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Make Progress with Progressives -Varifocal Glasses Online

Wednesday, September 15th, 2010

Over fifty years after their initial launch progressive or varifocal lenses are still a product that the public love, loathe or worry about in equal measure! Despite their success and constant evolution varifocals are still surrounded in myth and anecdotal evidence as to what they can and can’t do. So are you thinking of taking the plunge? Are you at that difficult age when your arms aren’t long enough? Read on and see if we can allay your fears and make life a whole lot easier…..

Most people need help for reading around age forty, for some it’s earlier, for some later, but you can’t avoid it and it happens to us all! At first, simple reading specs make threading a needle or reading the phone book easier. But if you have a distance prescription too, or use a computer, or drive, or want to walk around and see small print when necessary, then readers won’t help you for long. Something a little more specialist will be required. A varifocal lens lets you see far distance – driving, sightseeing, watching TV, middle distance – computer screen, reading music, and close work – reading and sewing all in one lens. The powers you need are blended together all the way down the lens, so as you look from the horizon to the window sill to your watch, all will be clear and you won’t even be aware of the difference in lens strength. What could be more perfect? No tell-tale line on the lenses to let people know you won’t see forty again, no swapping specs!

So why do you hear negative comments about them? The very first varifocals that reached the spec buying public were not a perfect product by any means. You needed a deep frame, deeper pockets, and masses of grim determination to get used to wearing them. Over the years however, like all things, these lenses have changed. Now they are easy to wear, you can fit them into very slim frames, the price has come down, and the adaptation time is short. It may take a day or two, but soon you’ll forget you’ve got them on, and get on with your day to day living without specs causing you any hassle. We guarantee them too, so if they don’t work we’ll simply refund you. Our failure rate is less than half a percent on all varifocal jobs we do, so you’ve got nothing to lose! We can’t help you with any other signs of ageing, but we can do a really good job of this one!!

Varifocal Glasses Online

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It Shouldn’t Happen to an Optician!- Glasses online

Thursday, September 2nd, 2010

Our opticians work in practice as well as spending time at the InternetGlassesCompany – a valuable reality check to stay in touch with real patients, not just those of you in Cyber Space! Opticians are all different of course – although they usually share a love of very weird glasses and geeky eye test gadgetry! But all of ours love the diversity of who they meet in the consulting room. This can range from newborns to very elderly people, all needing a different variety of TLC, technical expertise and optical and medical know how. With regards to the latter, you’d be surprised at what our opticians sometimes have to deal with from their swivel chairs…..

“Over my years in practice I’ve had some very odd encounters that you wouldn’t expect an optician to deal with. I once had to cut the very long nails of a young lady who wanted contact lenses but couldn’t bear to get rid of her nails herself. As she was in danger of damaging her corneas with her talons, I had to get a receptionist to witness me giving her an impromptu manicure while she looked the other way! I’ve had to drop everything and drive a chap up to A&E when he had a very severe nosebleed all over the reception area, and also transport an elderly lady who fell off her high heels and twisted her ankle. I’ve diagnosed high blood pressure, a couple of Pituitary tumours, and Diabetes. Skin cancer is another common one that we can spot, I’ve seen Melanomas in the eye itself, but also spotted them on the skin around the eye. Rodent ulcers, also called Basal Cell Carcinomas, are another common one. I’ve also had the pleasure of being shown various scars, re-built joints and even some reconstructive surgery that were all nothing to do with eyes! Then there’s the nappy changes, doing tests with the patients toddler sibling on my knee, and warming milk for hungry babies – never a dull moment! I love my time in practice, however bizarre it sometimes gets, but I like the InternetGlassesCompany offices and Lab too. Working for the InternetGlassesCompany means I can give my technical knowledge and clinical expertise to an internet specs provider, making sure that this new way of dispensing glasses is as ethical, technically correct and professional as any other optical outlet.”

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We can Work it Out!

Monday, August 2nd, 2010

There are lots of myths surrounding varifocals, particularly among those patients who have not been able to wear them successfully. People forget that varifocals have been around since the 1960’s, and like hairstyles and clothes things do change in that amount of time!

