Coloured Contact Lenses » glasses

Are lens implants really such an improvement on glasses?

admin — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 05:37:19 +0000

It may sound like science fiction but more and more people are opting to bin their reading glasses in favour of having artificial plastic lens implants inserted into their eyes instead. The procedure is becoming increasingly popular, particularly amongst middle aged people wanting to avoid the onset of presbyopia, or the deterioration of sight related to age. It sounds too good to be true, surely if it really works it could be the end to all our vision worries?

The idea of having your natural lenses removed from your eyes and replaced with a piece of plastic might not be one for the squeamish, but in fact the procedure does work surprisingly well. The number of patients opting for the surgery has doubled since 2004, with most people reporting that the implants have made a huge difference to their sight, often meaning they no longer need to wear their prescription glasses at all.

So how does it actually work? Well, the natural lenses in the eye can often stiffen with age, losing their ability to bend and focus properly. The lens implant procedure removes the natural lens from the eye and replaces it with an Intraocular lens, which uses the muscles of the eye to mimic normal lens movements and enhance the eye’s optical abilities. The procedure takes less than half an hour – the patient is given a local anaesthetic and then a small incision is made, the old lens removed and the new one inserted.

Lens implants as a preventative measure are not yet available on the NHS and the cost of the private procedure is not cheap, usually falling somewhere between £2,500 and £3,000 per eye. But when you think about it, being able to see both near and far without being dependant on glasses, escape from the discomfort of wearing them, or even being able to wear stylish designer sunglasses without having to worry about buying prescription lenses could actually be worth it!

5 Tips for Glasses Wearers: How to Keep Your Eyes Healthy

admin — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 19:27:09 +0000

So many of us these days have vision problems are need to wear glasses or corrective lenses. Recent research has showed that as much as 50 per cent of the US population is short sighted. I certainly see a lot more kids at school these days with glasses than there were when I was growing up. Because of all of this it is more and more important to look after your eyes and make sure there’s no way your lifestyle could be making your vision worse. So I decided to share my top 5 tips for healthier eyes:

Get your eyesight checked regularly.

It is advisable to schedule a visit to your optician at least once every year as some eye problems can often go unnoticed until it is too late. Getting regular eye tests can prevent the need for costly corrective treatments in the future so make sure you always follow your optician’s advice – if they say you need prescription glasses, start wearing them straight away.

If you need glasses, wear them!

It doesn’t matter whether you think they look good or not, if your optician has told you that you need glasses then you need to be wearing them. Not wearing your glasses can damage your eyes further and will only mean that you will need a stronger prescription later. If you don’t like the way they look shop around, there are hundreds of frames available and you’re sure to be able to find something that will suit you.

Maintain a healthy diet for your eyes

Research has proven that certain vitamins and nutrients are good for your eyesight, so making sure that your diet contains plenty of vitamins A, C and E, folic acid, selenium and zinc could help prevent future vision problems. If your prescription is very low (-0.25) it’s possible that your vision problems could actually be corrected by switching to a diet rich in these important nutrients.

Always make sure your eyes are protected from the sun

It may sound obvious to say that UV rays can cause severe damage to your vision, yet hundreds of people still allow this to happen every year. Sunglasses are an absolute must for going out in the sun, whether you have existing vision problems or not. With an endless range of designer sunglasses on the market, it’s easy to find a pair that you like and that will give you the all-important protection you need.

Give your eyes regular breaks!

If you spend a lot of time at your computer, it’s important that you give your eyes regular breaks. Just closing your eyes or focusing on an object in the distance for 10 seconds at least once an hour can make a really big difference and helps to prevent headaches and vision problems associated with prolonged use of a screen. Don’t forget these problems don’t just happen at work, the same applies to watching TV and playing video games too!

Playing computer games could help to improve eyesight

admin — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 09:46:08 +0000

After years of being told that video games are bad for your health and especially your eyes, a new study has proved that in fact playing some games may actually help improve your vision, and could even prevent you from needing glasses in the future. The study, conducted by the University of Rochester, demonstrates that regularly playing certain games improves a person’s contrast sensitivity function, or their ability to distinguish easily between different shades of grey. But does that really mean your eyesight has improved?

