Author: innexus

Perfect Glasses For Your Lifestyle

We believe that your glasses should complement your lifestyle and meet your vision needs! With everyone having different priorities, jobs, and activities in their life eyewear is not a one size fits all. We want to help you select the perfect glasses for your lifestyle!

Business Eyewear

The savvy business professional wants glasses that enhance their professional image. Your appearance can influence clients and colleagues initial impression of you. Therefore, we recommend eyewear that will instill trust and confidence in you. Typically, this includes a more conservative frame shape and color. Silver, gunmetal, gold, black, brown, and burgundy are popular options to wear and match with business attire.

Creativity and Fashion Glasses

The fashionista is looking to showcase their style and taste in every accessory they wear. Glasses are one accessory you wear every day and need to match with every outfit. Showcasing style in your glasses can easily be done through unique frame shapes, bright colored frames, or patterned frames. A significant fashion trend lately is retro or vintage styling!

Active and Sport Eyewear

When your lifestyle is revolved around sports and active living, you need eyewear that can handle any activity. As a result, your sports performance may benefit from sports sunglasses, sports eyeglasses, or protective sports eyewear! Optimize your performance with sports eyewear designed to meet your sports needs best. Standard features in sports eyewear include polarized lenses, polycarbonate lenses, and lens tints.

Frame Allergies

Always inform your eye doctor of any allergies you have to materials in frames or nose pads. Common frame allergies include metal allergies like nickel. As a result, we offer a wide variety of metal and plastic frames our opticians will help you select a pair you can wear. Some patients also have an allergy to silicone nose pads. For that reason, our opticians are familiar with non-silicone nose pad options. We want to ensure you can wear your glasses every day without an allergic reaction.

Computer Worker

Does your job require long hours spent on a computer? As your average computer time per day increases your risk for developing eye strain and computer vision syndrome increases as well. Computer glasses are designed to optimize vision at the intermediate distance and eliminate digital eye strain symptoms. Additionally, the lenses in computer eyewear protect your eyes against the harmful blue light.

Driving Glasses

Studies have shown glare to be a factor in automobile accidents. Sun shining in your eyes and glare reflecting off the road can make it difficult to see other cars or pedestrians. Driving glasses can be either polarized plano sunglasses or prescription eyewear. Polarized sunglasses reduce glare from the sun and increase contrast for sharper vision while driving. Prescription glasses with an anti-reflective coating minimize glare from light and better vision during nighttime driving.

Safety Eyewear

Protect your eyes by wearing safety glasses, sports goggles, or shooting glasses. Safety eyewear is durable, provides more coverage, and is impact resistant. Certain occupations require safety eyewear because they work in hazardous conditions. However, when completing home renovations or repairs, you can also face eye dangers. Always wear safety eyewear when completing any task that includes dust, flying shards, chemicals, or UV radiation.

Ready for a new pair of eyewear? Stop by our office anytime to view our selection of frames and talk with our staff about the best pair of eyewear for your lifestyle.

Non-Glare: See Better and Look Better

We understand your eyewear has become part of your style and fashion. Not only do you want to show off your cool new frames, but you also want to make sure to reduce the glare on your lenses so people can see the natural beauty of your eyes. A non-glare coating is a simple lens treatment virtually eliminating those unattractive glares and reflections!

Benefits of Non-Glare Coating:

  • Reduce eye strain
  • Invisible-looking lenses
  • Sharper vision with less glare
  • Anti-scratch for better cleaning

Improve Vision

The non-glare coating allows 99.5% of light to pass through the lenses and reach your eyes. Regular plastic lenses only allow 92% of light to pass through, and high index plastic lenses only allow 88% of light to pass through. Why does this matter? The smaller amount of light that gets to your eyes the more work your eyes have to do to see. Non-glare coatings have become popular because they allow for clearer vision and reduces eye strain.

Eliminate Reflections

Non-glare coatings eliminate distracting reflections from the front and back of your lenses. With reflections gone, light is able to pass through the lens for better visual acuity. This becomes particularly noticeable during night driving. Individuals with a non-glare coating on their lenses find night driving less difficult because the coating reduces glare and halos around lights.

Enhance Appearance

Overall, non-glare lenses improve the visual appearance of your glasses. Have you ever looked at someone and the overhead light was reflecting off their lenses so you could barely see their eyes? A non-glare coating prevents those reflections which then allows you to see better through your glasses and for others to see you better! It helps to draw more attention to your eyes and provides the opportunity for better eye contact. Additionally, a non-glare coating will help to eliminate the distracting reflections off your lenses in photos.

The non-glare coating makes your lenses appear nearly invisible. What’s stopping you from adding non-glare to your next pair of eyeglasses? Chat with our staff today about the potential of non-glare lenses!

