Posts Tagged ‘Opticians’

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Which Opticians?

Sunday, September 4th, 2011

Optics has changed dramatically over the past thirty years, as we’ve seen our industry blossom from an era of dusty, gloomy consulting rooms to gleaming, shop fronted practices with a glittering array of exciting stock. Ancient eye test techniques have given way to state of the art screening equipment and early diagnosis and treatment of eye disease. One thing that we thought hadn’t changed is that we still see ourselves as a customer service industry, looking after patients and taking care of their eye health and specs, contact lenses and accessories. So it was a shock to read a recent Which report, and note that mystery shoppers going for eye examinations were disappointed with the service given, and worryingly, that some eye conditions were not fully investigated.

So who do you trust with your precious sight, and who will give you the help you need? Generally speaking, an Independent practice will offer more continuity of care, as they are more likely to keep the same staff for longer periods, and you’re more likely to see the same optician each visit. Word of mouth is the best way to find someone who has looked after your friends well, so don’t pick a random name from Google!

All opticians are legally obliged to give you the same basic eye exam, but extras like retinal imaging, 3D retinal scanning and low vision advice are again more likely to be found at Independent opticians, so check this out with any practice you intend to visit for full eye health screening. All opticians must give you a copy of your prescription, and you can then order your glasses from any other High Street outlet, or indeed a well trusted internet optician like the Internet Glasses Company! We can offer you the best of both worlds in that we are fully trained professionals, able to offer lower prices due to our reduced overheads.

So when you find that perfect optician, who listens to you, takes full care of your sight, eye health and life style needs, tell all your friends about them, and the excellent service they offer. Just don’t forget to tell them about the Internet Glasses Company too!

Varifocal Glasse

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Holistic Eye Care

Thursday, August 25th, 2011

Once upon a time opticians were dark and scary places, filled with dusty old NHS frames, chunky glass lenses and dimly lit consulting rooms. Now we’ve gone all groovy, with glittering arrays of designer specs, sexy sunnies, and gleaming white walls and fancy lit displays. Thank heavens for the new Millennium and the excitement of eye care nowadays.

Another change is our approach to discussing the patient’s lifestyle and thinking outside the box – the glasses box that is. We have to work holistically nowadays, thinking about a more varied approach than just sticking a pair of specs on your nose and sending you off with them.

With advances in technology we can adapt your eye care needs to suit your lifestyle, with products such as throw away contact lenses, specific sun and sport spec lenses, frames for different jobs and hobbies, and even suggestions to help with eye health solutions.

Our ageing population leads us to problems within eye care, as conditions such as cataract and macular degeneration become more common. So a consultation that begins with discussion on specs will lead us to talk about nutrition, the importance of exercise and stopping smoking, and wearing sun protection. All of the above can help to slow the progress of macular degeneration, and for at risk groups, can dramatically help you to reduce the effects of the disease.

New screening techniques also help us to discuss general health as well as eye health problems. Two and even three dimensional retinal imaging allows us the see detail within the eye that we’ve never seen before. Early detection of disease can lead to better treatments and preventative measures, and is a much more satisfactory way of helping our patients than just dishing out specs!

Varifocal Glasses

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Low Vision Aid

Wednesday, August 17th, 2011

As Opticians we pride ourselves on providing a service as well as offering the best and newest designs in frames, lenses and contact lenses. Sometimes we pass patients onto consultants for treatment of problems such as Glaucoma, Cataract or Macular Degeneration. There is also a less well known step in the process where we can look after patients suffering from low vision who need a special type of magnifier or visual aid rather than corrective treatment.

In the UK there are more than two million people registered as blind or partially sighted. We can help these patients by assessing the standard of vision they can achieve, and prescribing devices that make life easier. These may be simple hand-held magnifiers, lenses or telescopes attached to spec frames, large print books and clocks, or computer based viewing systems to enable the patient to read once more. Tinted lenses or special filters may be prescribed, or high illumination lamps. Technology plays a part too, with electronic magnifiers and e-books with an enlarged image.

