Category: Glasses

Mask + Glasses = Foggy Lenses

Karen Griffith

Wearing a mask that covers your mouth and nose is required in public to protect other people in the vicinity. For many of us who wear glasses, we find ourselves in a fog.

Some techniques to minimize foggy lenses include a properly fitting mask. Your mask should fit snugly, especially across the bridge of your nose and below you eyes. Most masks contain a thin piece of metal that can be molded to fit the face. Double-sided tape can be used too. The exhaled air will escape out the bottom or the sides of the mask instead of upwards. Breathing downward will also push the warm/moist air away from your eyes and glasses.

Be cautious with products you apply to your glasses and lenses. At Westside Optometry we have always recommend the use of Dawn dish-washing solution and warm water. This will safely clean the frame and lenses. Residual soap film may reduce the fogginess of the lenses, too. Alcohol and sanitizing products may damage the lens coatings and the finish on the frame, especially with repeated use. You should be cleaning your glasses at least once a day, more if you have left your “shelter,” and increased your exposure to potential contamination.

We are back in the office doing eye exams and providing optical services. All visits are by appointment only so social distancing and proper hygiene can be maintained.

Tips for Selecting Children’s Glasses

Karen Griffith

There are many frame styles available to children, and it is much more acceptable to wear glasses than when I got my first pair decades ago. In fact it can be cool. Have you seen glasses for sale without a prescription?
Here are some tips when selecting glasses for kids.

  1. Frame – The frame should fit the face. The bridge is the part of the glasses that connects both the eye rims over the nose. Because most children do not have a fully developed or prominent nose, this area must be build-up or have nosepads to fit properly. The other frame feature that needs to fit is the temple. this is the part of the glasses that connects the front of the frame and fits over the ears.  Proper sizing of the bridge and temples keep the glasses properly positioned on the face.
  2. Lenses – Polycarbonate lenses are generally the best for children. Polycarbonate lenses are impact-resistant, lighter in weight and have ultraviolet protection. If the prescription is for hyperopia (far-sightedness), an aspheric lens design will flatten out the lens and reduce magnification.
  3. Metal Sensitivity – Some children are sensitive to nickel. Fortunately there are alternative other frame materials such as titanium, stainless steel and plastic.
  4. Spring Hinges – Spring hinges provide flexibility and durability. This allows the temples to flex outward, away from the frame without causing any damage to the face or glasses.
  5. Appearance – It is very important that the child likes the glasses. Children’s frames come in many colors and styles. Make sure your child is happy with how the frame feels and looks.
  6. Eyeglass Case – When the glasses aren’t on the face, they should be in the case. Make sure your child’s eyewear includes a hard case to protect the glasses when carried in a backpack or put into a desk.
  7. Care and Cleaning – Parents need to show children how to maintain and clean their eyewear. the frame and lenses should be cleaned with a non-abrasive cloth using mild soap and water. Do not use paper products such as tissue. Don’t hesitate to come by the office if the frames needed adjusting, repair or just a little more cleaning.

Vision Tips for Driving

Karen Griffith
  1. Even if your distance glasses prescription isn’t very strong, put them on at the start of any long trip. You’ll tire less quickly and feel better at the end of the drive if you are not straining to see.
  2. Keep your windshield clean inside and out. Filming on either side of the windshield can cause a veiling glare when bright light hits it, and every bit of road spatter on the windshield becomes two bits of annoying spatter (one for each eye) when you are looking at a far distance.
  3. Your rear view mirrors should be adjusted properly, and that should be done after you have the seat positioned, and never use the vinyl cleaning and brightening agents on your dashboard because they make the veiling glare effect of reflected light from the dashboard worse.
  4. Be sure you are not tilting your head into a chin-up position as you drive. This can cause you to have eyestrain and even distance blur from your prescription lenses. Adjusting the seat upward and tilting the steering wheel downward may help you keep a good head position.
  5. Wait until the sun is fully up before putting on sun lenses for driving, and take your sun lenses off before dusk sets in. Dusk and dawn drive times are known to be times at which you need all the light you can get for safe driving.
  6. Your eyes will tend to get tired if you simply stare straight ahead on long road trips, so keep your eyes moving as you check your mirrors and potential hazards from either side.
  7. Make a point of “triple blinking” (i.e., three fast, full blinks in quick succession) every few minutes especially if your eyes feel dry and have a burning sensation.
  8. Don’t stare at bright incoming headlights. A prolonged look at bright lights will mean a prolonged glare recovery period after you look away from them.
  9. Blinking lights such as another driver’s turn signal or the lights of an emergency vehicle can hold your visual attention long after those lights are no longer relevant to your safety.
  10. Take frequent stretch breaks and stop before you start feeling tired on long road trips. While on break, turn your eyes up, down, right, left and toward all directions in between as far as you can. This can refresh the muscles that aim your eyes, and it will tend to ward off eye fatigue.
The above suggestions are “reprinted by permission of 20/20 magazine and the Jobson Optical Group”

