Could my blurred vision and frontal headache after getting new glasses be due to a prescription error, dehydration, cataract, or age‑related macular degeneration despite a normal dilated fundus exam?

Blurred Vision and Headache After New Glasses: Most Likely an Incorrect Prescription

Your symptoms of blurred vision and frontal headache after receiving new glasses are almost certainly due to an incorrect prescription, not dehydration, cataracts, or macular degeneration—especially since your dilated fundus examination was normal. 1

Why Prescription Error is the Primary Culprit

Incorrect Prescription Causes Specific Symptoms

• Overcorrection of refractive error is a common pitfall that directly produces headaches and visual discomfort, particularly frontal headaches from accommodative stress. 1
• Myopic patients are especially vulnerable to symptoms from overcorrection, which can be equally or more disturbing than the original blurred distance vision. 1
• Accommodative stress can masquerade as a refractive problem, leading to inappropriate prescriptions that cause rather than relieve symptoms. 1

Changes in Prescription Can Cause Adaptation Problems

• Even correct new prescriptions require an adjustment period, but persistent symptoms beyond 1-2 weeks suggest an error in the prescription itself. 1
• Multifocal glasses and changes in lens prescriptions have been associated with increased fall risk and visual disturbances in older adults, indicating that prescription changes themselves can cause significant symptoms. 2

Why Other Causes Are Unlikely

Dehydration Does Not Cause These Symptoms

• Dehydration does not produce the specific pattern of blurred vision and frontal headache associated with new glasses.
• If dehydration were the cause, symptoms would fluctuate with hydration status and would have been present before the new glasses.

Cataracts Are Ruled Out by Your Normal Eye Exam

• Your eye doctor stated the inner eye looked normal with typical signs of aging, which effectively rules out visually significant cataracts. 2
• Cataracts cause progressive, gradual vision loss—not sudden symptoms coinciding with new glasses. 2
• Cataracts would have been detected during your comprehensive eye examination. 2

Macular Degeneration Is Excluded by Normal Fundus Exam

• A normal dilated fundus examination excludes clinically significant age-related macular degeneration (AMD). 3
• AMD causes central vision loss and metamorphopsia (distorted vision), not the frontal headaches you describe. 3
• Early AMD is typically asymptomatic, and advanced AMD would show drusen, RPE changes, or neovascular changes on fundus examination. 3, 4
• Your normal fundus exam means no significant drusen, geographic atrophy, or choroidal neovascularization is present. 4

Recommended Action Plan

Immediate Steps

• Return to your eye care provider immediately to have your prescription rechecked. 2
• Request a careful refraction with attention to:
  • Potential overcorrection of myopia or hyperopia 1
  • Cylinder axis accuracy for astigmatism correction
  • Vertex distance if you have a strong prescription
  • Proper optical center alignment with your pupils

What to Tell Your Eye Doctor

• Specify exactly when symptoms occur (constant vs. intermittent, near vs. distance vision)
• Describe the location and quality of your headache (frontal location suggests accommodative stress) 1
• Note whether one eye or both eyes are affected
• Report if symptoms improve when you remove the glasses

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

• Do not assume you need time to "adjust" if symptoms persist beyond 1-2 weeks—this likely indicates a prescription error requiring correction. 1
• Do not accept reassurance that "it's just aging" when symptoms began immediately with new glasses.
• Do not delay returning for a recheck, as prolonged wear of an incorrect prescription can worsen symptoms and cause eye strain. 1

If Prescription Is Confirmed Correct

• Consider whether the frame fit is appropriate (pantoscopic tilt, vertex distance, optical center height)
• Evaluate whether you need different lens designs (single vision vs. progressive vs. bifocal) 1
• Assess whether lens material or coatings could be contributing to visual disturbances

Long-Term Considerations

While your current symptoms are prescription-related, maintain regular comprehensive eye examinations as recommended by your eye care provider, since you have "typical signs of aging" noted on examination. 2, 3 This ensures early detection of conditions like cataracts or AMD should they develop in the future, though neither is causing your current symptoms. 3, 4