Shades of grey might not sound all that ground-breaking, but contrast sensitivity is one of the most commonly and easily damaged functions of the human eye. People who suffer from low contrast sensitivity find it harder to see at night or to pick out small details like spots on clothing, and often the only way to treat the problem is with increasing strength prescription glasses or eye surgery. It’s now believed that computer games could be used to train the eyes to develop these skills, and that it’s possible the same method could even be used to treat people who suffer from Amblyopia or ‘lazy eye’, a condition that affects the brain’s ability to correctly register signals from one eye.

But not all video games are thought to have this effect. The study compared two different types of games by testing young adults who did not normally play games both before and after a period of playing them regularly. The results suggested that subjects who played first-person shooter or action games like Call of Duty showed a 43 per cent improvement on average, whereas those who played non-action games such as The Sims 2 showed hardly any.

So if gaming could help us avoid eye problems should we all be rushing out to buy an XBOX with as many action games as we can find to ensure that our designer sunglasses will remain our only visual aids far into our future? Well, no. For a start the study makes a point that not all action games will work, in other words, most of them probably won’t. Not to mention the fact that although these games may help develop some areas of your sight, it’s still not advisable to be sitting in front of a screen for long periods of time, or to allow computer games to replace other activities necessary to staying fit and healthy. In theory it’s a nice idea, but it’s important not to forget that it’s just as possible that video games could well be harmful in other ways.

What’s Your Vision Worth?

admin — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 16:17:26 +0000

You can’t put a price on your sight. You’ve only got one pair of eyes and when they go – that’s it!If you are not able to read up close or see things as clearly as you used to, then it’s time to look at getting glasses.Prescription Glasses for reading especially should be custom-made for each individual after an eye test.A visit to the optician (ideally every two years) will deliver exactly the right prescription. You can then use that same information to purchase prescription glasses at any outlet or on the Internet.
Cost drives many people to consider buying “ready-made” reading glasses at a pharmacy or department store. They’re certainly popular, but do depend entirely on “self diagnosis” in the store.   They are also cheap, but prescription glasses needn’t cost a fortune in the very competitive optical market nowadays.Online companies like SelectSpecs.com offer an impressive range of budget prescription glasses to suit virtually any taste.
The drawback with “off the shelf” pharmacy reading glasses is that they are basically “one-size-fits-all”. The prescription is the same in both lenses, and the location of the optical centre of the lens is not customised as it would be prescription glasses. Most people don’t have exactly the same prescription in both eyes, and almost everyone has a small amount of astigmatism correction in their prescriptions. Headaches, eyestrain, and even nausea can result from wearing glasses that are too far off your actual prescription or have optical centres too far away from the centre of your pupils.
The other, more serious problem with “ready made” reading glasses is why people purchase them. If you head to the chemist rather than the doctor when you’re feeling under the weather because you “don’t want to bother the GP”, then you could be ignoring a complaint that’s more serious than you thought.   The same is true of your vision.Buying Off the Shelf means you run the risk of not spotting serious problems like Glaucoma that can be treated, but only if its caught in time.
Ready made glasses are also normally only single vision.Bifocals contain two discrete elements in the lens (top and bottom) that corrects distance and near vision problems.Varifocal lenses gradually move from one prescription to the other across the entire lens, allowing you to see clearly at all distances.   These two lens types are far better suited to most people’s lifestyle and activities, and are only available in properly dispensed prescription glasses. Prescription sunglasses can also be made with single-vision, bifocal or varifocal designs to offer the same standard of vision enhancement and protection.Your vision is worth almost any price. Don’t jeopardise it and insist on properly prescribed and dispensed prescription glasses.

