Category: Lenses and Frames

Most people think of sunglasses as summer gear, but in some ways it’s even more important to wear sunglasses in certain winter conditions than in the warm summer months.

Thanks to public awareness campaigns about the risks of skin cancer, more people are aware that UV rays and intense sunlight are bad for our skin. Sunblock, clothing, and shade are regularly used to protect us. Do you know that UV rays are damaging to our eyes, too?

Prolonged UV exposure raises risks for:
• Cataracts
• Macular Degeneration
• Photokeratitis (“Sunburn” of the cornea)

In the warmer months, we think about protection from the sun because we expose so much skin and can experience sunburns when we’re not covered. In the winter, however, people are colder, and bundled up, so they don’t think of the sun as a risk. This is a problem because snow can reflect 80% of UV rays. That means you’re experiencing normal sunlight from being outside, and harsh glares from white surfaces.

The fatiguing effects of winter glares become apparent usually when doing outdoor activities like skiing, snowboarding, or sledding, but driving in bright wintry conditions can also be damaging and dangerous. It’s important to be protected year-round!

When looking for appropriate winter sunwear, remember:

• Good sunglasses offer UV protection, so always be sure to check that they block 100% UVA/UVB rays.
• Larger glasses are in style, which is great because the bigger lens protects more of your eyes and the skin around your eyes from UV damage. Look for a large lens and wraparound style.
• Don’t worry too much about the color or darkness of the lens. Those things can vary while still providing adequate UV protection. Check the label for that information, or speak to an optician.
• Remember, polarization is for more than just fishing! Especially in the winter months when ice and snow can cause harsh glare, polarization can dramatically increase comfort when driving or participating on outdoor activities.
• Specialty eyewear exists for all of your favorite winter sports. Be sure your eyes are safe and protected from the sun during sports.

Talk to us if you have any questions about your UV exposure or any specialty eyewear you need to live your active winter lifestyle!

The idea of digital lenses may conjure up futuristic, electronic eyewear that gives you heat-detecting vision and the ability to zoom in on far away objects, but the truth is that digital lenses look exactly like traditional lenses in a side-by-side comparison. There are no batteries involved! The true advantage of digital lenses (also called high-definition or free-form lenses) becomes apparent when you look through them.

Every eye is different, so getting digital lenses vs. traditional lenses is like the difference between getting an outfit off the rack and getting something tailor-made especially for your body perfectly. With high-definition digital lenses, the creation process takes into account the position of your pupil, the angle of the lens in the frames, the shape of your frames, and even that angle of your eyes when looking in various directions. Digital lenses really shine when used for progressive lenses (no-line bifocals), which wearers find to be much more comfortable and easier to adapt to than traditional, non-digital lenses.

High-definition digital lenses are made with an optimized computer-controlled scanning process which allows for much greater precision than how regular glasses are made. Conventional tools don’t allow for the same sort of control so they can lead to vision that still feels like it could be sharper, even when wearing a perfect prescription for your eyes. The way conventional lenses are made will sometimes create spots that aren’t as clear, or a bending effect toward the edges of your peripheral vision because of the shape of your glasses. This is not an issue with digital lenses. You will have better peripheral vision, less glare, and improved contrast sensitivity.

To further improve the creation process, your eye care professional will usually take some added measurements based on your frames. This will ensure an exact fit and tailoring to your eye and eyewear choice.

So who can benefit from digital lenses? Everyone! People with difficult prescriptions, astigmatism, and presbyopia (the need for bifocals) will see the greatest improvement in vision with digital lenses versus traditionally manufactured lenses.

The next question is one we hear a lot: how much extra do they cost? Unlike the price difference between a high-definition television and the old tube models, digital lenses are not too much extra. They are more labor-intensive to create, so typically you can expect to pay about 25–35% more for your lenses. Once you experience the high-definition lenses and sharper vision, however, you’ll be surprised how inadequate your old lenses seem!

Talk to your eye care professional if you’re interested in getting digital lenses for your eyewear.

Non-glare (or anti-reflective) coating is a common and cost-effective feature that many eyeglass wearers elect to incorporate into their eyeglass lenses. It’s one of those things that you usually don’t notice or think about when you have it, but you notice when it’s not there!

Non-glare lenses are simply lenses that have a coating applied to the lens that eliminates the reflections of light from the front and back the lens. Typical anti-reflective coating allows 99.5 percent of light to pass through, meaning that there is only a very faint hint of light on the lens even in the brightest conditions. The anti-glare protection allows more light to come through, and results in better vision for you as well as a better view for others. When people look at you, they won’t see a glare off of the lenses of your glasses. Glare off of your glasses can ruin pictures and be distracting to people speaking with you because the glare obscures their view of your eyes.

