You may have heard of surgery for vision instead of glasses or contacts. In America, lasik is the primary surgery used to treat nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism. In less than thirty minutes per eye, it reshapes the stroma, the middle portion of the cornea.

The Lasik Procedure

It may seem like a scary and long procedure but believe me, it’s a matter of minutes and you barely feel any pain. First the surgeon need to access the stroma. To do that, he’ll cut a flap in the upper portion of the cornea, right above the pupil. Like any operation, the part of your body that should be operated should feel numb so numbing drops are going to be used on your eye. The eye is then marked to aid in replacing the flap and of course the eye area is cleaned before surgery.

The lasik surgeon will use a lid speculum to hold your eyes open so you don’t close them by reflex. A suction ring is then placed directly on the eye and high pressure is going to be applied to it. But don’t worry it’s not as bad as it seems. Then the flap is cut. This is called a keratectomy, which can be done by either of the two following methods.

The time-tested way uses a microkeratome, a cutting instrument or blade. The newer method of cutting the flap is by "laser-only" or femtosecond lasik, sometimes known by the brand name "IntraLase." After the suction ring is removed, both lasik methods are nearly identical.

The corneal flap is folded back, and the exposed tissue is allowed to dry. Then, the patient is asked to stare at a light for about sixty seconds to help keep the eye fixed and immobile. In less than one minute, the lasik computer pulses high-energy ultraviolet light removing the tissue that was previously determined to reshape the cornea most effectively and accurately.

The lasik laser makes clicking sounds, and there may be a smell of burning tissue. After very precise amounts of tissue are removed from the stroma, the surgeon lays the flap back into place. The eye is observed for a few minutes to make sure that proper bonding is taking place.

After the Surgery

Once the surgery is complete, your doctor will place a protective shield over your eye. This is to prevent pressure or anything from bumping the eye. Unlike many surgeries, lasik does not include stitches so extra precautions must be taken to ensure your eye safety.

Is going back to work the next day a smart idea? Actually no, by the lasik surgeons point of view, you should wait a few days before going back. Why? Take the time to relax, let your eyes rest because stress and long hours could only increase eye fatigue and probably with the surgery, your eyes haven’t adapted yet. Basically when you come out of a surgery, you’re in a hospital bed lying there for a few days even though you’re fine. The principle is the same with lasik but you’re at home instead of in a hospital bed. Doctors also recommend to avoid sudden moves such as in sports for up to four weeks. Makeup and facial products are strongly discouraged by doctors for up to two weeks. Oh and no water activities for almost eight weeks. So forget about about swimming, whirlpools and saunas. Don’t worry if you’re afraid to become fat, after three months you’ll be safe to do whatever you please. Expected Outcomes from Lasik

The effect of lasik is pretty fast, most lasik patients see huge improvements the following day. Their vision may also continue to improve for three to six months post-operatively. At first it’ll feel weird to see perfectly without glasses or contacts so there may be some instability such as visual fluctuations but it’s only temporary and this tendency will disappear over time.

Lasik eye surgery is not for everyone. Most good candidates follow their surgeon’s pre and post-operative directives faithfully. They find their vision, and therefore their lifestyle, greatly enhanced by this laser procedure.

Louis Zhang is near-sighted and has been looking for ways to improve his vision. For more information on lasik visit lasik-stories.com.

EYE CULTURE

The following exercises will assist you to improve the quality of your eyesight. Apply these simple exercises for a period of 90 days and SEE the results. Be sure to remove your eye-glasses during the exercises.

The following 3 exercises should be carried out in the morning.

1. Eye sunbath

• Sit in a comfortable chair facing the morning sun - depending on your latitude – at least 2 hours before the mid-day sun.

• Look at the sun momentarily in order to get the right orientation.

• Close your eyes gently at once.

(It is dangerous to look at the sun – we are only trying to ‘feel’ the warmth of the sun’s rays directly on our eyes once they are closed - this can be done quite easily by adjusting the head until the eyes ‘feel’ the sun’s rays.)

• Sit with your eyes closed for from 5 to 15 minutes.

2. Eye water bath

• Immediately after the sunbath, fill an eggcup (not an eyebath) with cool/pure water.

• Put your left hand, palm-down, on a table.

• Bend your body forward so the face will be parallel with the floor.

• Apply the eggcup gently to the right eye with the right hand.

• Blink the eyelids 50 times into the water.

• Discard the water and refill the eggcup.

• Place the right hand, palm down, on the table.