New Frames at Westside Optometry

Karen Griffith

 Westside Optometry has added a new frame designer to our eyewear collections.
MODO is driven by a passion for finding the optimal balance of form and function. The designers explore materials, manufacturing technologies, and craftsmanship techniques for designs that look and feel perfect.

The collection includes styles for men and women in lightweight materials and amazing colors. We know you’ll appreciate the look and comfort of  the MODO frames.

 

 

New Safety Eyewear

Karen Griffith

90% of all eye injuries are preventable with proper use of protective eyewear. (Agency of Healthcare Research and Quality)

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Westside Optometry has a new line of safety eyewear. The new Wiley X frames meet ANSI Z87.1 high velocity and high mass impact standards. All the WorkSight glasses come with permanent or detachable side shields, a fold over case that folds flat for easy storage, 100 percent UVA/UVB protection and distortion-free clarity. And the best part is the frames are stylish enough to wear for those unplanned trips to the hardware or grocery store.

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Vision at Work

Karen Griffith

According to a 2015 survey of employed US adults who had vision benefits, 92% of the respondents felt that the quality of their work was impacted by visual disturbances at the workplace. Only 13% reported this fact to their employer, even though 99% of them felt that seeing well was important. More than half of those surveyed said they were bothered by light issues at work. The top light issues or visual disturbances were tired eyes, light reflecting off a computer screen, bright glaring light, dry eyes and headaches.

When I first started my optometry career I had a huge book dedicated to occupational eye care. The book was published before the ubiquitous use of computers so the content of the book included various types of bifocals and lens designs to meet the demands of secretaries, carpenters and other occupations. There was a chapter dedicated to the wielding profession and the proper selection of tints and protective eyewear. The proper design of eyewear and safety are still very important, but more complaints involve computers and electronic devices than 25 years ago.

65% of Americans report suffering from digital eyestrain. Symptoms of digital eyestrain include neck pain, eye strain, blurred vision, headache and dry eyes. A combination of factors foster the onset of digital eye strain, including the proximity of the screen, the frequency and duration of use and the degree of exposure to high-energy visible (HEV) or blue light emitted by video screens. You don’t need to suffer. Poor vision and compromised visual working conditions reduce our productivity. Solutions are available to relieve and minimize digital eyestrain.

How to Clean Your Glasses

Karen Griffith

 

The following tips are intended to provide you clean eyeglass lenses and frames without the risk of scratching the lenses or damaging the frame.

  1. Wash and dry your hands. Before cleaning your eyeglasses, make sure your hands are free from dirt, grime and lotion. Use lotion-free soap or dishwashing liquid and a clean, lint-free towel to clean your hands clean eyeglasses
  2. Rinse your glasses under a gentle stream of lukewarm tap water. This will remove dust and other debris, which can help avoid scratching your lenses when you are cleaning them. Avoid hot water, which can damage some lens coatings.
  3. Apply a small drop of lotion-free dishwashing liquid to each lens. Most dishwashing liquids are very concentrated, so use a tiny amount. Or apply a drop to your fingertip instead.
  4. Gently rub both sides of the lenses and all parts of the frame for a few seconds. Make sure you clean every part, including the nose pads and ends of the temples that rest behind your ears. And be sure to clean the area where the edge of the lenses meet the frame where dust, debris and skin oils can accumulate.
  5. Rinse both sides of the lenses and the frame thoroughly. Failing to remove all traces of the soap will cause the lenses to be smeared when you dry them.
  6. Use a clean lint-free towel to dry the lenses and frame. Avoid rough fabrics and paper products which can scratch the lenses and the finish on the frame.

