The Basics of Eyeglasses

Eyeglasses are enjoying increased popularity nowadays, even with the widespread availability of contact lenses and laser surgery for vision correction. The extensive array of attractive frames and designer styles on the eyewear displays are largely responsible for this contemporary demand for glasses. Quality frame materials have come a long way, and many high profile designer labels can be found in a variety of new plastics and premium metals.

The frame material that’s best for you depends upon your personal needs. If you require protective or safety eyewear, an extra-durable plastic, such as zyl, is an ideal choice. For skin allergies, hypoallergenic metals, such as stainless steel or titanium, are excellent options. People with an active lifestyle will do well with metal alloys that are highly flexible and break-resistant. Children’s eyeglasses often have spring hinges, which increase resilience and decrease the risk of breaks on the playground or sports field.

Eyewear Styles

Eyeglasses have become more than just a way to provide visual acuity. With so many stylistic frames, eyewear is also a trendy accessory that can be changed to match and enhance your wardrobe. When choosing your eyeglasses, your physical appearance, lifestyle and taste in fashion are important criteria.

Ultra-chic frames can be purchased with designer emblems, multi-colored inlays or sparkling insets of crystals or precious stones. Eyeglasses with composite materials make another appealing presentation. For a minimalist and understated look, choose rimless styles, which are constructed by attaching metal or plastic temples directly to the lenses.

All About Lenses

Once you’ve picked your favorite frames, it’s time to consider the type of lenses that are most suited for your vision requirements. The technology of eyeglass lenses has advanced considerably in recent years, with many high quality options and benefits. It’s helpful to familiarize yourself with the available types of lenses:

  • Ashperic lenses boast a slimmer, sleeker profile than other lenses. The bulbous “bug-eye” look of some prescriptions is eliminated.

  • High index lenses are composed of progressive materials that craft extremely thin and lightweight plastic lenses.

  • Wavefront technology lenses grant extreme vision clarity. These lenses are custom-made by using precise measurements of the path that light travels through your eyes,.

  • Polycarbonate or Trivex lenses are ideal for children’s eyeglasses and safety eyewear. They are super-thin, very light, and up to 10 times more impact resistant than standard plastic eyeglass lenses.

  • Photochromic lenses respond to the sun’s UV rays and darken quickly in bright settings. When in ordinary indoor lighting, they return rapidly to a clear, non-tinted state. Photochromic lenses block 100% of UV rays.

  • Polarized lenses reduce reflective glare from flat, shiny surfaces (such as water or snow). They also help to decrease eye fatigue.

  • Anti-reflective coatings can drastically improve the appearance and comfort of your eyeglasses by limiting the quantity of light that bounces off of your lenses. These popular add-ons reduce glare and help relieve eye fatigue.

  • Lens coatings, such as ultraviolet treatment, scratch-resistant surfaces and mirror coatings, are some optional features that many people choose.

Eyeglasses for Presbyopia

After 40 years of age, a normal loss of your ability to focus on nearby objects often occurs. Called presbyopia, this typical vision loss makes reading and other close-up tasks more challenging. Your natural eyesight or single vision lenses may no longer provide you with sharp vision, and you may need specialized lenses to correct presbyopia. Your options include:

  • Bifocals: These lenses have two powers, one for seeing close and one for seeing far, separated by a visible line.

  • Trifocals: With three powers for viewing varying distances, (close, intermediate and far), two visible lines separate the respective parts of the lenses.

  • Progressive lenses: These lenses enable vision at many different distances, not only two or three. With no dividing lines, progressive lenses create a smooth transition from viewing one distance to the next.

  • Variable focus lenses: These are innovative multifocal lenses that provide a wider field of view than conventional bifocals, progressives and trifocals. They can be adjusted to grant the power that you need for different tasks.

  • Reading glasses: If you have no difficulty with farsighted vision, then these simple eyeglasses with single vision lenses may be sufficient to help resolve any nearsighted problems due to presbyopia.