Common issues of prescription eyeglasses

Wear eyeglasses when necessary

Some people think that eyeglass wearing makes the wearer more dependent on them. In fact, eyeglass wearing causes no permanent visual change. Based on the misconception, those people are not willing to wear eyeglasses when they just feel good with the vision. But sometimes, their actual vision is burry, thus bringing more risk when they are driving on the highway, especially at night. Eye care practitioners highly encourage those “edge” patients to use prescription eyeglasses, so as to minimize underlying risks.

Modern eyeglasses are aesthetically satisfactory

People with a high prescription may be bothered by conventionally thick eyeglass lenses. Currently, thinner lenses made of materials like high-index and polycarbonate are available for those people. Typically high index lenses can be 50% thinner than lenses made of traditional plastics. Polycarbonate lenses have a similar advantage. Combined with small, round frames, these lenses can always offer an aesthetically satisfying appearance. More importantly, high index lenses and polycarbonate lenses are also more lightweight than traditional plastic and glass lenses, greatly reducing the wearer’s burden on the nose.

Eyeglasses offer visual aid to different groups

It is possible that the two eyes of one person have different problems. For instance, one eye is hyperopic and the other is myopic. In this case, aspheric and high-index eyeglass lenses can help, which can be equalized in thickness between the two eyes. Contact lenses can also help. On the market, different types of tints are provided to meet varying needs of different people, such as shooters, golfers, tennis players, computer users and so on. All these groups of people should visit an eye care practitioner on a regular basis and get a comprehensive eye examination. Specific vision problems can be diagnosed only by eye doctors.

What a typical prescription looks like

Most eye prescriptions from doctors are standard and worldwide acceptable. -2.50 -1.50 x 170 is a typical format of an eyeglass prescription. The first number indicates the degree of spherical refractive error. Positive numbers stand for farsightedness and negative ones mean nearsightedness. The second number signifies astigmatism. In case of no astigmatism, DS or SPH can be a replacement. The final number varying from 1 to 180 shows the orientation of the football shape in astigmatic patients.

Possible lens coatings

Eyeglass lenses can be applied with types of coatings. An anti-reflective coating minimizes reflections by preventing light from bouncing between the two lens surfaces. Polarization is another lens technology that can reduce glare from external objects such as water, car hood or a shiny road. An anti-fog coating helps prevent eyeglasses from fogging up when the wearer steps into a room in a rainy day. Most children’s eyeglasses and safety glasses need the help from a scratch-resistant coating, which protects the lenses against daily scratches and elongates lens life span.

Prism can correct fixation disparity and double vision

In eye care lingo, there are fixation disparities. With these problems, the eyes tend to try and pull apart, causing muscle imbalances. Prism in lenses can be prescribed to provide help in easing these imbalances. Well-prescribed prism can help the wearer use his eyes together. In addition, prism is also considered to help correct double vision by aligning the two images into one.