FAQ

Even if you have perfect vision, many “silent” diseases such as diabetes and glaucoma, among others, can be discovered through an eye examination. These conditions can be more easily managed or treated when caught in their early stages. Additionally, many patients are surprised to learn that the headache and/or eye fatigue they are experiencing is directly related to a vision problem. Much like having a regular medical examination, routine eye exams are a part of your overall health and well-being.

Getting a new pair of eyeglasses is both a personal and sometimes necessary choice.

There are certain times when getting a new pair of glasses makes sense.

• When your prescription changes and the update will help you see better
• When a new prescription will give you more comfortable vision
• If you have new visual demands that require specific glasses for a hobby, sport or other lifestyle needs
• When your insurance benefits will allow you to make a claim for the expense
• For fashion, style or just to update your look
• When your eyeglasses are worn out or broken

The Optometrist is a primary care eye doctor, who treats eye health and vision issues needing medications, glasses or contacts. The Ophthalmologist is a specialist treating eye health issues requiring surgery. See your Optometrist first. They will be able to see you quickly and without a referral. They can refer you to an ophthalmologist if your vision issue requires advanced medical treatment or surgery.

Typically, patients need bifocals to treat presbyopia, a natural condition that leads to the gradual loss of the eye’s ability to focus on nearby objects. Bifocals have two different prescriptions in one lens. A more popular and innovative alternative to bifocals are progressive lenses, which eliminate the sudden difference between two prescriptions and instead allow for a smoother transition without the obvious line.

Glare is always the result of scattered light. In order to eliminate glare when driving at night, try the following:

• Clean your windshield inside and out. Clean your side view mirrors. Clean your rearview mirror. Clean your backup camera. Clean the screen. Clean the plastic over your dash. Use a paper towel or a chamois cloth outside the car. Use a microfibre cloth for inside surfaces. When all your glass and screens are clean, there will be less scattered light to cause glare.
• Dim the lights inside your car. Keep the dash lights bright enough that you can drive safely, but dim them if possible. Turn off the cabin roof lamp. Turn off or dim every possible light inside your car. If there’s less light in your car, there will be less light to scatter and cause glare.
• Clean your eyeglasses using a spray that’s safe for anti-reflective coatings and a clean microfiber cloth. For more tips on how to clean your eyeglasses, see our blog on that topic.
• Get an Anti-Reflective Coating on your Glasses. Reflection is one of the major causes of scattered light. After the light bounces repeatedly back and forth off the surfaces of your lenses, and then goes into the eye, you will experience that scattered light as glare. Anti-Reflective Coatings prevent this.
• Slow Down. If you are experiencing glare, it takes more time for your visual system to process what you are seeing. If you slow down, you’ll have more time to react in an emergency. If the tips listed above don’t eliminate your glare, you should slow down until you can see your Optometrist.
• Book an Eye Exam. If the tips mentioned here don’t eliminate the glare you are experiencing, you should book an eye exam to make sure there is no eye condition that can cause light to scatter within the eye. Corneal swelling or scarring can do that, as can cataracts, and a number of other eye health conditions, so see your Optometrist to make sure you are not dealing with an eye health problem and to seek treatment options if you are.

There are many reasons why you may be seeing glare at night or when using a computer. An eye exam can rule out if it’s a medical or physical condition, which we’ll want to treat as soon as possible. If an eye condition is ruled out, you can alleviate glare at night or when using a computer with the use of appropriate Anti-Reflective Coatings on your eyeglass lenses.

The right eyeglasses frame is a mix of personal style and the recommendation of an expert who can assist you in finding the right eyeglasses that are most flattering to your features. The right eyeglasses should also meet your needs and lifestyle. The good news is, you have hundreds of options to choose from and you can try them on in our office at Doig Optometry.

Pantoscopic tilt is a measurement we take that analyses the angle from the bottom of your glasses (at the cheek) to the top of the frame. Some glasses have flat frames, but most will tilt slightly, so the top portion of your glasses is slightly further from your face than the bottom. For progressive lenses, a slight tilt can assist your vision by contributing to the right kind of magnification effect.

The panoramic angle is the extent to which your glasses curve from the centre (nearest your nose) to the edge. It is more common to see a drastic panoramic angle on sunglasses than it is for reading or distance glasses. The reason so many sunglasses have a panoramic shape is that the curved edges won’t block peripheral vision and are therefore better for physical activities. Wrapped frames will have a different panoramic angle than flat frames, which is why many people choose them.

Blue light glasses have lenses that block a portion of the blue light, especially at the shorter blue light wavelengths of 400-420, and all UV light from going through the lens and reaching the eyes. Ultraviolet and blue light are high-energy forms of electromagnetic radiation. This high energy can damage the retina. The natural lens in our eye prevents most of the UV light and some blue light from entering the eye and reaching the retina, especially as we get older, but having eyeglass lenses that also filter UV and blue light helps to protect the retina from damage from these high energy wavelengths.

Filtering the blue light also helps prevent eye strain and fatigue from the use of digital devices like cell phones and computers for some people. Finally, exposure to excessive blue light in the few hours before going to bed can interfere with sleep onset and quality for some people. Using blue light filtering lenses before bed can counteract this effect.

If you’re using digital devices for a prolonged period, the blue light emitting from the screen can cause eye fatigue and impact your sleep. Blue light glasses help minimize the screen that using screens can have on your eyes.

There are many types of lens coatings available. The most popular ones are:

• Anti-reflective coating – Reduces glare and surface reflections. They can also help to decrease eye strain.
• Scratch-resistant coating – Helps create a strong and durable surface, extending the life of your lenses.
• UV protection coating – Helps protect your eyes against harmful UV rays.
• Digital coatings – Blocks the harmful blue light emitted by devices like computers, cell phones, and tablets.
• Polarized coating – Blocks horizontal light waves to minimize glare and reduce brightness.
• Anti-fog coating – Prevents lenses from fogging up.

For those who wear sunglasses outside on a regular basis and find themselves switching between sunglasses and prescription glasses, prescription sunglasses are absolutely worth the investment. For driving, laying out in the sun or everyday wear, sunglasses fitted with a script will reduce the need to carry multiple pairs around while protecting your eyes from UV rays.

While many sunglasses can be fitted with prescription lenses, some styles might be trickier to add them in. Some extra curved wraparound sunglasses or odd-shaped frames may not work with higher prescriptions as they may distort your vision. As long as the frame is sturdy and high-quality, most sunglasses are able to be fitted with prescription lenses with ease.

Yes, prescription sunglasses may be covered by insurance, depending on your policy with your health fund. Insurance coverage for prescription sunglasses and glasses varies among providers and insurance plans. To see if your insurance covers prescription sunglasses, you should review your policy or contact your insurance provider directly.

The truth is that many designer sunglasses can accommodate prescription lenses, however, most cheap sunglasses can’t. This is because in order to turn normal sunglasses into prescription lenses, the frame needs to have both stability and the necessary structure to support prescription lenses.

Depending on the frames you choose, your script and additional lens features available, prescription glasses can vary in cost. Prescription sunglasses can be affordable, look towards cheaper prescriptible frames to keep the cost down while keeping extra lens features at a minimum.