Varifocals are a technology based product, and with each step forward, the lenses improve. The main difficulties that people face with varifocals are the width of the reading area, and the odd ‘sea sick’ effect that some patients suffer when the lenses are first worn. The reading area problem is simply a design issue, and with every generation of new lenses this is improved upon. Manufacturers constantly work on the reading portion as this the biggest stumbling block for wearers, so with each new prescription change over time patients notice a marked improvement.

The sea sick feeling is due to the distortion at the edges of the lenses, and for some, as they move their head the world swings around them! Some people never experience this, for others it stops them ever adjusting to the lenses. For the majority it wears off after a few days. Again, the designers constantly evolve the lenses to lessen the distortion and reduce the swim effect.

Another point to consider is that different types of varifocals have distortion in different areas of the lens, so what works for one patient will not work for another. If you’ve worn varifocals and haven’t got on with them, trying a new lens form will help you. Tell us what you had a problem with in the past, and what your current jobs and hobbies are, and we can suggest the best lens type for you. If you don’t like them, we take them back and give you a full refund – that’s how confident we are that we can make them work for you!

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Slip Sliding Away

Sunday, July 11th, 2010

We’re looking forward (with our fingers crossed!) to our sunny Summer continuing after the sultry heat of June. Most of us love the sunshine, but if you’re a spex wearer, the combination of hot sun and slick sunscreen lotion can lead to months of pushing your glasses back up your nose and suffering from sore ears. So can you do anything to help?

Firstly, metal frames are more comfortable in Summer than plastic, as the nose pads sit the frame away from the skin and allow some air flow behind it. This prevents misting up and the small contact area of the nose pads on your skin means you perspire less. So put your plastics away in the hottest temperatures and if you’re thinking of investing in new glasses at the moment, look for a metal pair. A small size will help too – small lens area means less weight and less slipping.

Your glasses might need to be fitted slightly tighter over the warm months, and if you’re up to any energetic sports you could invest in an elastic sport band which will hold them in place. Specialist frames like Oakley have end tips on the side arms which actually get slightly tacky as you get hot, holding them firmly in position.

We all know that we need at least an SPF factor of 15 on our skin, and the face is especially vulnerable to sun damage. Heavy lotions might make your specs slip, so experiment with different formulae and allow them to settle before putting your specs on. In the evening, wash your glasses in warm soapy water, and dry on a soft towel or tea towel. This prevents damage to the frame from the lotion and your perspiration. Wash them as soon as possible after wear – don’t leave them overnight or a build up of damaging deposits will start to eat into the frame material.

A few sensible precautions will ensure you are more comfortable and your specs stay in place, so enjoy the sun and don’t make any slip-ups!

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Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010

Nowadays plastic is our material of choice for lenses, for strength, durability, and of course excellent vision! More than 80% of lenses sold across the US and European market are plastic, as glass is heavier and doesn’t have the impact resistance of plastic. The market for plastic is still growing, and the most popular form used today actually came about by accident during the Second World War.

During the war raw materials became scarce, and research began to focus on alternatives. Polystyrene resins and nylon had already been used since the 1930s, and industry began to explore the possibilities of other forms man-made materials. A company called PPG industries created a new compound in 1940, which they called 39 – the 39th attempt at this particular clear resin! During the War it was used in the Aviation industry for fuel tanks and clear fuel lines, but when peace arrived the company were left with about 38,000 pounds of excess product in liquid resin form. They began to experiment with uses for the material, and various companies took an interest due to its useful properties of high impact resistance and clarity. Lens manufacturers Essilor, Armorlite and Sola started making CR39 plastic lenses, and from the 1960s onwards  popularity has grown.

CR39 plastic is cast in a mould and then cured. The entire range of lens powers can be worked on CR39, and to make it completely user-friendly it’s mostly treated with a scratch resistant coating. Treat your plastic lenses with care and they’ll give you many years of service. Don’t lay them curve side down on any flat surfaces, wash them with warm soapy water before you polish them. Don’t put anything abrasive in the case with them! Next time you put your specs on and they give you crystal clear vision, take a moment to appreciate the history of a remarkable product that makes our lives so much better and safer today.

