Category: Eye Resources

Have you considered getting online eye tests? The idea of being able to get an eyeglass prescription and buy glasses without a trip to the eye doctor may sound appealing. Before ditching the traditional eye exams, there are a few things you need to know!

Online Eye Tests

The most important thing to know about online eye tests is they do not evaluate the health of your eyes. Even if they are called “online eye exams,” these exams only measure your visual acuity and refractive error. Some online eye tests can check for contrast sensitivity and color blindness. However, none of this can tell the health of your eyes.

The only way to know the complete health of your eyes is through eye exams with your doctor. During an eye exam, your doctor can detect vision-threatening conditions such as cataracts, glaucoma, or macular degeneration. Early detection of these conditions can prevent vision loss and blindness.

Know The Risks:

• Online eye exams cannot detect eye diseases
• Improper testing can occur due to error or misreading instructions
• Higher chance of getting incorrect prescription due to self-administered the eye test
• If you think the prescription is incorrect, your only option is to pay again and retake the test
• An eyecare professional is not present to answer questions or concerns

Validation of Online Eye Tests

The results of online eye tests have not been guaranteed to be accurate measures of your prescription. Due to this being relatively new technology, there have not been enough studies to determine the reliability and validity of online eye tests.

Additionally, many online eye tests say their technology is suitable only for people between the ages 18 and 40 who are in good health. The limitations of the eye test raise concerns to the overall validity of the test. For these reasons, we do not recommend them as your sole option for your receiving your prescription.

The best way to ensure your eyes are healthy, you receive the correct prescription, and get answers to all your questions is through face-to-face eye exams with your eye doctor. Our staff of trained eyecare professionals will help you through every step of the process. Our office is here to address any questions or concerns you may have.

Each year, more than 700,000 Americans injure their eyes at work and 125,000 Americans injure their eyes at home. However, almost 90% of these eye injuries could have been prevented with the use of safety eyewear.*

Safety Glasses Vs Regular Glasses

In comparison to regular glasses, safety glasses are designed and tested to meet safety regulations for enhanced protection. Safety glasses must have higher durability, the lenses and frames must be impact resistant, and they must pass a series of tests. Regular glasses to do not have these standards.

Lens Materials

The lens materials used in safety eyewear undergo numerous tests to determine safety classification and impact resistance. Safety eyewear commonly uses polycarbonate material for impact-resistant lenses. This material is half the weight of glass and makes for lighter and more comfortable wear.

Prescription Safety Eyewear

In most cases, safety goggles do not have prescription lenses and are used primarily for eye protection. However, goggles can be made with prescription lenses to accommodate those who need corrective eyewear.

Standards for Safety Eyewear

In the United States, the American National Standards Institute is the non-profit organization that sets the quality and safety standards for eye safety devices including eyeglasses, goggles, face shields, welding helmets, and full face respirators. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is the department of US Department of Labor that oversees workplace safety. Your employer should inform you what type of safety eyewear you need for the job.

Symbols to Look For

• Having a plus mark (+) on eyewear means the lenses passed the high-velocity test. Without a plus mark, they pass the basic impact test.
• (V) means they are photochromic and (S) means the lens has a special tint. The glasses marked with (V) and (S) protect your eyes from light damage when soldering, brazing, cutting, and welding.
• Z87 the frames pass basic impact.
• Z87+ the frames pass high impact.
• Z87-2 the frames pass basic impact and have prescription lenses.

When do I need to wear protective eyewear?

Occupational Hazards

Some jobs require protective eyewear. A good rule of thumb is if you work in an area with loose particles, flying objects, chemicals, or dust, you should wear safety glasses. Some occupations have a higher risk of eye injury including construction, manufacturing, auto repair, electrical work, welding, mining, carpentry, plumbing, and maintenance.