If you are a carer for a relative with a visual defect that can’t be corrected, then using Low Vision services may significantly improve their quality of life, and allow them more independence. Advice on using a white stick or referring them on to Guide dog services may be a life changing experience. Different devices help patients to get around more easily, manage day to day living, or enjoy hobbies once again. If the Optician says that specs won’t help the patient any more, then ask if a referral to a Low Vision clinic would be suitable. There is often much trial and error to find the solutions that will suit each individual, and patients may need a combination of aids to help them. Annual assessment is recommended, to make sure that as sight changes the patient still has the best aids.

Varifocal Glasses

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The Frame Game

Sunday, May 29th, 2011

Many clients hate that moment when they stagger out of the opticians consulting room, reeling from the flashing lights and endless questions, and are then faced with the challenge of choosing a frame that will affect their sight and their appearance for some time to come. Sounds nightmarish doesn’t it? Well help is at hand, from the Internet GlassesCompany’s simple guide to the frame game…….

Step 1 – Does your prescription limit your choice? You can cut down the endless options by consulting the dispensing optician to begin with. For example – longsighted people with a higher lens power might be best to avoid rimless frames, which will not be durable with their thin lens edges. Ask first or regret later – falling in love with a frame and then being told it won’t work for you is heart-breaking!

Step 2 – Plastic or metal? This basic question of look and fit is a perfect place to start. Plastic frames are chunky, bold, have fewer bits to go wrong and sit all around the bridge of your nose. Good for sensitive allergic types, as you won’t react to them, high fashion types who like something groovy, and short sighted people who want to cover the edges of their lenses. Metals are skinny, slick, and good for those with an asymmetric nose! The individual pads can be adjusted for the perfect fit. They are less obtrusive than plastic.

Step 3 – Large, small, round or square? Shape and size are linked – and are related to the proportions of your face. Check our website for a detailed guide! Your frame size may also be dictated by your lens power, so again, ask for help before you choose. Fashion at the moment suggests big, deep square or round frames, oversized Aviators, and deep rectangles too.

Step 3 – Colour – are you a shrinking violet or a shocking pink princess? Colour dictates how bold or subtle your frame will look, and probably the situations where you’ll wear it. Lime green lined orange with inlaid flowers might be cool for clubbing or casual wear, just a bit OTT for the office! Think about your skin tone, hair colour, everyday wardrobe, and the general look. We can help you invest in few options for all situations! – that makes the frame game easy to win!

Varifocal Glasses

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Examining the Experts

Sunday, January 23rd, 2011

At the Internet Glasses Company we’re proud of the work we do and our profession. We believe that there’s room within our industry for High Street Opticians and those of us here in Cyberspace. We use our years of experience and expertise dealing with patients face to face to supply you with perfect specs even though you buy them online. So who’s here looking after you behind the scenes, and what do we do with your order?

The First Port of Call – The Dispensing Optician:

“My job is to look at your order and envisage your finished specs. I check your prescription, and the measurements provided to make sure it all looks ok and that it makes sense! I’ll contact clients by phone or e-mail if I need to query anything. I also need to make sure that the frame is suitable for the lenses, and the size looks logical compared to patient measurements. The Ophthalmic Optician and I check the orders before processing……

The Second Check – The Ophthalmic Optician:

“I oversee your orders and double check the work my Dispenser does. They deal with the technical issues of specs married to lenses; I back up their assessment of the prescription and make sure it looks correct. We look for potential problems together, and I also deal with your mail or phone enquiries relating to queries on eye health issues or lens power.

Work begins – The Workshop Technician:

“I select the correct lenses, order frames if necessary, and finally cut your lenses and put the glasses together. At each step of the way my assistants and the Dispensing Optician are watching the progress of jobs and checking the work. We have to adhere strictly to British Standards and make sure our measurements and lens powers are spot on.”

Ready for Dispatch – The Dispensing Optician:

Before your glasses leave our Lab, they go through the final quality control checks to make sure we haven’t missed anything! We also set the frames straight, making sure they are shaped to fit your head, and give the lenses a final polish. When we’re happy we hand them onto dispatch for packing.”