• Apply the eggcup to the left eye using the left hand.

• Blink your eyelids 50 times into the water.

• Dry the eyes by pressing a folded handkerchief to the eyes. DO NOT RUB.

3. Palming exercise

• Immediately after the water bath, sit at a table with your body against the table and your elbows on the tabletop.

• Cup the left hand and place it diagonally over your left eye with the edges of your hand on your left cheek and the fingers crossing over the bridge of the nose.

• Now cup the right hand and place it over the right eye with the edges on the right cheek and the fingers crossing over the left fingers.

• Move your fingers so all light spots will be excluded.

• When you can see perfect blackness, let your eyes close gently.

• Stay in this position for from 10 minutes to half an hour.

The four exercises that follow may be done at any time of the day.

1. Clock-dial exercise

• Sit in a comfortable chair that is placed against a wall in a large room.

• Imagine there is a clock dial painted on the far wall.

- 12 will he near the ceiling,

- 6 will be near the floor.

- 9 will be near the left-hand junction of the walls and

- 3 will be near the right hand junction of the walls.

• Without moving the head, look at 1, then 2, then 3 and so on until you come to 12.

• Repeat this several times then close the eyes for a few seconds.

• Then look at 12, then 11, then 10 and so on until you arrive back at 12 again.

• Repeat this several times and close the eyes for a few seconds.

• Now, look at 12, then at 6, then at 9, then at 3., then 7, then 1 and so on until you have looked at all of the numbers.

• Repeat several times and close the eyes for a few seconds.

2. Accommodation exercise

• Sit out of doors.

• Look at a distant object such as a house or electric light pole about one hundred yards away for one second.

• Now, look at the tip of your nose for one second.

• Look at the distant object again and then at your nose.

• Repeat several times and then close your eyes for a few seconds.

• Repeat.

3. Blinking exercise

• Sit in a comfortable chair holding a newspaper, magazine or book about 20 inches from your eyes.

• Commence reading by looking at the letter at the top left-hand corner, reading each letter across to the right until you arrive at the bottom right hand corner of the page.

• Each time you look at a letter you blink your eyes, pass on to the next letter and blink again.

• When you have completed reading the whole page, close your eyes for a few seconds.

4. Neck exercises

• Sit in a straight back chair with your legs twisted around the leg of the chair.

• Rotate the head slowly to the right 20 times.

• Rotate the head slowly to the left, 20 times.

• Rotate the head a little more vigorously to the right 20 times.

• Rotate the head a little more vigorously to the left 20 times.

• If this makes you dizzy you may overcome the dizziness by throwing your head backwards breathing deeply in and throwing the head forwards, breathing out. Repeat 3 times.

• Add 5 rotations each day until you can do 50 rotations each way daily.

Note:

- The neck exercises are to be done gently – do not push yourself further than you are able.

- The aim of the neck exercise is to increase mobility and improve circulation and nerve force to the head area – including the eyes.

- Pay particular attention to your breathing while rotating the head Note: Do not hold your breath – relax and breathe rhythmically and diaphragmatically during all movements.

Published and Edited by:

Kevin and Katy Hinton

(Practising the Science of Natural Living and Natural Healing)

© Copyright, 2006

Double K Pty Ltd

“Kevin and Katy Hinton are renowned Natural Health Educators & Advocators who have assisted a broad range of people to reinvigorate their lives through common-sense Natural Health practices. They are trusted advisors to many in the corporate world in Australia and North America who recognize the life-improving value of Natural Health habits. Their experience in the field reveals that adopting practical Natural Health habits usually helps drive success in other areas of life.”

Sign up for a World-class newsletter at: http://www.thehealtheducator.com

STATEMENT BY THE PUBLISHER

The opinions expressed in this article are based on the naturopathic philosophy of health and do not coincide with currently accepted medical theories on health and healing. The publisher does not claim that any advice given represents a “cure” for disease. If the reader has any doubts regarding his or her health, it is the responsibility of that individual to consult a competent health practitioner.

There was a time when we used glasses that changed color in sun. They were the two-in-one option of the bygone days. Now, we have contacts with the same two-in-one function. These are colored lenses that correct the vision and give a different color to your eyes.

There are a number of well known brands offering them. It is advisable that you settle for a known brand rather than going for something cheap manufactured by the unknown aliens, for saving in this area may not only be unhealthy but may also make you pay much more in medical bills. Besides, what’s the point in purchasing a cheap lens and then imagining all the damage it might be doing to your eyes. That would mean buying a lens and getting a headache for free.