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Need to Know

Friday, June 18th, 2010

When we first tell people that they need to wear a visual correction – glasses or contact lenses – their first reaction, and their first question, is about when they need to wear their glasses. There are a few myths surrounding this issue, so here are the facts.

Wearing glasses, or not wearing your glasses, won’t alter your sight in the long term. There are some studies to suggest that’s children’s sight can be improved with specialist lens types, but at present there’s no evidence to suggest that your correction will actually make your sight better or worse. If you don’t wear them, in the short term you’ll suffer from eye strain as you try to focus. Squinting to thread a needle or read a book will be at best uncomfortable, at worst will leave you with a nasty headache. So don’t be afraid to wear your glasses! Listen to your Optician’s advice and wear them when you need them, especially if you’re illegal to drive without them!

If you’re under the age of forty, your eyes will do the work for you in focussing close too and far away. You only need one prescription for both. For most prescriptions you’ll be perfectly fine wearing your spex all the time. If you’re short sighted, as you get near to age forty, you’ll be more comfortable taking your specs off for close work. In this case not wearing your glasses will save eye strain. If you’re long sighted you’ll start to find that you need extra magnification for close work at this point.

After age forty-ish, you need help to focus close-up, regardless of what your sight was like before this point. So if you had no prescription before this, you’ll find yourself putting specs on and off when you need to read and then look up. You could have a varifocal with no power at the top of the lens, just your close and middle distance magnification. It’s fine to wear the varifocals all through the working day if it suits your lifestyle not to have to keep taking reading specs on and off.

Trust your optician and your own common sense when it comes to the best times to wear your glasses, and the important thing is don’t suffer in trying to cope without them.

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Making Hay!

Sunday, June 13th, 2010

While some of us can’t wait for Summer, swapping our Uggs for flip flops the minute we hit Easter, others dread the sunny season due to the misery, stuffy heads and streaming noses of hay fever season. This causes lots of problems to spec and contact lens wearers, and we see a high incidence of hay fever related issues from around May onwards, when the tree pollen bursts forth.

Hay fever is nothing to do with actual fever as of course it’s an allergy, affecting about 25% of the UK Population. It can begin in childhood but in most sufferers it starts from the teens onwards. Some people are affected more badly than others, and the degree of reaction can vary from year to year. Symptoms affect the upper respiratory tract, ranging through itchy eyes, runny noses, sneezing, coughing, sore throats, and wheezing, but unlike the common cold it will change with the pollen count and will affect the sufferer through several weeks while their particular pollen problem is air born.

Our biggest group of unhappy patients are contact lens wearers, who can’t bear to wear their lenses in sore, itchy eyes. The first thing to do is check that it’s an allergic reaction, not bacterial, so don’t confuse hay fever with Conjunctivitis! The latter can be cleared with drops from your chemist or GP. If your lenses are of a type that covers the Iris and fits closely you may even be better off wearing your lenses, as the irritation won’t reach the Cornea. Many patients do have to abandon their contacts through the summer and wear specs until their allergy has cleared. If you need eye drops make sure they are compatible with contact lens wear, your pharmacist will advise you if you’re not sure.

Sunglasses often help, with a large lens shielding the eye and keeping some pollen out. They are also soothing for sore eyes in cutting glare and making sensitive eyes more comfortable. Go for 100% UV protection, in a wrap around style with the darkest possible lenses.

Spec wearers will suffer if their noses are blocked and sinuses become inflamed. As the bridge of the nose bears the weight of glasses this can be very sensitive and uncomfortable. A lightweight frame will help you, and a plastic frame has a bridge that spreads the weight, fitting closer to the face to keep the pollen out.

A few simple measures will help to ease your discomfort while you wait for the anti-histamines to kick in, and at least you have an excuse to treat yourself to a new pair of specs!

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VDU Specs for You

Sunday, May 23rd, 2010

We’ve often written about VDU regulations in relation to eye tests and eye wear, and we do communicate with Employers about this issue too. Unfortunately there does seem to a great deal of confusion in the UK about this whole subject.

