Eyeglasses

Many, many people across the country and across the globe need some sort of vision correction in order to be able to see well enough to perform even some of life’s most basic functions. Things like reading a newspaper or deciphering the symbols on a traffic sign would be almost impossible for some people without the help of corrective lenses – what’s surprising though is that with all of the people who have an inherent need for corrective lenses, very few actually know how their prescription glasses are actually put together. Making corrective lenses actually begins at the point of the eye exam, a person is examined by an eye care professional to determine what their prescription is – and then that information is sent off to a lab. Once the … Read entire article »

From documents that were retrieved in Rome in the 13th Century, we know that prescription eyeglasses were available at that time. They were referred to as “spectacles” rather than glasses. Although we do not know for certain when prescription eyeglasses were invented, we do have proof that they did exist during this time period. A portrait done by an artist named Tomas da Modeno portrays a gentleman wearing eyeglasses. Obviously what we do not know is if they are prescription eyeglasses. There are, however, other documents such as a manuscript written by a man that implies that if the he wasn’t wearing spectacles, he would not be able to read or write. In the 15th century the printing press was invented which meant more reading material was readily available. Thus, the … Read entire article »

A person should have their eyes examined by an optometrist every two years or every year after the age of 60, to determine whether they need to wear prescription eyeglasses. Also, If any of the following symptoms occur, then an eye exam needs to be scheduled. * If a person is having a hard time focusing in on objects. * If the eyes are red or swollen for unknown reasons. * If unusual headaches reoccur while reading, watching television or working on a computer. There are several different tests performed by an optometrist during a routine eye exam to determine whether prescription eyeglasses are needed. A glaucoma test is a simple, painless test. Glaucoma is a build up of fluid in the eye that causes the retina to have pressure. Glaucoma doesn’t really have any … Read entire article »

A commonly heard question in my optometrist eye care center is will my eyeglasses prescription keep changing? Followed frequently by will I go blind? The latter is a common misperception based very slightly on fact. People due lose eyesight and suffer loss of vision from degenerative myopia or nearsightedness. There is a significant increase in the percentage of people who get retinal detachments in the nearsighted population. However, even though this is a significant increase, relatively speaking it is extremely rare. A very small segment of the population do have degenerative nearsightedness. This is a pathological state of the eye where it progressively gets worse at a rapid rate and causes a number of serious vision problems including retinal detachments, glaucoma, cataracts and retinal degeneration that can cause blindness. This condition … Read entire article »

Whether you are near or farsighted, there are options available to help reduce the thickness of your lenses. First, you should consider using a higher index lens material to help reduce size. Different materials have varying index levels, and since the level is directly related to the corrective ability, a higher index level means less of the material is needed. Choosing the right material is important for limiting the lens thickness of your glasses. The highest ranked materials are glass lenses with indexes between 1.8 and 1.9. Unfortunately, these high-end lenses are hard to get (only a few manufacturers available), and are expensive. Plastic lenses with indexes between 1.6 and 1.74 are the next best option and are considered to be high index. These plastic lenses are the thinnest available for … Read entire article »

Prescription eyeglasses are manufactured in a variety of materials. The most basic is the glass lens. The glass lens is by far the best in absorbing ultraviolet light. It comes in several different colors and is, of course, scratch resistant. It is also one of the least expensive. The downfall to the glass lens is the weight of a pair of prescription eyeglasses made of glass. They are also very breakable and have to undergo a heat-treated process to ensure durability. Another material used to manufacture prescription eyeglasses is the High-Index plastic lens. It also absorbs ultra violet light well. This type of lens is much lighter in weight than the glass lens; however, they are also very expensive and can be scratched very easily. Resin Plastic is another type of material … Read entire article »

In today’s society, not only are prescription eyeglasses a necessity, but to some people they are a fashion accessory. Top designers like Giorio Armani, Eddie Bauer, Clavin Klien and even Brittany Spears have picked up this latest fashion trend. Putting their name and usually a high price on designer frames and lenses. A pair of prescription eyeglasses should be comfortable for your eye as well as your face. There are many different frame designs and shapes that fit your personal needs. When shopping for a pair of prescription eyeglasses it is important to consider your occupation, activity level and personality. Different lifestyles require different frames, lenses and tints. For example; The truck driver who spends 10 hours per day driving requires different options than that of an office worker who stares at … Read entire article »