The next step is to buy the right lens. In this category there are mainly three different kinds of lenses available. These are visibility tints lenses, opaque color tints and light filtering tints. These lenses are made in emulation of our own eyes, which makes them look astoundingly natural. It’s much like wearing an additional eye and if you buy a good quality lens it feels comfortable enough for you to forget you are wearing a lens at all.

While choosing lenses you must consider your complexion as well as the color of your eyes so that whichever lens you pick looks best on you giving you an all round makeover. So, for those who are fair the right colors are blue, light green and violet, and if your complexion is rather dark settle for something bright and reflective.

If you are one of those with a reddish tinge on skin or hair, what looks particularly good on you is light brown. Green or gray are your colors if you have those crystal clear blue eyes.

However, visiting the eyes specialist is a must for those who have a vision problem so that the right kind of lenses could be chosen for you. Moreover, it is important that you take medical advise on whether or not you should wear lenses at all. Most of the time there is no problem wearing lenses but this additional precaution ensure that possible individual complications are detected beforehand and do not catch one unprepared.

Eyes are precious, delicate and complex, so every possible care should be taken to keep them healthy. Regular visits to the eye specialist is one of the important precautions that one must take.

To get more information on best contact lenses, buying contact lenses and cosmetic contact lens visit http://www.contactlenseclub.com/contacts/

Presbyopia

The lens, behind the iris, is normally adjusted by little muscles, which make it more curved or more flat, depending on how far away the object is that we’re looking at. But with age, the lens becomes more stiff and harder to adjust; and the little muscles become a bit weaker. So when we look at the print in our book, our lenses can’t adjust properly, and stay set for looking at the tree at the back fence, and the print appears blurry. That’s where bi-focals, whether glasses or contact lenses, are useful, because they correct for close-up vision while correcting differently for far vision, or not correcting it at all. Disadvantages of glasses
· They’re so easily misplaced
· They have to be modified periodically as we age and our vision changes
· If you work in a job where you change focus often, such as teaching, sales, performing arts or public speaking, glasses can be very inconvenient and annoying

One eye on the horizon

The idea of monovision is to correct one eye for the distance vision and the other for close-up vision. In cases where distance vision needs no correcting, just the near-vision eye would be corrected.

Eye doctors started doing this with contact lenses. They made one lens to correct distance vision and the other to correct near vision. When LASIK surgery came along in the late 1990s, some people chose to have one eye corrected for distance and the other for close-up work. This means that the two eyes don’t work together any more. As you can imagine, this takes some getting used to, but it can be done.

An upside down world

A related experiment was done in the late nineteenth century by George Stratton. He wore special glasses which turned everything upside down, so that he saw the floor where the ceiling would normally be, and vice versa, and all objects correspondingly upside down. He found that it only took about 3 days to adjust, so that things looked normal again. In other words, things didn’t look upside down, but looked just as they normally do. Then he took the glasses off and found everything looked upside down again. So again it took him a few days to re-learn and restore his normal vision.

Our brains can learn

With monovision, one eye is the distance eye and the other is the reading eye. We can learn to automatically use just one eye, the appropriate one for what is being focused on. The adjustment period is several weeks. Most people who have it done are pleased with the result. Now they can see near and far without any contacts or glasses. It’s a good idea to try monovision with contact lenses first, to see how well you can adjust to it, and many people do this. Disadvantages of monovision
· A slight loss of depth of perception
· A slight loss of peripheral vision
· If you need to see extra clearly at certain times, such as for night driving or long sessions with reading or computer work, you might want some reading glasses for those occasions, but will not need them for routine tasks

Advantages of monovision
· You’ll need no glasses or contact lenses most of the time, perhaps ever
· You can legally drive without any vision correction
· The cost is lower than that of LASIK or other laser procedures
· It can be undone

If you have it done and decide you don’t like it, you can have it undone, and your “near” eye corrected for distance. Then your 2 eyes will be working together again but you’ll need to wear reading glasses.

If you wear bifocals or reading glasses, you might like to consider the option of dispensing with them and instead, using your brain’s adaptive power to learn monovision. Some LASIK centers give little information about monovision. Some take time with you to explain how it works and answer your questions.

If you have it done and then change your mind about it, some will follow up with you and correct your near eye for distance vision at no charge, so that you can revert to using your reading glasses.

www.levinsoneyeclinic.com For more information about presbyopia correction with monovision, feel free to contact a LASIK surgeon in your area, such as Dr. Levinson of Denver, Colorado.

