Here in Canada it seems the aviation medical authorities are dismissive of optometrists as they are not MDs. It wouldn't surprise me if the same attitudes are prevalent in other jurisdictions.
Optometrists are however more expert than ophthalmologists in prescribing corrective lenses. It seems you need prisms in your lenses.
You should not have discomfort from your eyeglass frames. The optometrist or optician should ensure your frames are properly adjusted. However the prisms make your ocular nerves and muscles work and you may feel some relief when you take your glasses off. That said, you need to wear the glasses for a significant part of the day to adapt to them.
Possibly the exercises will eventually get to the position where you no longer need glasses, but aging can work against that.
Anti reflective coatings are available for an extra cost and really help outdoors.