A recent survey suggested that under half of the employees in this country are properly cared for by their employers in this area. It’s also reported that this is mostly due to the vague regulations and the fact that employers find it difficult to pin down exactly what their obligations are. Of those surveyed, only 69% of employers thought that the regulations were clear and that they were confident in their policies.

Further questioning showed that only 17% of those employers surveyed knew that they must pay for eye exams and VDU specs for employees who use VDUS. The problem lies in the fact that the regulations are not clear on the amount of time eligible employees are at their computers, and for which categories employers have to pay for glasses.

The rules state:  if the employee sends a significant part of the day at the screen, then the employers must pay for the test. If glasses are required specifically for the VDU, then the employed must pay for them. A prescription just for the VDU only arises in people over the age of approximately fifty, who have been using reading specs but then find they need a different power at middle distance, which covers the VDU screen.

If you’re not sure if you’re eligible, talk to your HR department, who can find the answers online – direct them to this article for a start! It makes complete sense for employers to avoid sick leave by looking after their staff and providing this inexpensive and basic service to improve the wellbeing of their team.

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Ultra-Violet Warning

Thursday, April 29th, 2010

As our skies are often grey, it’s easy to think that we don’t necessarily need to wear sunglasses in the UK. We might pop them on for a long drive, for skiing or other holidays abroad, but few of us think to wear them out and about in our country. You do however need to be aware that every single day, whatever the time of year or apparent conditions, you might be exposed to the dangers of UV.

As UV is part of the invisible light spectrum, we can’t tell if we’re in danger from it. UVA and UVB are the most damaging rays, and they can build up over our lifetime to cause progressive damage to the eyes. This can lead to Cataracts and Macular Degeneration. The latter cannot be treated at present, and leads to loss of central vision in old age.

So there are serous medical issues that can arise from not protecting the eyes, and there are cosmetic ones too. Premature skin ageing, the formation of uneven pigment and wrinkles can all be attributed to UV exposure. There is also the issue of skin cancer in the delicate tissues around the eye area.

Children are also at risk, and the fairer your skin and lighter your eyes the less natural protection you have. Get kids fitted with good quality sunglasses, looking for the label that states full blocking of UVA and UVB. You wouldn’t let the kids out without sunscreen – over 90% of parents report that they insist their children wear it – so don’t expose their eyes to equal harm. More than 50% of parents say that they send their children out without sunglasses, even on bright days.

If you’re outside for most of the day, wear tinted specs, or if you really prefer clear lenses, you can have a UV layer added. Photochromic lenses, which change with the light, usually have UV screening built in.

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Celeb Watch April Fools 2010

Saturday, April 3rd, 2010

Put down those hot cross buns Celeb watchers and focus focus focus on your next shopping expedition! Finding what’s hot in fashion might be harder than searching out that last egg on the hunt, but as ever, we’re here to help! Just for you we’ve scoured the fashion pages, sent our spies out on the streets, and examined shots of Brad, Johnny and Becks for hours on your behalf…..it’s a tough job but someone’s got to do it…..

Catherine Zeta Jones – channelling Audrey Hepburn in a tres chic beret and cute and on trend retro huge cat’s eye shaped sunnie. Perfect shape on her heart shaped face.

Eddie Izzard – everyone’s sporting hero after his truly epic marathon for Sport Relief. Very cool and looking the part in his sporty aerodynamic shades, hope his mascara didn’t run too! A massive well done Eddie, and you look cool!

Madonna – The face of Dolce & Gabbana this season, check out her sizzling ads, and the huge sunnies she’s wearing. Stunning against her porcelain complexion, Madge still got it!

Russell Brand – he may be a bit naughty, he may even be a bit wicked, but he sure looks cool in his massive black Aviators. On a long face this shape is flattering and really really cool.

Russel Brand in his black aviators

Russel Brand in his black aviators

So even if you pile on a few pounds munching your Lindt bunnies and crème eggs you can still shop for shoes and shades, without going up a size – hurrah! Get with the season, go big, go dark, and always go gorgeous….

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