Having a comprehensive dilated eye exam is one of the best things you can do to make sure that you’re seeing the best you can and that you’re keeping your eyes healthy.
Screen Fatigue : Computer Lens
Screen time can be a key factor in choosing eyewear today, with 70% of daily computer users reporting eye strain. Computer glasses may ease the blur. Manufacturers say they help your eyes adapt to electronic words and images, typically viewed farther away than a book. Look for anti-reflective coating and consider a tint to reduce glare from harsh overhead lighting.
Presbyopia : Readers
Fine print seems to shrink as we age. What really happens is presbyopia — the eye loses its ability to change focus. Reading glasses can help bring blurry print into sharp focus. You can buy “readers” at many stores. But if you need different strengths for each eye, require bifocals, or have an oddly-shaped eye — called astigmatism — see an eye care professional.
Coke-Bottle Lenses : New Technology
Do you avoid a new prescription for fear of thick glasses and a “bug-eye” look? Ask your eye care provider about high-index lenses, which are thinner and lighter than traditional lenses. You also may consider aspheric lenses, which are thinned out on the sides. Lenses can be both aspheric and high index. Both can help you avoid a thick, unflattering shape.
How Does the Sun Damage Your Eyes?
As we age, the odds of developing cataracts — cloudiness of the eye’s lens — increase. Wearing sunglasses may delay cataracts. Sunglasses also may protect against macular degeneration (a disease of aging that harms central vision) and growths on the eye, both benign and cancerous. After cataract surgery, polarized glasses — even indoors — may reduce discomfort from glare.
Warning Signs of Eye Trouble
Call your eye doctor right away for any of the following symptoms:
• Sudden appearance of floaters in your vision
• Partial loss of vision
• Sudden eye pain or redness
• Scratchy, irritated feeling
• Blurriness or cloudiness
• Flashes of light
Little cobwebs or specks that move in your vision may be harmless floaters. But it’s best to see a doctor with any concerns.
When Do You Need an Eye Test?
Getting the newest lens technology starts with an eye test. You should have an exam at least every two years — to be sure your glasses are the right prescription and to look for medical issues. An exam can find cataracts and glaucoma, as well as illnesses like diabetes, heart disease, aneurysms, HIV, and cancer. Signs of disease may be visible in, on, or around the eyes long before symptoms appear.
Don’t Skimp on Kids’ Sun Protection
Children need sunglasses just as much as adults do, maybe more — because they’re outside more often than adults are and their eyes are more sensitive. Make sure kids’ sunglasses offer the same UV protection that you’d look for in an adult pair. Although 2/3 of adults buy sunglasses for their children, only 13% check to make sure they protect against UV rays.
Screen Time and Children’s Vision
Do your kids have their noses glued to the computer or video game system? Get them outside. Some studies show that children who spend a lot of time on the computer or doing other up-close work, even reading, have a higher rate of myopia than other kids. And kids who spend a lot of time outside have lower rates of myopia. Pediatricians recommend no more than two hours a day of screen time for kids.