Glasses For Computer Workers

admin — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 08:23:20 +0000

PCs are universal, at home, at work and at school.   Most of us seem to spend a large part of our days squinting at a monitor and with more of our shopping and entertainment being driven by the Internet, the time we spend on the computer is surely going to increase.For many that’s not a problem. But if you spend more than two hours at a computer each day, especially if you already wear glasses, it’s likely that you will experience symptoms of what some have termed Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS).
CVS is the result of several factors.Decreased blinking while you’re focusing on a computer screen is also thought to be a factor.   Studies have shown that the blink rate decreases to as low as 6–8 blinks per minute if you’re focused on a computer display (the normal blink rate is 16-20 per minute).This leads to dry eyes and the focusing effort needed for long hours puts strain on the ciliary muscles of the eye. The most common symptoms of CVS include headaches, focusing difficulties, burning eyes, tired eyes, general eyestrain, double vision, blurred vision, light sensitivity, and neck pain.
CVS can also accelerate the early onset of a condition called presbyopia (usually associated with aging) where you experience difficulty reading fine print, particularly in low light conditions, eyestrain or momentarily blurred vision when shifting between viewing distances.
The good news is that it is relatively simple to ease these symptoms. It may sound silly, but try blinking more often!f you are not a glasses wearer, simple changes like making sure the screen is clean, correctly positioned, and set up properly will make a difference.
If you do wear glasses, then ensuring your lenses are clean and smear free will help to reduce glare and reflections. Anti-Reflective coatings (usually available at no charge if you ask for it through suppliers like SelectSpecs.com) will eliminate reflections and ensure clear vision day or night.Anti-Reflective coatings also have the cosmetic advantage of making the lenses of your glasses appear almost non-existent, so your eyes look more natural.
Whether you wear glasses of not, you can improve your vision at work by having regular eye examinations, taking frequent breaks to give your eyes a rest every 20 minutes or so and avoiding glare or bright reflections on the screen.   If you are using a CRT display, consider changing to an LCD screen.Get at least a 19 inch TFT screen with the highest resolution possible and a dot pitch of .28 mm or smaller.There’s no “flicker” that you get with CRT monitors and they usually have anti-reflective screen surfaces.

The even better news is that If you you use a computer or VDU screen on a regular basis (i.e. for at least an hour most days), then according to the Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992, your employer is obliged to pay for regular eye examinations. The employer may have an arrangement with a local optometrist or they may refund you the cost of an examination. If that examination reveals that you require glasses specifically for Display Screen Equipment use, your employer must also pay for budget glasses.

The Celebrity Power of Designer Glasses

admin — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 10:31:12 +0000

The Celebrity Power of Designer Glasses
Glasses can make the man (or woman!).Designer glasses have come into their own in recent years with names like Hugo Boss, Lacoste, Prada, or Tommy Hilfiger being seen in most opticians’ windows. But often it’s the other way round. Sophia Loren, who now has her own range of designer glasses bearing her name, was once more associated with Foster Grant, at least for sunglasses.She was featured in the “Who’s That Behind Those Foster Grants?” advertising campaign along with Raquel Welch and Mia Farrow
John Lennon was synonymous with the round lens Windsor style. First introduced as far back as 1880, the iconic round lens (in a variety of colours), nose saddle with no nose pads and temples that loop behind the ear became a “must have” and is now much more commonly referred to as a “Lennon”.That’s not fair. They could just as easily been called after Ernest Hemingway, Groucho Marx, Mahatma Gandhi, or Joseph Stalin, – they all wore the same style – although a pair of Groucho’s does sound rather better than a pair of Stalin’s.
With comedy, you only have to look as far as the two Ronnies. Messer’s Corbett and Barker flaunted their horn rims, and indeed the specs were all the logo the show needed.Where would Harry Hill be without his ludicrous glasses, delivering stupid lines like; “I have a really nice stepladder. Sadly, I never knew my real ladder.” without them?
Surely the most cringingly corporate, sickeningly sycophantic and ultimately naff use of designer glasses was when Steve Wozniak, then of Apple Computers, went so far as to have Apple -shaped glasses made for him. Steve Jobs didn’t like them much obviously. Some celebrity designer glasses are not intended to boost ego and effect, but to improve performance. The best example of this must be snooker player Dennis Taylor’s famous glasses which were designed by Jack Karnehm, better known as BBC TV’s snooker commentator from 1978 to 1993. Having served a five-year spectacle-making apprenticeship, he developed Taylor’s distinctive, swivel-lens, upside-down design. Those designer glasses helped Taylor win the 1985 world snooker title and made him seem almost exotic into the bargain!
Perhaps the most unusual celebrity designer glasses wearer was Eric Sykes.A true comedy genius, Sykes was never seen without his black horn rims. But that was because he became profoundly deaf as an adult.The glasses Sykes wore had no lenses at all and were really a bone-conducting hearing aid. Designer glasses, what celebrity are yours?