Myths and Facts: Contact Lenses

Are you a contact lens wearer? If so, you’ve probably heard some myths about wearing contact lenses. Typically, these contact lens myths grow from an unusual experience or misunderstanding information. Many contact lens myths are based on the way contact lenses used to be, instead of the current design and technology of contact lenses. We wanted to debunk some of the contact lens myths and give you the facts instead!

1.I’m too old to wear contact lenses

Fact: Anyone, at any age can wear contact lenses. Many older adults choose to wear contact lenses instead of reading glasses.

2. Contact lenses will get lost behind my eye

Fact: It is physically impossible for a contact lens to get lost behind your eye. A membrane covers your eye which connects inside your eyelids to prevent anything from getting behind your eye.

3. Contact lenses are uncomfortable

Fact: Modern contact lenses are thin and soft, making them very comfortable and often unnoticeable to wear. Some of the early contact lenses made 40-50 years ago were uncomfortable. However, we recommend you try modern contact lenses before sticking with this assumption.

4. Contact lenses can get stuck on my eye

Fact: If you follow proper wear, care, and removal advice from your eye doctor your contact lens cannot get stuck to your eye. Should your lens feel dry, apply some rewetting drops, and they should loosen right up.

5. Contact lenses are too much trouble to take care of

Fact: Daily disposable contact lenses make lens care irrelevant. You wear them one day and throw them out when you are done. However, reusable contact lens care is relatively simple with modern solutions. Most contact lenses can be cleaned and stored using one multi-use contact lens solution.

6. I’ll never be able to put in contact lenses

Fact: Our staff will show and teach you how to put in contact lenses. We ensure that you are confident in your abilities to put in and take out your contacts before you leave our office. Most people can figure it out after a handful of tries!

7. Contacts can pop out of my eye

Fact: Properly fitted contact lenses should never pop out of your eye. Typically, the only way a contact lens will move is shifting around your eye. Therefore blinking a few times or closing your eyelid and gently pressing on it should move the lens right back into place.

8. Contact lenses are too expensive

Fact: The cost of contact lenses varies depending on brand, replacement schedule, and how often you wear them. Typically, the price is comparable to a new pair of glasses. Above all our team will help you select contact lenses that work best for your lifestyle and your budget.

9. Children and teenagers cannot wear contacts

Fact: There is no age restriction on wearing contacts. Anyone can wear contact lenses; ultimately it depends on enthusiasm, responsibility, and maturity. Our staff can advise whether contact lenses are a suitable option for your child.

If you have more questions about contact lenses, give our office a call! We want to help you feel confident in your knowledge of contact lenses.

The Importance of Sports Eyewear

Whether you’re playing or watching the game, one incident everyone dreads is an injury. Injuries can prevent players from finishing the game, or worse, end an athletic career. Protective sports eyewear helps to prevent injuries and allows players to continue to play their sport. In today’s world, many sports facilities and fitness clubs require athletes to wear proper eye gear in order to minimize injury.

Why is it important to wear protective eyewear?

Emergency rooms treat more than 40,000 sports related eye injuries every year, and up to 90 percent of those injuries could have been prevented by using protective eyewear. Any sport in which a ball, racquet, or other flying object is present poses a risk for injury. However, injuries can also result from close contact with others in the way of pokes or jabs with fingers and elbows. Protective eyewear is important because it keeps your eyes safe from a variety of injuries. As an additional bonus, the sharper your vision, the better you will perform in your sport of choice.

Features to look for:

  • Various sizes and shapes designed to fit the user.
  • Customized to best suit the sport including reflective lenses, space for headgear, and wrap around bands.
  • User’s prescription can be added to the lenses, which allows for better clarity during the game and increased overall performance.
  • Lenses are often made of polycarbonate, a impact-resistant material, to protect eyes from high speed and high impact objects.
  • Sports frames are also made of impact resistant material and often come with rubber padding where the frame comes in contact with the head or nose.
  • Wraparound sports glasses help to ensure the eyewear remains in place during the duration of a sporting event and prevents dust or debris from entering through the sides of the glasses.

Get the Facts

Experts agree, sports related eye injuries can be prevented by wearing protective eyewear. Parents and coaches should ensure athletes are wearing safety glasses during sporting events, especially, considering 43 percent of all sports-related eye injuries occur in children younger than age 15. Regular eyeglasses are not safe to use as protective sports eyewear because they do not have impact resistance and could shatter or break upon impact.  

It is imperative that protective eyewear properly fit the user. Resist the urge to buy children’s eyewear with “room to grow.” Purchasing protective eyewear too large for the user could cause eyewear to be less effective and increase risk of injury. Additionally, be sure the user has not outgrown protective goggles as this increases the risk of injury as well.  

