Benjamin Franklin was ahead of his time on so many fronts. Take glasses for example. In 1784 he filled his own optical needs to see both near and far by creating the first bifocal, which he called double spectacles. In a letter to his friend George Whatley, he said he was “Happy in the invention and they make my eyes as useful to me as ever they were”.
Now with the aging Baby Boomer population at their peak, sales of bifocals and trifocals account for the lion’s share of the profits for the optical industry. It’s loose logic, but if a person doesn’t wear glasses when they are young, around age 40 they’ll probably be looking at their first pair of glasses, and they will be for reading. And for those who object to taking their glasses off and on, on for close work, off to see distance, they will probably get their first pair of glasses with a bifocal lens.
When Ben invented his glasses, he didn’t have the choices we have today for lens materials. He used two pieces of ground glass, one for the top and one for the bottom. In today’s world, glass lenses are hardly ever used; the new and safer, and much lighter weight plastic ones taking their place.
These lenses are not only are lighter, thinner and more scratch-resistant than glass or the older plastic types, they can be treated with a filter to shield your eyes from damaging ultraviolet (UV) light.
If you’re having your eyes examined this year, you’ll want to pick out your frames before your exam if dilatation is part of the exam. Try on lots and lots of frames because everyone’s nose and ears and face are different and what might look good on the rack might not look good on you or suit your prescription.
If this is the year your doctor is talking bifocals or trifocals, you need a frame that gives you additional depth for the ‘near’ section.
A good optician will be a huge help in helping you find the size you need for across your nose, across your face and temple length from your ear to the front of the glasses and the height of the bifocals.
The beauty of plastic frames today is their variety. Thanks to creative designs, it’s no longer startling to see a man in bright blue or white frames or any other color or design. The same goes for women with bold looks, buying several pair as fashion statements.
Once you and the optician find a frame that works for your face and vision, it’s time to make some decisions on the type of lenses.
First of all, if the person who will be wearing the glasses is under 18, the state of Wisconsin insists the lenses be made of polycarbonate. These impact-resistant lenses are best for kids who play sports or in any way are rough on their glasses. These come with a built-in UV protection.
The most popular lens for adults is made of plastic which accepts multiple coatings.
There’s a lens called Trivex that’s made from a newer plastic that’s similar to poly and they’re lightweight, thin, and impact-resistant. They may also correct vision better for some people.
As for the various coatings for lenses, anti-reflective can help with glare, reflections, halos around light and when worn, are more natural looking without the reflection of regular lenses.
Scratch-resistant and ultraviolet protections are built into lenses today, but ask to make sure.
Tinted lenses come in a variety of color and possible graduation from top to bottom. These can be tinted slightly to hide signs of aging around the eyes, or tinted darker for wearing in the sun.
Transition lenses are popular with people that go between inside and outside often, or for those who want to have sunglasses built right into their clear lenses. This way the lenses are clear when the person is inside and transition to a dark tint when they go outside. The older the lens, the faster it turns from one to the other. The only drawback to these lenses is if you ever become really popular and have your photo taken; it always looks like you’ve got sunglasses on due to the lens reacting to a flash photo.
If you wear multifocal lenses, and don’t mind the lines, a standard bi-focal or tri-focal will meet your needs, the top half correcting your distance vision and the bottom correcting your near vision. A trifocal adds a middle area for exact vision needed in the middle, ground for those who work on computers or any task set approximately three feet away.
If you don’t care for the lines, the new progressive lenses are made to look seamless while correcting vision at each distance. If you order your glasses online, these are the only type of multi-vision they offer and even though they ask for you to measure yourself for width, the progressive lenses are set at a standard height, which you can not change, that may or may not work for you.
People who start their multi-focal wearing with lined lenses and who switch to progressive, (no line, lenses) sometimes have trouble switching. The lined lenses have the same prescription from top to bottom; progressives have more of an hour-glass configuration that leaves a mild distortion on either side of the lens.
First time multi-focal lens wearers are better off starting with the progressive lenses that you need to look ‘with your nose’ to see clearly. There’s no sliding your eyes to the side to catch something to the right or left, you need to turn your head slightly so you are looking through the middle of the lens.
Obviously, besides the eye doctor, the most important person in the office is the optician. These are the men and women who walk you through the cans and can not’s of picking out frames and lenses and then taking the exact measurement to assure you of a well-fitting, attractive and optically correct pair of glasses.
Not sure who you should see for an exam? An ophthalmologist is a medical or osteopathic doctor who specializes in eye and vision care. As a medical doctor who has completed college and at least eight years of additional medical training, they have a license to practice medicine and do surgery. They also diagnose and treat all eye diseases.
An optometrist is a healthcare professional who provides primary vision care ranging from sight testing and correction to the diagnosis, treatment and management of vision changes. They are not medical doctors but qualify for performing eye exams and vision tests, prescribing and dispensing corrective lenses, detecting certain eye abnormalities and prescribing medications for certain eye diseases.
In an era where so many choices are available for vision care, choose wisely where you’ll go. A good optometrist with a high-quality optician will result in a quality pair of eye glasses and exam. Anywhere else, you take a chance with inferior lenses and frames that, if broken, can not be replaced.
Ask lots of questions and decide what’s best for you. Because it’s a great time to wear glasses!
Last Update: Jan 06, 2017 7:32 am CST
