09/30/2026

Think You Can Solve It? Put Your Optical Skills to the Test!

Every optician has encountered a pair of glasses that looks perfect on paper—but the patient insists something just isn't right. This issue, we're putting your troubleshooting skills to the test! 

Read the case below, determine the most likely cause of the patient's problem, and send us your answer for a chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card! Everyone who correctly identifies the problem will be entered into a drawing, and we'll reveal the solution in the next issue of the OAO newsletter. 

The Troubleshooting Challenge: 

A 58-year-old longtime progressive wearer picks up a new pair of glasses. She adapted easily to her previous progressives, but with her new pair she reports: 

“Everything is clear when I'm looking straight ahead, and I can read just fine. But I feel like I have to turn my head much more to look at things around me. When I'm walking through the grocery store, things off to the sides seem to swim.” 

Her prescription is: 

OD: −4.50 −1.50 × 180, Add +2.25 
OS: −4.25 −1.75 × 175, Add +2.25 

You begin troubleshooting and verify: 

Distance and near powers are within tolerance. 

Monocular PDs are correct. 

Fitting heights are correct. 

There is no unwanted prism at the prism reference points. 

The lenses are the same progressive design she wore successfully in her previous pair. 

The frame is sitting level and appears comfortable. 

Vertex distance is approximately 12 mm. 

The lenses are free from defects. 

The patient puts her old glasses back on and immediately says, “These just feel more natural.” 

You compare the old and new glasses side by side and notice that although both frames appear to fit the patient well, there is a significant difference in the way the lenses are positioned in front of her eyes. 

Can You Find the Problem? 

What fitting parameter would you check next, and what do you suspect is causing the patient's difficulty with her new progressive lenses? 

Send us your diagnosis for your chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card! 

One correct entry will be randomly selected as our winner. We'll reveal the problem—and the fix—in the next issue of the OAO newsletter. 

Send your answers to melissas@eyensteinsoptical.com