Contact lenses have advanced repeatedly over the years, so the variety we can choose from is enormous. But:
· They still need to be replaced at certain intervals
· They can still be lost
· They must still be cared for
· There’s still an adjustment period when you first start wearing them
· Some people can’t wear them at all
LASIK surgery is permanent A LASIK procedure alters the shape of your cornea such that your vision is improved. It’s an effective surgery for treating:
· Nearsightedness (myopia)
· Farsightedness (hyperopia)
· Astigmatism (irregularities on the corneal surface)
These 3 visual problems are all caused by the shape of the cornea. Visual problems such as cataracts and presbyopia, which are caused by lens problems, can’t be treated with LASIK. Are you a LASIK candidate?

The first thing to do is have a thorough eye exam. All good LASIK surgeons will do this to establish whether or not you’re a good candidate, because good outcomes are important to a good LASIK surgeon. A good outcome isn’t possible with a bad candidate.

If your corneas are too thin, your pupil diameters too large, or the cause of your vision problem is other than a refraction issue, you won’t be a good candidate for LASIK. And if you’re:
· Under 18
· Diabetic
· Pregnant
· Have any of a variety of certain diseases
· Are taking certain medications
you will not be a good candidate.

Wavefront Diagnostic

Traditional LASIK surgery requires pre-testing which uses a number of sophisticated devices to precisely measure your corneas and assess your vision. A newer variety of LASIK called Wavefront-guided LASIK uses wavefront technology to even more precisely diagnose the cause of your vision impairment. A special light is beamed into your eyes from the wavefront system. It bounces back from the retina (inside back surface of the eyes, like a camera film) to the wavefront system, carrying with it detailed information about the irregularities of your corneas.

This information is presented on the wavefront computer monitor as a pair of 3-D maps of your eyes. Each tiny ripple or bump on your corneas is clearly visible now to your eye surgeon. From this information, mathematical formulae are created which then guide the laser in correcting the problem.

Wavefront diagnostic can be done on anyone’s eyes. It’s independent of whatever solution is chosen for you to correct the problem. Many LASIK surgeons use wavefront technology and offer a wavefront-guided LASIK procedure as well as the traditional procedure.

The LASIK procedure It’s a short and painless procedure yielding quick results and a short recovery period.
· Anesthetic eyedrops numb your eyes.
· Your comfortable bed is rotated to position your head beneath the laser. You don’t need to struggle with keeping your eyes open, as an eye speculum is placed against your eyelids to keep them open.
· One eye is treated at a time, with a shield over the other one.
· Using a hand-held device called a microkeratome and a small suction cup, your eye surgeon will make a small round flap on the outer surface of the cornea, and gently fold it back out of the way.
· The laser is directed at the tissue exposed by the folded-back flap, for 10 to 20 seconds. It vaporizes tiny amounts of excess corneal tissue that have been causing your vision problem.
· The surgeon replaces the small flap and applies some antibiotic ointment to its edges. It starts to heal by itself, and no stitches or bandages are needed.

Afterwards Although there’ll be some temporary blurriness from the antibiotic ointment, you’ll notice immediate improvement in your vision.
· An eye shield needs to be worn for a day or so to protect your eyes from touching or pressure
· Your LASIK surgeon will give you some moisturizing eyedrops and antibiotic eyedrops to use for a few days
· There might be some temporary redness or sensitivity to light, but no pain or swelling Within a month or so you’ll be completely healed and your new eyesight will be part of your life. Wouldn’t you like to toss away the contact lenses and be able to see clearly at all distances with your natural eyes?

Be sure and choose a good eye surgeon to do your LASIK procedure, rather than a facility which processes lots of patients as quickly as possible, to make up for their lower fees. Your eyesight is too precious to entrust to anybody who compromises on quality for the sake of profits.

Health Officials have been warning the public about the potential dangers of novelty contact lenses after a Sydney teenager lost her sight in one eye after using a novelty contact lens. The loss of sight was caused by an infection of the cornea caused by the lens. Similar reports have surfaced in recent years about people who have had eye infections or loss of vision due to cheap, unsafe novelty lenses.

These lenses often surface during halloween, when many fly-by-night business people market all kinds of unsafe products. To avoid any problems with infections arising from contact lenses, it is always best to get your lenses from a well known, recognized dealer. Contact lenses purchased through your optometrist or through a recognized web site will be safe every time.

