Anyone else have problem finding pain-free eyeglasses? (prescription, lenses, nose)

[jimdc58]

Ever since I started wearing glasses (two pair ago), I have had a difficult time finding glasses that are reasonably comfortable. Over the last 5 years, I have returned 3 pair to different opticians because they couldn't get them to fit correctly. I am going through this yet again. I got a pair a month ago, and a dozen trips back to the optician, and they still hurt.

The problem is almost always the same....right side....they either rub on the mastoid complex, or the tiny bone directly above the ear. It's just a back and forth between one or the other being sore. Even super-light frames don't seem to work. And I always have to avoid nose pad styles....because that's a whole nother set of problems!!!

Am I the only one who has difficulty getting comfortable glasses? I know it's because the bones on my right side protrude quite a bit, but you'd think SOME optician had dealt with this before!!!

[daliowa]

I also can't stand eyeglasses with nose pads. <g>

Just thinking that if the part of the eyeglasses that go behind the ears are rubbing & hurting than maybe there's a way to get that part of the eyeglasses padded in some way?

[Gerania]

I can't stand anything on my face, and I can manage frameless ultra lite glasses.

[stan4]

I can't do any of the glasses with the feet that sit on your nose.
Terrible.

[jimdc58]

Originally Posted by Gerania

I can't stand anything on my face, and I can manage frameless ultra lite glasses.

My big problem is around the ears. Does anyone else have issues with this?

[toosie]

Originally Posted by jimdc58

My big problem is around the ears. Does anyone else have issues with this?

I've had some of that issue before. My frames are all plastic and they adjust how tight they are on my head by manipulating the stick ends - not the part that attaches to the frame, but the part that sticks out behind your ear. Some people wear that part straight out, others wrap it down behind the ear like a hook. It also can bend in closer to the skull or out away. If there's enough space between your ear and skull, maybe they can make the right side stick a little convex out from your head. Also maybe they can work with the bend and flex of the hook end to make it more comfortable. I go to a good optician who is very supportive about finding the right fit. Hope you find one too - be as explicit as possible about what the problem is and encourage them to be creative when problem solving.

[germaine2626]

Originally Posted by jimdc58

My big problem is around the ears. Does anyone else have issues with this?

My husband needs to order glasses that have a longer than average side piece (what toosie calls the stick ends) otherwise they are too tight against his face & ears. His face must be longer from the front to his ears than most people.

Originally Posted by toosie

I've had some of that issue before. My frames are all plastic and they adjust how tight they are on my head by manipulating the stick ends - not the part that attaches to the frame, but the part that sticks out behind your ear. Some people wear that part straight out, others wrap it down behind the ear like a hook. It also can bend in closer to the skull or out away. If there's enough space between your ear and skull, maybe they can make the right side stick a little convex out from your head. Also maybe they can work with the bend and flex of the hook end to make it more comfortable. I go to a good optician who is very supportive about finding the right fit. Hope you find one too - be as explicit as possible about what the problem is and encourage them to be creative when problem solving.

Good point.

[smarino]

You want the lightest frames you can get, along w/ plastic lenses. Get polycarbonate lenses if you can afford it, as they're lighter and thinner. Avoid the plastic frames as they don't last long, and have limited adjustments to get them sized properly to your face. Titanium frames are the lightest, and you can bend them into a pretzel and they'll pop back into shape. They're also expensive, so scour the thrift stores for the bins w/ cast off glasses. I found TWO pairs of titanium glasses at Goodwill for $2.19 each! Deal of the year, and they fit myself and the wife perfectly. She took hers to one of these 2 for 1 optical places and had her old glasses frames set w/ new lenses, and used the titanium frames for the prescription sunglasses. Businesses usually charge you $10 to put the new lenses into your old frames. The titanium will never tarnish or flake, and you need to do something really crazy to damage them, so they might last decades.

One thing I would recommend is avoiding the scratch resistant coatings as they will only last one year, if you're lucky, and will degrade your vision once they get scratched. Instead, invest in the anti reflective coatings which are of much higher quality, and will enable you to see much better in bright conditions. You can tell if glasses have this coating by the green or blue tint you'll see when you take them off and tilt them at a light source. It's similar to the coatings they use on high end camera optics that cut flare and increase light transmission.

[Gerania]

Originally Posted by jimdc58

My big problem is around the ears. Does anyone else have issues with this?

I had that problem for years until I got the flex frames like this: New Brand Titanium Rimless Eyeglasses Frames Ultra Light Myopia Round Vintage Glasses Optical Frame-in Eyewear Frames from Men's Clothing & Accessories on Aliexpress.com | Alibaba Group I've had different brands. Some were better than others, but none of them have been bad. No more nose or ear pain.

[Ottawa2011]

Flex frames might be the best option.

There is such a thing as eyeglasses with frames sized for "big heads"... with extra long arms. They're usually sized for big and large men. I don't know much about them, just that they exist. Maybe you could look into this online, and see if it's something that would help you.