Sports using Protective Eyewear

  • Badminton: sport goggles with polycarbonate lenses
  • Baseball/softball: batting and baserunning: helmet with polycarbonate face shield, fielding: sports goggles or sport sunglasses with shatterproof lenses and head strap
  • Basketball: wraparound sports goggles
  • Bicycling: performance sunglasses with anti-fog and anti-scratch lenses
  • Fencing: full face mask made of rigid metal
  • Field hockey: all players: sports goggles with head strap, goalies: full helmets and face masks
  • Fishing: polarized sunglasses
  • Football: polycarbonate shield attached to helmet
  • Hunting and shooting: polarized shatter resistant shooting glasses
  • Ice hockey: full face helmet
  • Lacrosse: form fitting and padded face mask
  • Paintball: full face helmet
  • Racquetball: sports goggles with polycarbonate lenses
  • Skiing and snowboarding: ski goggles or wraparound polarized sunglasses with mirror coated lenses
  • Soccer: sports goggles
  • squash/tennis: sports goggles with wraparound frame
  • Swimming and diving: swim goggles and diving masks
  • Volleyball: sports goggles or sunglasses
  • Water Polo: swim goggles with polycarbonate lenses

PROTECTING YOUR EYES WITH SAFETY EYEWEAR

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 EYEGLASSES

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 ON SAFETY EYEWEAR

  • 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 for 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. Hunting and shooting sport athletes 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

Macular Degeneration

Individuals over the age of 50 are at a higher risk for developing age-related macular degeneration (AMD), which causes gradual vision loss. If you are over the age of 50 and have noticed changes in your vision, call our office to schedule an appointment with your doctor to discuss your risk for AMD.

What is Macular Degeneration?

Macular degeneration is a condition in which the macula in the eye breaks down resulting in gradual central vision loss. This vision loss is commonly referred to as age-related macular degeneration due to its increased development in individuals over the age of 50. Early signs of this condition include shadows in your central vision, fuzzy vision, or distorted vision. While AMD is not curable, early detection, prevention, and treatment can help slow or stop the progression.

Symptoms of AMD

  • Straight lines appear wavy
  • Fuzzy vision
  • Night vision problems
  • Gray, dark, or empty area in central vision
  • Dramatic vision loss

Types of macular degeneration

Dry macular degeneration is the most common type of AMD, diagnosed in nearly 90% of cases.* Dry macular degeneration causes yellowish deposits to form in the retina resulting in deterioration. Dry AMD will not result in full vision loss, but it is not curable or reversible. By maintaining good health and protecting your eyes from UV rays, you can decrease your risk and prevent early development of dry macular degeneration.

Wet macular degeneration is a severe form of AMD and accounts for about 10% of macular degeneration cases.* Wet AMD is an advanced form of macular degeneration and can result in full loss of central vision. Wet macular degeneration occurs when abnormal blood vessels grow under the retina and macula in the eye. As these blood vessels start to leak blood and fluid into the eye, the macula is forced to lift away from its base causing distorted central vision.  

Who is at risk?

Macular degeneration commonly affects individuals over the age of 50 people, primarily caucasians and females. While smoking is one of the highest risk factors for developing macular degeneration, other risk factors include obesity, high blood pressure, lighter eye color, and a family history of AMD.

If you are concerned about changes in your vision or suffer from one of these risk factors, call our office to schedule an appointment with your doctor and discuss your vision and risk of macular degeneration.

*American Macular Degeneration Foundation

Glaucoma: The Silent Thief of Sight

Did you know, nearly 2.2 million people in the United States are affected by glaucoma?* Due to the lack of symptoms in the early stages of glaucoma, almost half of Americans with glaucoma do not know they have it; causing glaucoma to be the second leading cause of blindness in the United States and worldwide.

What is glaucoma?

Glaucoma is an eye condition that damages the optic nerve in the eye and, if left untreated, can result in blindness. High pressure within the eye causes damage to the optic nerve and prevents the nerve from sending messages from the eye to the brain.

Typically, there are no symptoms or pain associated with glaucoma until severe vision loss has occurred; at which point vision loss is permanent and cannot be reversed. The degree of vision loss differs from each individual.

Symptoms

  • Most often has no symptoms
  • Damage starts in peripheral vision
  • Blurred vision
  • Distorted vision
  • Vision loss

Who is at risk?

According to the Glaucoma Research Foundation, African Americans are three times more likely to be affected by glaucoma, and six times more likely to suffer from blindness as a result of glaucoma. Hispanics and Latinos have the second highest risk for glaucoma. Those with a family history of glaucoma and diabetes are also at a higher risk. In order to help with early detection and to prevent irreversible vision loss, be sure to notify your doctor if glaucoma runs in your family or if you have diabetes.