Home Risks

If you are working on repairs, renovations, painting, or yard work at your home you should wear protective eyeglasses. For home tasks such as mowing the lawn, trimming, and other power tool activities it is recommended to use frames with side shields to protect from flying particles and objects.

Sports Safety

Protective eyewear should be worn in a variety of sports. For active sports, elastic bands can help to secure the glasses on players’ heads. Athletes that participate in hunting or shooting sports should wear high impact frames and lenses, which protects their eyes from possible ricochet. Fish hooks can cause serious eye injuries; the best choice is a wrap-style frame with safety lenses. Protective eyewear can help to prevent eye injuries.

* All About Vision

 

Have you ever gone to pick out new eyeglasses, but been overwhelmed by all your options? Do you ever struggle to know what eyewear shape looks best on you? We’ve compiled our best tips for picking the perfect pair of eyewear to help make your decisions easier.

1. Contrast your face shape

   • There are seven basic face shapes to review including oval, base-up or base-down triangle, oblong, square, diamond, and round. Eyewear should contrast your face shape but be in scale with your face size. Find your face shape below and try out our recommended shape frames
     
     1. Oval: wide or walnut-shaped frames
        
     2. Base-up triangle: frames with a wider bottom, light color or lightweight
        
     3. Oblong: frames with more depth than width
        
     4. Square: narrow frames and with more width than depth
        
     5. Diamond: cat-eye shaped frames or other detailing on the brow line
        
     6. Round: narrow frames which are wider and have a clear bridge
        
     7. Base-down triangle: frames with color or detailing on the top half

2. Highlight your features

   • Pick your best or favorite feature and pick a frame to highlight it.
   • Some features to consider highlighting would be your eyes, hair, skin color, and face shape. For example, if you have blue eyes, try a blue frame to match and highlight your eye color.

3. Match or complement colors

   • Your skin, eyes, and hair work together to create your overall coloring. Everyone has either a cool (blue or pink undertones) or a warm (yellow or orange undertones) overall color. Try a frame from our color list below to complement your coloring.
   • Warm coloring: camel, khaki, gold, copper, peach, orange, coral, red, or warm blue
   • Cool coloring: black, silver, rose-brown, blue-gray, plum, magenta, pink, blue, or tortoise

4. Find the perfect size

   • Try on multiple pairs to see what size fits your face shape best.
   • If the frames are too small your peripheral vision will be limited and could potentially feel tight on the head. The frames should not pinch your nose, leave red marks, slide down your nose, or easily slip off your head. The tightness around your ears can be adjusted to get the perfect fit.  

5. Match your frames to your lifestyle

   • Make sure your frames will work for every part of your life and will be a representation of you and your personality.
   • Pick frames to match your unique lifestyle and hobbies. Consider your common activities when choosing frames. For example, if you are more active you may want a pair of sports eyewear or a wraparound band. If you spend a lot of time on the computer, you may want eyeglasses with a tinted lens.

6. Anti-reflective coating

   • An anti-reflective coating helps eliminate reflections on both sides of your lenses to cut down annoying glare and improve night vision.
   • Anti-reflective coatings allow for sharper, clearer vision with less glare. The lenses appear to be nearly invisible, giving the eyeglasses a more attractive appearance and allowing for better eye contact.

7. Are weight and material important to you?

   • Frames are most commonly made of plastic, metal, or a combination of materials. This combination determines the longevity, weight, and average cost of a frame.
   • Key Features:

• • • • • Stainless steel and titanium are long lasting
          
        • Metal frames often have adjustable nose pads
          
        • Metal frames can come in hypoallergenic materials
          
        • Plastic frames tend to be less expensive
          
        • Plastic frames are lighter
          
        • Plastic frames typically need less maintenance than metal frames
          
        • Flexible hinges allow the “arms” to bend more than regular hinges
          

Have you ever been tempted to buy cheap glasses you see online or the reading glasses you found at a discount store? They look just as good as the prescription eyeglasses you paid full price for, right?

