Prism glasses are prescription eyeglasses with special lenses that are used to correct eye alignment or movement issues, not refractive errors. They are used to treat vision conditions such as double vision and other binocular vision difficulties. The prism aligns the two images so that only one is seen, which helps the eyes to perceive images in a way that single vision can be achieved, improving binocular vision and reducing double vision, headaches, reading difficulties, and more. Prism glasses are prescribed for patients who suffer from severe binocular vision difficulties and double vision, most commonly resulting from visual problems caused by binocular visual dysfunction, strabismus, myasthenia gravis, Graves’ disease, convergence insufficiency, and neurological problems caused by stroke, migraine, head injury, tumor, diabetes mellitus, multiple sclerosis, and more.

Prism glasses can be ground into the lens of your eyeglasses if prism correction is needed for a longer period. They look like any other glasses without a prism, although the lens on one side may be thicker and more noticeable. If this is a concern, a thicker frame can be used to hide that portion of the lens. Sometimes, a temporary Fresnel prism (a thin press-on vinyl sticker) is fitted over the front or back of your eyeglasses. With a Fresnel prism lens, the prism is slightly visible. This isnt ideal for long-term use, but it allows you to test drive a prism and see how it works.

In summary, prism glasses are prescription eyeglasses with special lenses that are used to correct eye alignment or movement issues, not refractive errors. They are used to treat vision conditions such as double vision and other binocular vision difficulties. Prism glasses can be ground into the lens of your eyeglasses if prism correction is needed for a longer period, and sometimes a temporary Fresnel prism is fitted over the front or back of your eyeglasses.