Beyond cosmetic reasons, the true benefits of non-glare lenses are sharper vision when driving at night, and more comfort when using a computer for long periods of time. You won’t experience a glare from the computer screen, and the sharper vision will mean easier focusing for your eyes.

It’s also a good idea get the non-glare coating applied to the back surface of your sunglasses. This helps eliminate glare from sunlight when the sun is behind you. Most non-glare coatings now also include a layer that prevents water spots, thus making them much easier to clean. There are even coatings that help resist skin oils, which makes smudges easier to wipe off.

Glasses that have non-glare coating should be given special care, as some lens cleaners contain chemicals that could damage the non-glare coating. With any eyewear, make sure you know how to care for your gear to give it a long and useful life. Ask your eye care professional if you have questions about care for your eye wear, or would like to know more about non-glare options.

Most people pick either one pair of glasses or one set of contact lenses, but often find situations where they wish they had an alternative option to their main eyewear. After all, why dress your face in the same outfit every day? Just like having a few pairs of shoes for different uses, or a special purse for evenings out, having multiple pairs of eyewear can be very fun and superbly functional.

There are many reasons why owning multiple pairs of eyeglasses is beneficial. Clumsy or not, you never know what could happen that would cause you to break or lose a pair. Unlike ripping a pair of pants or losing a shoelace, not being unable to see is quite a problem! Although some eye care providers may be able to create glasses in a very short amount of time, you don’t want to be unable to see, or stuck in an old prescription that will hurt your eyes while you wait for your new eyewear to be created.

Maybe you know in advance that you’ll need a different type of eyewear for a specific activity and want to get fit for your specialty eyewear. Eyeglass wearers need at least one pair of regular glasses, but many also have a backup pair of glasses and may opt for a pair of sunglasses, too. Contact lenses tend to be the go-to for sporting enthusiasts who need varied functionality for their sport, but there are also glasses options for eyewear used in water sports, winter sports, driving, outdoors, and other activities.

Other specialty types of glasses that you may need are computer glasses or specialty eyewear for work or hobbies. Those that work long hours on a computer could benefit from investing in a pair of computer glasses. These glasses aid in preventing eyestrain, as they are designed specifically for the distance at which you view a computer monitor. They can cut down on glare and blue light, too. There are many options available for safety prescription glasses for work, and your employer may cover them if you need them for your job.

Occupational lenses can be helpful for those who wear bifocals because holding your reading material out far away from your face is not exactly practical nor comfortable. For those whose hobbies include close up work, reading glasses may be helpful for magnification.

Of course, the fashion-forward will also enjoy having multiple pairs of glasses to go with different looks. It is tempting to pick up a very colorful pair of funky frames to give yourself a signature look, but you may wonder if the bold look would feel awkward in other settings, like a serious family function or job interview. If you get more than one pair, you can be more creative with one of the frames and a little more conservative with the second pair. Unless you have a certain kind of prescription, the option of contacts is also great. They’re very practical and versatile. Some contact lenses even offer color-changing ability to give your eyes a totally new look.

Just like the way different accessories make you feel fancy, professional, or casual, glasses and contact lenses can do the same. Check your vision benefits to see what coverage is offered for additional eyewear, and ask your eye care professional if there are any multiple pair packages or discounts available.

Squinting into the sun and focusing in bright light is very hard on your eyes. Eye care professionals stress the importance of sunglasses and shading your eyes to protect your vision, but many people aren’t aware of the benefits that come from polarized lenses. They’re not just for fishermen to see into the water!

When you’re not on the dock or deck of your boat, you will continue to see the benefits of polarization. Polarized lenses can help cut glares off of surfaces like the road in front of you or the hood of your vehicle. Even bright light outdoors or through windows can be mellowed with polarized lenses.

The reason that polarized lenses work is that they cut out certain waves of light. Normal light rays tend to go in all directions, but light that bounces off of a surface tends to align itself horizontally, a process called polarization. So sunlight beating down on the water doesn’t appear as ambient light once it bounces off the water, because it hits that reflective surface and bounces up, causing a phenomenon we know as glare. Polarized lenses are specially made with a vertical polarization so that they cut out that intense reflected light and let you see more of the natural light you’d see if there was no glare. Pretty cool, right? You can even experiment with glasses to see if they’re polarized by holding them out and rotating the lens to see if the glare lessens or not.

Some people may notice instances where polarized lenses are not helpful, however. Cell phone screens, LCD and GPS displays can be more difficult to read. In some cases, much brighter light is something you need to see, like in downhill skiing. A bright patch alerts the skier to ice, and polarization would make it harder to see. But most everyday skiers and snowboarders would like to ease the bright light reflecting off of the snow if they’re not in icy conditions. Other than a few rare occasions, polarized lenses can do a lot to improve your vision for many applications. Ask your eye care professional for help deciding if polarization is right for your eyewear.