Rule of thumb with eyewear
Glasses today are developing more and more into a fashion item for many. Accordingly knowing the right frame for your face and type is crucial to finding the right item out of the many choices available in the market.
Ultimately it is important that you feel comfortable with your new look. Next you have to choose the right lenses for yourself. Lenses differ depending on your regular use and your refractive error. Today most lenses come in a multi-hard coated option, i.e., already providing anti-scratch and easy-to-clean features.
However, you can opt for additional coatings to prevent computer or night glare, as well as transition lenses that change their tinting level depending on the intensity of daylight.
Furthermore, depending on your eye condition and power level, you might need specific lenses with a higher index, in order to reduce the lens thickness, or progressive lenses to provide correction for near and farsightedness to avoid the need for reading glasses.
A contact lens that is right for you
The decision to choose the right contact lenses is dependent on many factors, such as your refractive error, how frequently you wear them and the convenience level you expect. Recent trends show that more and more people opt for daily disposable lenses, as these don’t need to be cleaned and offer an easy option to swapping between glasses and contact lenses. Also depending on your eye condition, you might have to opt for special lenses.
Most lenses available in the market (soft/hard, daily/monthly, etc) are used to correct nearsightedness (myopia) and farsightedness (hyperopia).
People with blurred vision (astigmatism) need toric lenses, which provide different refractive powers on the vertical and horizontal orientations to address the specific peculiarity that causes astigmatism.
Since toric contact lenses have a particular orientation, fitting them to your eyes is even more important than usual. If you are suffering from presbyopia, an age-related loss of close-up vision which typically occurs around the age of 40, you need bifocal or multifocal contact lenses. Bifocal lenses have two prescriptive powers for distance and near vision, which can reduce or eliminate the need for reading glasses. Multifocal contact lenses are also available with additional variations in power to correct near, intermediate, and far vision.
Regardless of which type of lenses you require, contact lenses are being considered a medical advice and you should evaluate together with your eye doctor the best fit for your eyes.
Catching the new style trends
Styles change frequently depending on the latest fashion trends. This year we see three main trends, which are retro (especially round shapes from the 1920s), colourful frames (many suppliers include bold colours for their frames as well as lenses), and the classic bold black frames. In terms of materials, acetate is still leading the race, especially with full-rim frames that currently dominate the market.
Spectacles and children (12 years old and below)
With a drastically increasing myopia rate amongst children, as a precaution, parents should assure exposure of between two and three hours of daylight, which can act as a counterbalance and help maintain healthy eyes.
Exposure to light increases the levels of dopamine in the eye and this seems to prevent elongation of the eyeball. For children that already wear glasses, there are many kids glasses in the market available with plastic lenses, especially in the lower price range.
Our suggestion is not to economise in eye wear and ensure that the glasses feature polycarbonate lenses, as these are more impact resistant and therefore safer for children. In the US, this is already the standard for children’s glasses.
Category: Features, Wellness and Complementary Therapies