These lenses are popular among trick-or-treaters and seasonal party goers because of the hyper-realistic flair that they add to any costume. If you are willing to invest a little bit of extra money in a pair of prescription, brand name lenses, then you might have the costume that impresses everybody at the party. Buying unsafe lenses could mean that you will change your look, but maybe for life if you get an eye infection.

Other people wear colored lenses everyday to change their eye color with no ill effects. Colored lenses that are produced according to federal standards are just as safe as any clear lens. The only real difference is that they will give you an extra fashion boost.

Michael Wright is a virtual authority on contact lenses. He also writes articles about astigmatism and colored contacts.

Over the last three years thousands of people have been turning to the internet looking for online suppliers of prescription glasses. The prices of prescription eye wear online is at an all time low and savings of up to 75% of the normal retail price is not unheard of.

This guide to help you avoid any pitfalls and decide upon a frame and lens that will suit, fit and work, so saving you valuable time and money!

HOW TO CHOOSE A FRAME THAT FITS

Frame sizes are usually in the format “50 - 20 – 140”. In this example this means that the lens diameter is 50mm the bridge distance is 20mm and the arm length is 140mm. This can usually be found on the inside arm or on the back of the bridge.

You can use this as a guideline by comparing them to your own glasses

HOWEVER, this is NOT the BEST way to obtain a good fitting frame. At spex4less there are two further measurements that are FAR easier to understand and ensure a much better result.

Each of the frames on the website includes the total frame width in millimeters and total frame depth in millimeters, compare these to your own frames for a good fitting frame.

HOW TO CHOOSE A FRAME THAT SUITS

There are certain face shapes that suit certain lens shapes and many guides to this are floating about the internet. The general guide is listed here:-

Oval Faces

More frames look good with this face shape than any other, as long as the size of the frames is in proportion to the face.

Oblong Faces

Long narrow faces are similar to square faces in that the chin and cheek are of nearly the same width. Facial length, however, is far greater than the width. Frames should cover as much of the centre of the face as possible in order to minimize the length.

Round Faces

To play down the roundness, select frames with straight or angular lines. Deep colours such as black or tortoise also minimizes fullness.

Square Faces

Compliment a square face with frames that are slightly curved. The top of the frames should sit high enough on the face to downplay the jaw line.

Triangular Faces

This shape is defined by a broad forehead and narrow mouth and chin. Frames with a thin rim and vertical lines will help balance the bottom part of the face. Frames should not sit too high on the face. Avoid large frames, heavy nose bridges, bold colours and square shapes.

HOWEVER, as many people know there are always exceptions to any rule!

My advice is to use this guide if you have never worn glasses before. Many people who are already wearing glasses know which shapes suit them and which don’t.

Choose a pair of glasses similar to the ones you have at the moment, OR, if you are trying to find a new look why not go for a rimless or semi-rimless frame with the same lens shape as your current glasses, or vice versa.

YOUR PRESCRIPTION AND AVOIDING COMMON MISTAKES

“*Please pay particular attention here*”

Your prescription may seem a little confusing at first glance but it really is quite simple to understand.

Firstly, every prescription follows the same format wherever you are in the world. There may be a few variations and abbreviations, but I will explain them later.

Let’s describe what it all means first.

Each prescription will have a left and right value for the correction of your vision within the following boxes:

"SPH" (sphere). The correction for long or short sightedness.

"CYL" (cylindrical). The correction for an Astigmatism.

"AXIS" The axis that the correction for the Astigmatism needs to be set at.

Sometimes an Add or Addition, always "+" value is included for us to decipher your reading prescription, but only if you require glasses for both distance and for reading.

In some rarer cases Prism and Base is used for the correction of double vision.

On our website and most of the others out there you can select your prescription from drop down boxes so that you can simply copy the details you have on your written prescription.

*VERY IMPORTANT – Do not fall for the most common mistake!*

The single most common mistake when entering prescriptions online is selecting a " +"value instead of a "-" value or vice versa.

Your prescription may consist of both "+" AND "-" Values. For example:-

SPH (Spherical) will consist of a + or – power (unless 0.00) in 0.25 steps. EG, -0.25, -0.50, -0.75, -1.00, -1.25 and so on..

CYL (cylindrical) may consist of a + or – power in 0.25 steps. EG, -0.25, -0.50, -0.75, -1.00, -1.25 and so on..

Axis will consist of a numerical value from 0 to 180, BUT, only when you have a CYL value.

