I have been trying monovision for 2 weeks with contact lenses. I am 42 and have worn contacts for distance correction for 25 years and have just developed the need to wear reading glasses in the past year. My rt. (dominant) eye is corrected for distance with a -4.75 lens and my left eye is being corrected with a -3.50 lens for reading. My goal is to see if I can get used to this and then get Lasik correction. Can I still expect my body to adjust? It's been 2 weeks and the distance correction is tolerable, but I am still experiencing blurry reading and the different prescriptions is definitely there and noticable. Working on the computer for long periods gives me a headache. What timeframe should I expect before I KNOW whether this is workable for me?

I like to say that you will know if you love monovision in a week, but you will not know if you hate it for six weeks. It can take the brain some time to adjust to the new vision.

You may not have the proper monovision difference between the eyes. Everyone is different and only trial and error will find the proper fit.

Cover your dominant eye and look at a magazine with your near-vision corrected non-dominant eye. Is it in focus? Do you need to pull the magazine closer or push it farther? If it is not in focus at normal distance and you need to move it in or out to get focus, then it may be that your nondominant eye needs a different prescription.

Cover your non-dominant eye and look at objects more than 20 feet away. Do they seem in focus and clear? If not, this eye too may need contact lens power adjustment.

If you want to verify your eye dominance, we have a free test card you can download at http://www.usaeyes.org/lasik/faq/lasik-monovision-dominant-eye.htm but be sure to do this without the monovision contacts.

We also have a detailed article about monovision at http://www.USAEyes.org and click on | Considerations | Which Surgery For You? | Monovision |

Glenn Hagele
http://USAEyes.org
Patient Advocacy & Surgeon Certification

I am not a doctor.

Thanks. It's now been almost 3 weeks and I am finally starting to adjust. I think the contacts are correct. Your hand over eye test tested out, each way was clear for the distance intended. My distance vision now is pretty clear and I can hardly tell I have 2 different strength contacts in, but the reading is a little more difficult, but better than it was. I'm hoping it will continue to get better. I was having some late-day headaches and my eyes were extremely tired (almost ached) but that too is passing. Is all of this normal? It seems like it is taking a long time and wonder if I well ever get to where I really don't notice at all that the eyes are not the same. I'd appreciate any further comments. I went to a lasik seminar my eye doctor was having and I feel very confident with his upfront screenings, etc. that if I can adjust to the contacts, I'll be happy with the Lasik if I am a candidate.

Your experience does seem to be normal. It takes a while for some people to adjust. Some never adjust. About two-thirds of people who try monovision like it.

Remember that monovision is not expected to totally eliminate the need for corrective lenses. If you can go without full distance lenses 80-85% of the time, that would be considered a success by most.

After your eyes have settled down and adjusted, you may want to get a pair of glasses that provide full distance correction. These can be used when you require excellent distance correction, such as driving and some sports.

Glenn Hagele
http://USAEyes.org
Patient Advocacy & Surgeon Certification

I am not a doctor.

Hi I have monovision and I love it. But the combination of corrections for me was such that my reading eye is good for short periods (menus, short articles), but iF I want to sit down and read for a long time, I wear a pair of low strength (+1.25) readers. If my reading eye was made stronger for reading then the difference between eyes was too great an I couldn't adjust. You might try some inexpensive readers esp. if your distance vision is adjusting....
Sue