Primary Types of Glaucoma

  • Primary open-angle glaucoma: Primary open-angle glaucoma causes peripheral vision to gradually reduce without any other symptoms. If not controlled or discovered, it can progress to tunnel vision and ultimately lead to blindness.
  • Acute angle-closure glaucoma: Acute angle-closure glaucoma, also called narrow angle glaucoma, produces a variety of sudden symptoms such as eye pain, headache, halos, dilated pupils, vision loss, nausea, and vomiting. Each onset of new symptoms causes additional vision loss.
  • Normal tension glaucoma: Normal tension glaucoma occurs in patients with normal pressure within their eye and typically has no symptoms associated until tunnel vision occurs.

*Glaucoma Research Foundation

Preventing Snow Blindness, Sunburn for Your Eyes

We take many precautions to avoid sunburn on our skin, face, and lips, but have you ever thought about your eyes? Many are surprised to learn our eyes can also acquire sunburn. This condition is known as photokeratitis or snow blindness.

What causes Snow Blindness?

Snow Blindness occurs when your eyes are exposed to ultraviolet light for an extended period of time, causing sunburn. It most commonly occurs in snowy areas because snow reflects 80% of UV rays.* Snow blindness can also occur in highly reflective environments with water or white sand.


In additional to natural UV rays, man-made sources of ultraviolet radiation can cause snow blindness. Typically, man-made UV rays only damage your eyes when proper eyewear is not being worn. This can happen when working with a welder’s torch or using tanning booths or sun lamps.

Can I lose my vision completely?

No, Snow Blindness is temporary and doesn’t cause actual blindness, it typically impairs your vision for 24 to 48 hours.

Symptoms of Snow Blindness

  • Eye pain
  • Burning, red, or watery eyes
  • Gritty sensation
  • Sensitivity to light
  • Blurry vision
  • Swollen eyes or eyelids
  • Headache
  • Glare and halos around lights

Risk factors for snow blindness?

You and your family are at an increased risk for snow blindness when involved in sports with highly reflective surfaces. When skiing, snowboarding, and snow sledding, you should ensure everybody’s eyes are protected with snow goggles that provide 100% UV protection.

Altitude plays a big role in the risk for snow blindness; at higher altitudes the UV rays are stronger. Therefore, when high altitudes, such as mountains, are combined with snow, the risk of Snow Blindness doubles.

Don’t forget, water sports such as water skiing, knee boarding, and surfing require protective eyewear as well. A great option is wraparound sunglasses that block out 100% of UV rays and remain on your head throughout the duration of the activity.

How do I prevent snow blindness?

  1. Anytime you are outside, you should wear sunglasses that block 100% of UV rays.
  2. Remember, UV rays can penetrate clouds, so sunglasses are required even on cloudy days.
  3. Always wear snow goggles when skiing, snowboarding, and mountain climbing.
  4. Wear wraparound sunglasses when you plan to be on or near water for extended periods of time.
  5. Ensure you have eye shields to wear in tanning beds and booths. Never tan without eye shields.
  6. Use the recommended safety eyewear for your job if you are working with harmful light.

*The United States Environmental Protection Agency

Tips for Choosing Your Perfect Eyewear

Have you ever went 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

    1. 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. i.Oval: wide or walnut-shaped frames
      2. ii.Base-up triangle: frames with a wider bottom, light color or lightweight
      3. iii.Oblong: frames with more depth than width
      4. iv.Square: narrow frames and with more width than depth
      5. v.Diamond: cat-eye shaped frames or other detailing on the brow line
      6. vi.Round: narrow frames which are wider and have a clear bridge
      7. vii.Base-down triangle: frames with color or detailing on the top half

  2. Highlight your features

    1. Pick your best or favorite feature and pick a frame to highlight it.
    2. 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
    1. 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.
    2. Warm coloring: camel, khaki, gold, copper, peach, orange, coral, red, or warm blue
    3. Cool coloring: black, silver, rose-brown, blue-gray, plum, magenta, pink, blue, or tortoise

  4. Find the perfect size

    1. Try on multiple pairs to see what size fits your face shape best.
    2. 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.
    1. Make sure your frames will work for every part of your life and will be a representation of you and your personality.
    2. 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.Match your frames to your lifestyle.

  5. Anti-reflective coating

    1. An anti-reflective coating helps eliminate reflections on both sides of your lenses to cut down annoying glare and improve night vision.
    2. 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.

  6. Are weight and material important to you?

    1. 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.
    2. Key Features:
      1. Stainless steel and titanium are long lasting
      2. Metal frames often have adjustable nose pads
      3. Metal frames can come in hypoallergenic materials
      4. Plastic frames tend to be less expensive
      5. Plastic frames are lighter
      6. Plastic frames typically need less maintenance than metal frames
      7. Flexible hinges allow the “arms” to bend more than regular hinges

 

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