The hard truth is they are not the same as the high-quality prescription eyewear provided by our office. Unreliable eyeglasses are more likely to break, scratch, and discolor over time. Your goal should be to buy glasses that will last and will not need frequent replacement. The cost of replacing cheap glasses can add up to the same cost as purchasing a more expensive, quality pair, originally.

Know what you lose

When comparing costs, there is always a compromise to be made. One of the biggest elements lost when buying cheap eyeglasses is individual care. Opticians recommend eyewear based on your daily routine, provide professional fittings, and ensure the quality of your eyewear is examined.

Same top quality?

Online glasses retailers often state that they offer the “same top quality” as eyecare practices. How do you know what their definition or range of top quality is? Cheap price often means cheaper materials.

Try before you buy

Usually, when buying glasses from an online retailer, you sacrifice the opportunity to try the glasses on and see how they fit your face. A virtual try-on does not allow for an accurate representation of how glasses look and fit on your face.

You cannot receive a proper fitting

If you choose to purchase eyeglasses from an online supplier, you forfeit a proper fitting. As a result, you may purchase a pair of glasses that are too tight or loose for your face.

Cheap frames

A downside to cheaper frames is they are more likely to cause skin irritation. Cheaper metal frames can discolor your skin or even cause a skin rash due to allergy. With prolonged wear, cheap plastic frames will discolor in sunlight and the smooth finish will diminish.

Durability

Another inevitable loss with cheaper eyeglasses is durability. Frames made with inexpensive materials are not designed to withstand extended use as well as eyeglasses sold by eye practitioners are able to.

Reading glasses

A wide-spread myth: all reading glasses are the same whether you purchase them at a discount store or at an eye practitioner. The truth is, your eye practitioner is able to customize the lenses to fit your exact eye and lifestyle needs. Read more about progressive lenses available at our office here.

Sunglasses lose UV protection

It’s tempting to buy cheap sunglasses because you are worried you might misplace or scratch them. However, it is crucial to protect your eyes from UV radiation damage. Don’t give up 100% UV protection for a cheap sticker price.

Have you ever received your prescription at the end of your exam but were unsure how to interpret it? Below are some common questions and terms explained to help you better understand what each part of your prescription means. If you have any questions about your prescription, please reach out to our office.

What does it mean to be nearsighted?

Nearsightedness (myopia) is the most commonly diagnosed refractive error. Nearsighted individuals have difficulty reading road signs and clearly seeing distant objects. This refractive error typically begins in childhood and stabilizes in early adulthood. Symptoms of myopia include squinting, eye strain, and headaches.

What does it mean to be farsighted?

Farsightedness (hyperopia) affects about one-fourth of the population.* Farsighted individuals will have difficulty focusing on objects up close but can clearly see objects at a distance. The eye shape of someone who is farsighted is shorter than normal. For this reason, many children are born farsighted and outgrow it as their eyeball grows.

I have astigmatism, what does that mean?

Individuals with astigmatism usually experience some degree of blur or distortion at all distances. In astigmatism, light comes into the retina at multiple focus points because of an irregular shaped cornea, which causes blurring. With astigmatism, one or both eyes can be farsighted, one or both eyes can be nearsighted, or one eye can be nearsighted while the other is farsighted.

Reading the Prescription

Your prescription is an outline of corrections your eyes need in order to see as precisely as possible. Every prescription will look different based on the patient’s eyes. If you have questions or do not understand a section of your exam or prescription, be sure to ask your doctor.

OD and OS

Doctors use the abbreviations OD, OS, and OU when writing a prescription for eyeglasses, contact lenses, and eye medicines. OD and OS are abbreviations for the latin words oculus dexter (right eye) and oculus sinister (left eye). The latin term oculus uterque is used for describing both eyes.