Note: Usually opticians will write the "-" and "+" signs above the value.

ADD / Addition Will only consist of a + value as is it is what it says on the tin, an "addition". We add this value to your distance prescription if you need reading glasses as well as distance or for bifocals.

Note: Some opticians will write out your complete near prescription underneath your complete distance prescription. In this case you will need to call us to tell you what the "add" is.

COMMON ABBREVIATIONS

Plano, 0.00, Infinity - All mean the same thing nothing! Or No correction is needed.

DS – “Dioptre Spheres” Usually appears under the CYL box indicating that there is no astigmatism (No CYL value). However, this can sometime appear after a reading addition.

OD – Means your right eye.

OS – Means your left eye.

PD – “Pupillary Distance” is the distance between the centre of one pupil to the centre of the other in millimeters. I would like to take a moment to talk about your “PD” as this has caused much debate in dispensing glasses online.

Opticians generally will not give this to you as they will probably figure that you wish to buy your glasses online and not from them. In most cases, except for those with particularly high prescriptions, we can calculate this usually within a millimeter using experience and certain order criteria such as your gender and the size of frame you have chosen etc.

HOWEVER, it is very simple to measure your own “PD”. The best way is to have a friend help you. Look at a point in the distance whilst your friend takes the measurement in millimeters, if you wanted to be super accurate measure the left side of the left pupil to the left side of the right pupil.

Outside UK prescription format = EG: +1.25 (-1.00) x 180° Although it looks different it’s the same. The first value is the SPH, the second in brackets id the CYL, and the x180° is the Axis in this case 180.

HOW TO CHOOSE THE BEST LENS

Lenses come in many flavours and again, at first, things can become a little confusing. But don’t worry. I am here to explain them all in detail so that you can understand and choose the best lens option for you.

Firstly lenses can be made in two materials Organic (Plastic) or Mineral (Glass).

Most lenses sold today are of the plastic variety as they are far lighter than glass. In some rare occasions when extremely thin lenses are required for very high prescriptions glass can be the best option.

Each lens will also have what we call a "Refractive index" The way in which the refractive index is calculated is not important at this time. What is important is what it means to the thickness of the lens.

Most people think that when we say a 1.6 lens that this means it is going to be 1.6mm thick, THIS IS WRONG.

Basically the higher the number the thinner the lens will be. This is because materials that bend light more than others have a higher “Refractive index” and hence a shorter or longer focal length. This means that the same correction and focal length can be achieved from “less” lens (material) making them thinner.

Here is a key to choosing the best lens.

Standard Plastic CR39 (1.5) We use 1.56 on all standard lenses Ideal for most prescriptions (prescriptions with powers stronger than +3.00 and -3.00 will start to look thick, powers between the two will look fine).

Plastic (1.6) An ideal option for prescriptions up to +5.00 and down to -5.00. 1.6 lenses are 23% thinner than standard plastic. Prescription outside this range will start to look thick.

Plastic (1.67) Probably the most popular of the thinner lens options. 15% thinner than the 1.6 and 25% flatter. Ideal for prescriptions up to +7.00 and down to -7.00 prescription outside this range will look thick.

Plastic (1.74) The thinnest plastic lens available on the market. 50% thinner than the 1.5 standard plastic and 30% lighter than the glass equivalent. Great for mid to high prescriptions.

Glass (1.7) An ideal budget thin lens for “-“ power prescriptions up to – 10.00. However, they will be heavier than plastic

Glass (1.8) Rarely used but good for high power prescriptions. Expensive option.

Glass (1.9) Rarely used but excellent for high power prescriptions. Expensive option.

Lens Types

There are also many different styles of lenses. Lenses for single vision correction e.g. distance or reading, to Bifocals and Varifocals for the correction of both distance and reading within one pair of glasses.

Varifocals

Firstly I would like to talk about Varifocals as there is much debate about whether or not they should be supplied online. At Spex4less we do not feel that it is morally correct to supply these online just yet, UNLESS it is part of our Re Glaze Service and you have varifocal lens in your glasses already.

Varifocals blend gradually from your distance prescription through your intermediate prescription in to your reading prescription. This means that the lens has to be set at exactly the correct height in the frame to start with.

The crucial measurement required to align varifocals is the height in millimeters from the centre of your pupil to the bottom of the new frame, this measurement cannot be taken online.

