What are polarized lenses?
These are special tinted lenses that polarize light as it passes through. This means that light from only certain planes is allowed to pass through while the rest is eliminated. Visually, the effect would be to get rid of unwanted stray light. This can be quite useful for the avid fisherman, for example, who wants to see just beneath the surface of the water without having to worry about distracting reflections from the surface. They can be made with or without prescription, but may take slightly longer to put together as they need to be ordered. Ask your dispenser for more information on these lenses.
 
At the start of spring I can't wear my contact lenses comfortably as my eyes itch - why is this?
You are probably suffering from an eye allergy. Spring often brings about more sneezing and increased pollen counts along with all the daffodils. Certain susceptible individuals will experience a reaction in the eyes and an allergic conjunctivitis results. The itching is usually confined to the upper and/or lower lids and possibly the corner of the eye closest to your nose. If you wear contact lenses, the best thing to do is switch to spectacles for the duration of the allergy and buy a small supply of daily disposable lenses so that you can use them for a few hours out in the evening if you are desperate. Daily disposables would be the best lens type if your allergies are fairly chronic and you refuse to wear glasses. For relief from the itching certain anti-histamine containing drops can be bought from your local pharmacy. Most cannot be used in conjunction with contact lenses. Other types of drops can be used over a sustained period of time to strengthen the membranes of the cells that cause the symptoms of allergy. These drops have a longer-term effect and are called mast-cell stabilizers. The active ingredient is usually sodium cromoglycate. Ask your Optometrist or pharmacist for more information.
 
Can my contact lenses get 'lost' behind my eyeball?
No, this can NEVER happen as the eyeball has a 'safety net' situated underneath both eyelids. This 'safety net' is a membrane called the conjunctiva. The conjunctiva is a continuous membrane enveloping the outer portion of the eyeball as well.
 
How difficult is it to adapt to multifocals?
The first time any spectacles are worn some adjustment time is required mainly because the new, clear vision needs to be accepted by your brain. Once it has learnt to recognize the images seen through the spectacles and become familiar with them, the initial “WOW” effect should have worn off. Multifocals are slightly trickier than single focal specs since they change in power as the eyes look from the top to the bottom of the lenses. Your eyes need to learn which parts of the lens to use when looking either close-up, far-away or in-between. Your Optometrist can advise you on tricks to help you get started and in no time you should be well on your way to successful multifocal wear. A few individuals may struggle with these type of lenses simply because they cannot tolerate the changes in power which is inherent in the design of these. We advise that a period of 4 weeks be allowed before deciding that multifocals are not for you.
 
I feel odd in my new spectacles even though they are made to the same prescription as my old ones -
A change in your prescription is not all that causes a new pair of specs to feel weird. The frame change requires adaptation as you may be looking through a smaller or larger viewing area and the lenses may be closer or farther from your eyes compared with before. The lenses may also be tilted at a different angle in the new frame and perhaps the frame does not wrap your face as much or as little as it did previously. The type of lens design in the new specs will also influence your vision. For example, thinner, flatter, aspheric high index lenses often seem less clear when looking through the extreme periphery of the lens. Perhaps the centers of the lenses are higher or lower than before. This can also influence your initial comfort. Perseverance is the key to adaptation, but after 3 weeks without improvement, please see our spectacle collections team for further assistance.
 
 
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Glossary


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P

There are 16 entries in the glossary.
Pages: 1

Term Definition
PresbyopiaAs our eyes grow older the ability to focus clearly on anything close-up starts to diminish. This occurs because we lose our ability to accommodate or make the lens of the eye fatter in shape. One popular way of explaining how this happens likens the natural lens of the eye to a pillow with feathers inside. The lens contains many fibres (feathers) which grow throughout life in the same way that hair and skin continues to grow. This is not surprising considering that these tissues all come from the same founding cells. When the lens is younger and has fewer fibres it is more flexible and can change its shape more easily just as a pillow with fewer feathers can. When the lens is older and has many more fibres this flexibility is obviously lost which causes the near vision to blur.
 
presbyopicAs our eyes grow older the ability to focus clearly on anything close-up starts to diminish. This occurs because we lose our ability to accommodate or make the lens of the eye fatter in shape. One popular way of explaining how this happens likens the natural lens of the eye to a pillow with feathers inside. The lens contains many fibres (feathers) which grow throughout life in the same way that hair and skin continues to grow. This is not surprising considering that these tissues all come from the same founding cells. When the lens is younger and has fewer fibres it is more flexible and can change its shape more easily just as a pillow with fewer feathers can. When the lens is older and has many more fibres this flexibility is obviously lost which causes the near vision to blur.
 
Progressive flat-topsThese lenses change power gradually as the eye moves down through the near segment allowing a range of ten inches to ten feet. One visible line divides the distant power prescription to the intermediate and near prescription.
 
Progressive no linesAdvanced technology allows these lenses to gradually change in power from the distance segment to the near vision segment Your specific prescription is ground from a series of custom lens designs and powers.
 


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