Other terms on your prescription:

• Sphere (SPH): Indicates the lens power needed to correct nearsightedness or farsightedness. If you have a minus sign (-) you are nearsighted; if you have a plus sign (+) or no sign you are farsighted.
• Cylinder (CYL): Indicates the amount of lens power for astigmatism. If nothing appears in this column you do not have astigmatism. The minus sign is for nearsighted astigmatism and a plus sign for farsighted astigmatism.
• Axis: Indicates the direction of astigmatism. For example, if the axis is 180 degrees the astigmatism is horizontal.
• Add: Indicates the magnifying power applied to the bottom of multifocal lenses to correct presbyopia. The number is typically a plus power and will be the same for both eyes.
• Prism: This is to compensate for eye alignment problems, a very small percentage of prescriptions contain a prismatic power. Abbreviations used for prism direction: BU- base up, BD- base down, BI- base in, BO- base out.

Sample Prescription:

*All About Vision

As you may know, the sun’s harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays can cause damage to your skin, but how often do you think about the damage these rays can cause to your eyes? What about your child’s eyes? At a young age, children’s eyes are still developing, and with the substantial time they spend outdoors, it is important to purchase sunglasses to protect their eyes from harmful UV rays.

What Are UV Rays?

UV rays or ultraviolet radiation is a form of electromagnetic radiation or energy. These rays are emitted from the sun as well as a few man-made sources, like tanning beds. A key factor in what makes ultraviolet rays so dangerous is our inability to see them. Ultraviolet rays fall outside the range of visible light for the human eye. To read more about UV rays, click here.

Your Exposure to UV Rays

Eye Development

The lens inside a child’s eye is still developing and is not as capable of filtering high energy rays similar to eye lenses in adults. This inability to filter and fully protect their eyes causes children to have a higher risk of damage from UV rays. Shielding your infant’s or child’s eyes from UV rays as early as possible will help prevent overexposure to UV radiation throughout their lifetime. For younger children and infants, a sun hat provides additional protection to their skin and eyes throughout the day as the sun shifts and in case they remove their sunglasses.

Environment

Exposure to UV radiation increases at high altitudes, tropical locations, and in reflective environments. Consider the level of risk in your environment and if protective eyewear should be worn. Here are a few environment aspects and how they could affect your exposure to harmful UV rays.

• Altitude: At higher altitudes, the earth’s atmosphere is thinner and unable to provide the same protection from UV rays.
• Location: As you move closer to the earth’s equator, the level of UV rays increase. If you and your family are visiting a tropical location near the earth’s equator, always wear 100% UV blocking eyewear when outdoors.
• Highly reflective services: Areas with highly reflective services like pools, lakes, oceans, and snow reflect UV rays. Snow can reflect up to 80% of UV rays creating a higher risk of UV damage to your eyes.
• Clouds: Keep in mind clouds do not block UV radiation. UV exposure can be high on cloudy days.

Time of Day

• Time of day: UV levels are higher between 10 am to 2 pm when the sun is at its peak.
• Setting: Highly reflective surfaces like sand, water, and snow provide a much higher risk of eye damage due to UV radiation.

Children’s Eyewear

We understand convincing your child to wear sunglasses can be a challenge. Use these pointers when talking with your kids about sunglasses! Don’t forget, you know your children better than anyone else, so some of these tips may not work for them.

• Match the current trends. If your child loves a certain color, pattern, or shape, purchase sunglasses to match their unique style.
• TV shows, young celebrities, and brands like Disney create sunglass lines to appeal specifically to children. That’s right, children notice and prefer brand named items just like teens and adults.
• Keep frame in the family. If the child has an adult or sibling they look up to and admire, purchase your child similar sunglasses to what the adult or sibling owns. This will appeal to the child’s desire to look more like their older sibling or parent!
• Let them do the shopping. Take children shopping specifically to pick out their very own special pair of sunglasses. The more they like their sunglasses, the more likely they are to wear them, and the better protected their eyes will be from harmful UV radiation from the sun.