Fall Trunk Show

Karen Griffith

 

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Next month is the annual Westside Optometry Fall Event. This year we are featuring all the Clearvision eyewear collections: Ocean Pacific (OP), Cole Haan, Izod, Ellen Tracy, BCBG and 2 new lines Aspire and Dilli Dalli. Aspire is a lightweight frame design and Dilli Dalli is an incredibly durable design for small children. Dilli Dalli
In front of the office, Maui Jim is pitching a tent to display it’s collection of men and women’s sunglasses.

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Date of the show is Saturday September 12, 2015 between 10:00 and 2:00.

Refreshments will be served.

Call ahead if you need an eye examination, or come by to look at glasses.

Bring a friend.

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Presbyopic Myths or the Truth about Aging Eyes

Karen Griffith

in need for glasses

Eye Exercises can Prevent Presbyopia
No eye exercise can prevent presbyopia. Eating bushels of carrots won’t prevent presbyopia. There is no elixer to prevent presbyopia. Presbyopia is not a disease, but an age-related condition that cannot be prevented.

 

More women than men develop presbyopia

Women are no more prone to presbyopia than men. However, you might notice that women wear reading glasses earlier than men. This is not due to differences in eye anatomy. It’s due to men having longer arms. On average, women’s arms are shorter than men’s. When it becomes increasingly difficult to read at arm’s length, women reach for reading glasses sooner.

 

Farsighted is the same as presbyopia

While both conditions relate to difficulty seeing up close, farsightedness and presbyopia are two different visual conditions with different causes and timelines.

Farsightedness (hyperopia) affects a portion of the population, but presbyopia eventually affects everyone. As you age, the lens in the eye starts to lose its elasticity and you gradually lose the ability to focus on objects up close. Farsightedness can occur at any age, where presbyopia usually occurs after age 40.

 

LASIK surgery cures presbyopia

Laser eye surgery, commonly referred to as LASIK, works very well for certain refractive errors such as astigmatism and myopia, but it will not correct presbyopia. Despite having undergone laser eye surgery, patients in their 40s will inevitable require vision correction for presbyopia.

 

If you have 20/20 vision, you can’t get presbyopia

Presbyopia is quite a surprise for someone who has always had good vision. While the age of onset varies, most people in their 40s first start to have a problem reading fine print, particularly in low light conditions. Other symptoms include needing to hold reading materials at arm’s length and headaches or fatigue from doing close-up work.

Luckily, there are visual corrections available to allow you to see up close, reading glasses, progressives and even contact lenses.

 

 

New Light Weight Frames

Karen Griffith

Aspire2

[heading centered=”yes” margin_bottom=”no”]New Light Weight Frames at Westside Optometry[/heading]We are very pleased to have the latest brand of eyewear from Clearvision Optical. Aspire Eyewear was created with a thin and lightweight “memory plastic” material. Aspire frames offer a “barely there” feel and fit.
We have 9 styles each in 2 different colors. Half men and half women and some crossover. There are different architecturally inspired temple designs in both stainless steel or TR-90 (light-weight and flexible plastic material).

[heading centered=”yes” margin_bottom=”no”]Features of Aspire Eyewear[/heading]

  • Almost 50% lighter than a regular plastic frame
  • 22% lighter than a typical titanium frame
  • Adjustable nose pads
  • Almost 50% thinner than typical acetate frames
  • Three colors for each model, including translucents and fades
  • Screwless hinges

We have the ophthalmic collection on display and are anxiously awaiting the arrival of the sun collection.

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