new glasses and seasickness?

[Solent sailer]

hello all

my wife has been suffering with seasickness this season, she has always had some sinus problems and had intermittent bouts of sickness but this season had been much worse.
She has recently started warring glasses (varifocal) and i wonder if this has has some affect on her balance. Has anyone else experienced this? She is fine as long as she lays down but this leaves me a crew member short and whilst fine for the odd long passage but wouldn't be fair to do several long passages on consecutive days! (no one can sleep that much)

 

[ProDave]

Has she still got her old glasses? if so try them.

Or if she's only just started wearing glasses (i.e this is her first pair) then try without them. Her sight can't be that bad so I'm sure she would manage without.

That would at least prove, or disprove if it's the glasses that are the problem.

 

[planteater]

I couldn't get on with varifocals when I tried them - some people just can't. Most opticians offer a full refund against bifocals for that very reason.

I was getting seasick just wobbling down the high street!

 

[Solent sailer]

its her first pair of glasses, i have suggested trying without and think we will give this a try this weekend but she has got very used to them and now finds everything fuzzy without them, strangle she tried the single focus and didn't get on with them but got on with the varifocal within a couple of weeks and now is never seen without them.

 

[VicMallows]

I can very well imagine that varifocals (or even bifocals) would be disastrous on a moving boat because it would be very difficult to keep your gaze through the appropriate area of the lens for whatever you were focusing on.

Does she need correction for both distance (short-sight) AND for close work; or is it just to avoid taking glasses on and off? If the former then perhaps she could consider contacts for one - probably distance - and glasses in addition just for close up needs......certainly a huge improvement in the rain in any case!

 

[alan_d]

I can very well imagine that varifocals (or even bifocals) would be disastrous on a moving boat because it would be very difficult to keep your gaze through the appropriate area of the lens for whatever you were focusing on.

Never had any problems with my varifocals afloat (except reading the compass card in the binoculars).

 

[mikemonty]

I can very well imagine that varifocals (or even bifocals) would be disastrous on a moving boat because it would be very difficult to keep your gaze through the appropriate area of the lens for whatever you were focusing on.

Simply, completely, incorrect.

From one who wears varifocals all the time.

 

[planteater]

Bifocals work well for me while aboard. I'm either reading charts/instruments (close) or keeping a lookout (distant). Ashore, it's the desktop computer screen that gives me grief - neither one nor the other.

Had some prescription polarised bifocal sunglasses made only to realise that NASA instruments have some kind of polarising coating that gives a trippy psychedelic effect.

 

[Lakesailor]

I would suggest that it is just an adjustment thing. It's bad enough getting used to a new prescription anyway without introducing a moving element into it.
I have just got a new reading prescription and find that 15 minutes is enough at the moment. My old glasses I can wear for hours. Luckily I'm OK for distance at the moment.
Mikemonty may wear varifocals all the time, but that is not the same as getting used to new glasses.

 

[Lakesailor]

I would suggest that it is just an adjustment thing. It's bad enough getting used to a new prescription anyway without introducing a moving element into it.
I have just got a new reading prescription and find that 15 minutes is enough at the moment. My old glasses I can wear for hours. Luckily I'm OK for distance at the moment.
Mikemonty may wear varifocals all the time, but that is not the same as getting used to new glasses.

 

[fergie_mac66]

I wear varifocals all the time, but I do know some people do have difficulty with them. It could be to do with the prescription or perhaps the diff' between distance an close up.

I do find varifocals really good for taking bearings and chart work.

 

[ianat182]

As Lakey suggests it may be down to adjustment,of the nose supports which press on the sinuses,the glasses may also be heavy. I wear varifocals all the time and as said the only problem is when using the computer or very fine/feint print, but no motion problems.

 

[bluedragon]

The pro- and against varifocal theories here are probably both correct. When I first had varifocals I couldn't even walk properly when wearing them, and they made me feel sick on land. It's only recently after many years of persevering that I'm now comfortable with them as medium and distance glasses and notice no adverse effects either ashore or afloat. Though I still can't use them for reading books or using the laptop!! Too much head movement makes me dizzy.

 

[Habebty]

I have read (can't remember where) that new glasses or a change of prescription can cause almost identical balance problems to those experienced by astronauts! But the effects should wear off after anything from 2 days to 2 weeks. A couple of times when my short sight prescription has been changed I got blinding headaches for a day or two then it all settled down.

Just got my first pair of varifocals (comes to us all ) and love them. No longer have to lift up my specs and squint at the plotter!!

But indeed, varifocals do not suit everybody if you cannot adjust to them after say 30days then perhaps try something else?

A safety warning was issued at work after 2-3 people lost their balance when exiting vehicles caused by new varifocals and user focussing issues? Probably looking throught the wrong bit of the lense.

 

[Seajet]

I've just started wearing my first pair, for long distances so really mainly for driving, but I suspect I will need them at sea too, found I was wearing them on a recent short sail.

I have noticed that I do definitely feel sick after only say 30 mins wearing them on land; I don't normally get seasick, but I have a nasty feeling that may change for quite a while.

 

[Bru]

I'm surprised your wife was prescribed varifocals for her first glasses. They take a bit of getting used to even for a lifelong specs wearer.

Thinking back to when I first went over to varifocals, I suspect if I'd been sailing in the first few weeks of wearing them it would have been problematic - it was about 3 months or so before I felt 100% comfortable with them and longer still before the necessary head movements to find the "sweet spot" on the lens became totally automatic.

I would suggest she gets a pair of cheap frames with plain distance lenses because it does seem too much of a conicidence that she's having greater problems with seasickness than usual this year.

(Less relevant to the core point but worth thinking about also is that as soon as the piggy bank allows I plan to get a pair of distance glasses with simple lenses for use when sailing 'cos the varifocals cost an arm and a leg and I'd be more than a bit peeved to lose them in the 'oggin!)

 

[VicMallows]

(Less relevant to the core point but worth thinking about also is that as soon as the piggy bank allows I plan to get a pair of distance glasses with simple lenses for use when sailing 'cos the varifocals cost an arm and a leg and I'd be more than a bit peeved to lose them in the 'oggin!)

I guess you are aware of the likes of SelectSpecs and GlassesDirect? I have used them both over many years, and as long as you are happy with basic frames they can be incredibly cheap ( £10-15 including prescription lenses). Optically they are every bit as good as from the high street opticians.

Vic

 

[BoyBlue49]

Whilst I have luckily never been sea sick, I do wear varifocals and find them a boon for seeing buoys far off and the charts close to.
I have not noticed any difference with or without in balance, feel or nausea.

I do NOT recommend Specsavers. My glasses were supplied by an independent optician who took some one and a quarter hours over my eye inspection but the glasses were not cheap even though my eye test is now age related free.

 

[Solent sailer]

thanks for all the replies, i think on balance that the varifocal lenses do not appear to be a problem in them selves provided you get used to them, but i take the point about the price and dropping something cheaper overboard!
i think i will try to get her to not put them on in the morning when we get up and see if that helps.

 

[VicMallows]

i think i will try to get her to not put them on in the morning when we get up and see if that helps.

Control experiment: buy a pair of identical frames and have plano lenses fitted ....you can always have prescription lenses put in them later

More seriously, just reread original post and notice the sinus problem mentioned. My wife also suffers intermittent sinus trouble. Sinuses are unquestionably connected to ears and hence associated balance problems.

Vic