Although it is becoming common practice online to use averages and experience along with other factors such as order information to calculate some measurements such as the "PD" we spoke about earlier, it is not yet possible to do this with Varifocals. Some online companies will still provide varifocals for you and you may get lucky. HOWEVER I would not advise anyone to do this until technology allows us to take the accurate measurements needed.

We are currently working on a varifocal system that should allow us to supply Varifocals accurately. I will let you know when the results are in.

Bifocals

Bifocals are basically distance glasses with a reading segment in the bottom. Unlike Varifocals Bifocals are commonly sold online as the height measurement is far less crucial and averages can be used with great success. Due to the fact that there is no gradual phase from distance into reading and they are just distance with a reading segment Bifocals have a far wider corridor for reading than Varifocals but have no intermediate correction.

There are also various types or "shapes" of the reading segment.

Typically the standard is the “D Seg” this one looks like the letter D on its side with the flat part it the top hence the name D Seg.

There is also a "round" segment in various sizes and executive or "E Type" bifocal where the whole bottom half of the lens is dedicated to reading (Great for people who do a lot of reading at work using plans etc).

Bifocals are only available in standard plastic, standard glass and 1.6 plastic.

Single Vision

"Single Vision" lenses can be used for just distance, just intermediate or just reading hence the name "single vision". However, many people who are short sighted "-" Power SPH prescriptions will be able to read with their distance glasses. Single vision lenses are available in both materials and all indexes.

Lens Coatings

Tints

Tints can be used to make "Plastic" lenses in to sunglass lenses and are available in many colours. However, 1.67 and 1.74 lenses cannot be tinted as they already contain an antireflective coating to reduce “Power rings” which I will explain later.

Photochromic

Photochromcs are usually referred to as "Reactolite" which is a brand name for the glass variety or "Transitions" which is a brand name for the plastic variety.

Basically they do the same thing. These are lenses which are clear indoors but then "react" to UV (Sunlight) and "transform" into sunglasses.

NOTE: As photocromic lenses require UV to change, using them behind a car windscreen will not work as effectively as normal due to the windscreen filtering out some of the UV.

However, we have found that the glass reactolite works better than the plastic behind a car windscreen, but not as good as the plastic in normal conditions.

Polarized

Light reflected from surfaces like a flat road or smooth water is generally horizontally polarized. This horizontally polarized light is blocked by the vertically oriented polarizers in the lenses filtering our glare and allowing you to see below the water line. Available in grey or brown polarized lenses are ideal for fisherman and also for drivers.

Anti Reflective

Usually an anti reflective coating is referred to as an "MAR" (Multi Anti Reflective Coating). There are many benefits to an MAR. Firstly they are far more aesthetically pleasing as they reduce the amount of light reflecting off your lenses especially when having your photograph taken.

Other benefits include:-

• Reduced glare when driving at night

• People can see your eyes and not a patch of light

• Filters out radiation from computer screens

• Reduces "Power rings" visible rings on the lens in high prescriptions which is caused by light constantly bouncing back and forth within the lens due to total internal reflection.

• Provides UV protection

• Anti static aiding lens cleaning

Spex4less provides MAR coated glasses for characters in Coronation Street to reduce reflections from studio lights and reflections of camera men in the characters glasses.

SUMMARY

The internet is reaching further and further in to our daily lives as more and more products become available online.

Buying your glasses online is surely going to be an exciting and hassle free experience now that you have taken time to read this guide and you could also save yourself a small fortune.

Mark Bowden B.Sc.(HONS) MCOptom specializes in supplying high quality prescription glasses online visit http://www.spex4less.com for more details.

When it comes to working with lasers, safety is paramount. Not only are lasers very powerful, but the human eye is particularly sensitive to laser light. Retinal and corneal damage can occur very easily and can be impossible to reverse. The retina is the surface at the back of the eye that transmits images to the optic nerve. The hazards of laser light here are obvious, as many lasers have the power to burn through this delicate tissue. Permanent blindness can result from this exposure to laser light if proper eye protection is not used.

The motto must therefore be prevention rather than cure. The best and most efficient way of preventing laser damage is wearing laser safety glasses. These are special glasses specifically designed to block certain wavelengths of laser light that could damage eyesight.

When choosing a pair of laser safety glasses, ensure that they are designed for the type of laser you are using. They should allow a large field of vision and be comfortable if you are going to be wearing them for protracted periods. They should also be a good fit. You don’t want them to slip around as this can result in injury due to impaired field of vision.

