is short-sighted. Now that she's getting older, she takes her glasses off to read.

Summing up

Varifocals mess with your balance and make you stiff. Avoid them like the plague.

To see well, balance well and avoid stiffness:–

1. Take good care of your eyes, as I've been recommending.
2. Learn the Alexander Technique.

That's right, whichever option you choose to help you see, you also need to learn how to balance better and more easily — the art of poise.

To learn about the art of poise, make sure you read my other articles.

What can you then look forward to in the long term?

As you learn to balance better, you get less stiff.

As you get less stiff, your eyes also tire less easily and focus better. So you can get away with no glasses more often — or at least with fewer pairs of glasses.

I believe nobody need be stuck with using three pairs for very long.
… provided they work at it.

With practice, most people using varifocals could learn to manage with just one single-focus pair that they take off to read — like my wife.

Last word

Work at it and your eyesight can stop deteriorating as you get older — and may even improve.

And even if your eyesight doesn't improve, your back certainly will.

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