It can be a challenge to find the right pair of glasses, ones that do not impair vision, but protect it none the less. There can occasionally be issues with the user sweating into the glasses. This is unpleasant and can be a danger if vision is compromised. Thus, the eyewear you choose should be comfortable, as uncomfortable eyewear often results in people failing to wear it at all.

This raises the most important part of laser safety, wearing the safety glasses. You can have the best protection in the world, but it will do you no good at all sitting on the bench next to you.

Nathan Waterman trained and certified in industrial PPE use writes for http://www.safety-glasses-n-goggles.com recently discussed safety eyewear for sports.

Our vision is probably the most utilized sensory faculty that we have. For most people the ability to see clearly is absolutely vital. Unfortunately, our eyes frequently suffer from diseases, abuse, and genetic eye defects that may lead to poor eyesight. To help us ease our burdens with these problems, we would normally use corrective lenses such as glasses and contact lenses. But recently a new treatment for eye ailments has surfaced. Commonly called laser eye surgery, it is a procedure that restores your normal eyesight without the aid of corrective lenses.

You may think that that I’m old-fashioned but to me laser eye surgery is quite unnecessary. For one it costs a whole lot more than ordinary lenses. Why would you spend a lot of cash for a surgery when cheap glasses can produce the same results? Since this type of treatment is relatively new not a lot of research has been done to determine if it has any adverse consequences for those who have tried this procedure.

For me vision is too important and precious to gamble with. What I’m trying to communicate is that like other surgery, laser eye surgery poses possible risks. Infection, tissue scarring, and other dangers are all too possible for those who risks their eyes in this procedure. Why would I risk my vision on an untested, expensive, quick fix solution when reliable glasses can achieve similar effects?

Well, of course laser eye surgery sounds and seems a lot more attractive than good-old-corrective lenses. And who wouldn’t want to try this latest, state of the art procedure? It’s definitely more exciting to have laser eye surgery than to just have boring eye-glasses. But is it really worth the risks? I have been wearing glasses since I was thirteen and they worked just fine for me.

Other than the experience of being teased, eye glasses have no major inconveniences. I would prefer being called a nerd than trying a dangerous surgery that and damaged my eyes permanently. If you are seriously considering trying laser eye surgery, I suggest that you weigh the risks carefully. I feel that it would be wise to stick with eye glasses or at least wait for a few more years when the techniques of the procedure have been refined and most of the dangers have been eliminated.

Morgan Hamilton offers expert advice and great tips regarding all aspects concerning Laser Eye Surgery. Visit our site for more helpful information about Laser Eye Surgery and other similar topics.

So, all set to go on a leisure trip? Surely, your contact lenses are a part of the baggage. Quite certainly they are a great convenience on a vacation. You can move around and enjoy freely without having to care about the glasses. Whenever you like, you can take a plunge without worrying. That’s the rosy part. However, contact lenses may also be vacation spoilers if you are careless. So, take care of a few things and your vacation will be a heavenly one.

1.Keep a spare pair of contacts with you. Even if you do not wear the frequent replacement kind, you must carry another pair of contact lenses. Say, your lenses get damaged or lost in the middle of the vacation. It would really be a painful spoiler if you had to go from shop to shop looking for a pair of lenses. Better be prepared. Now, if you use disposable lenses, take a good supply of them with you so that you never fall short of them.

2.Lens case and solution are inseparable companions of the lenses. So, when you pack your bags, make sure they are a part of the baggage.

3.Contacts work well for swimmers. However, it is important that they do not come in contact with water because it contains a number of bacteria that can get into your eyes and cause infection. So, while swimming, wear tight goggles to prevent its contact with water. And if water finds its way into your eyes, take the contacts off as soon as you can and clean them so that the problematic organisms get done away with.

4.There are certain contact lenses that are capable of blocking the UV rays, but that is not enough because the lenses cover only a small area of the eyes and do not reduce glare. So, you’ll still need goggles for better protection against sun damage and sun glare. Better still, wear a sun hat as well for additional protection.

5.When you are on a flight, take the contacts off and put your glasses on because the environment inside the plane makes the lenses dry. On dehydrating, they start absorbing moisture from the eyes, which can leave your eyes dry. Besides, many people have the tendency to doze off in the plane. And sleeping with your contacts on is certainly not recommended. Therefore, it is safer to put the glasses on.

These are very simple precautions that do not take too much of effort but are very useful in warding off unwanted botheration during the vacation.

To get more information on best contact lenses, buying contact lenses and contact lens basics visit http://www.contactlenseclub.com/contacts/