At Home – Your New Glasses:

“I got my new specs last week, popped through the letterbox and waiting when I got home from work. Finally I can read at night again, and in a rather snazzy Oscar & Fitch funky frame too. They’re light and comfy and I’m really please with the service, which was speedy and very easy.”

Varifocal Glasses

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In Case Of Emergency

Thursday, December 30th, 2010

Over the festive season we Opticians like a good rest and plenty of indulgence just like everyone else, although our patients often seem to think we should be poised by the phone, ready to help out with any eye care emergencies you can challenge us with. Much as we love to please, we do deserve a little break, so amid the vast shopping list of Bailey’s, Mince pies, indigestion remedies and Red Bull, jot down a few eye wear essentials……

Check your glasses for loose screws and missing nose pads before we close down for the festivities. You don’t want to be plastered all over Facebook in sticky-taped specs! Most Opticians will be able to quickly and easily do minor maintenance and repairs while you wait. Make sure you know where your spare pair is, and if lots of relatives are piling through the door, make sure you know whose glasses belong to whom!

If you wear contact lenses, stock up on solution or extra disposable lenses. Storing lenses in a) water, b) eggnog, c) three year old vintage solution is not good for your eyes or the lenses themselves. Spending the day in A&E with an inflamed eye is not fun for anyone. If you have the slightest suggestion of an eye infection, take lenses out at once and find the nearest pharmacist for anti-biotic drops. Follow their advice and don’t wear lenses again until you’ve finished the course. You want red eyes over New Year’s Eve because you had a fantastic party time, not because your eyeballs are on fire!

If you use ready readers, invest in an extra pair and remember where you put them. Squinting at the instructions on an endless round of battery insertion isn’t fun and isn’t pretty. You’ll also need them to loan to hapless relatives who forgot theirs, because after reading the cracker contents of everyone around the table the joke wears a bit thin!

So a bit of forethought will have you seeing in the New Year after a very Happy Christmas, not peering helplessly at it!!

Varifocal Glasses

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Age Old Advice

Sunday, October 24th, 2010

If you’re at that awkward age when you’re suddenly mothering your own mother or taking on responsibility for an elderly relative, you may need some pointers as to how to help them enjoy happy twilight years with the healthiest possible sight. As with any other aspect of our lives, there are specific issues which affect the elderly when it comes to their glasses and their vision.

An eye examination is about more than the need for specs, so make sure you arrange regular check ups. Most opticians do home visits if the client is housebound. Generally the test should be every two years, or more often for Diabetics, Glaucoma sufferers, or for patients with early signs or symptoms of other eye diseases. Glasses can then be updated, and the optician needs to discuss the patient’s visual needs. For example – if they are housebound and their standard of vision is poor, then they won’t need a tint or Photochromic lenses. Clear lenses will maximise their sight and be safer in low light conditions. Or the patient may tell us they don’t need bifocals any more because they don’t read, but if they don’t have bifocals, will they see to cut their food up or take their medication? Needs may alter with age and the optician should take this into account when helping you and the patient to make a decision.

When you have the prescription you can get glasses made up anywhere, and choosing a frame and lenses online might be easier and cheaper. A spare pair is also useful, especially in residential care where specs can be mislaid. Stronger reading lenses may also be useful to maximise sight for close work, and again this may be an economical purchase over the internet.

Light is also of vital importance – a forty year old eye needs twice as much light as a twenty year old, a sixty year old three times as much. So even the most up to date glasses need good illumination to do the job. While natural light is always best, direct light from a reading lamp will help during the evening.

If sight problems go beyond help from specs, then referral to a Low Vision Aid Clinic or the Ophthalmologist for clinical procedures may be necessary. Some patients are wary of this kind of help and may be reluctant to go through with further treatments, but the end results may significantly improve their quality of life, so gentle encouragement is always worthwhile.

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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Muscle Power

Wednesday, July 21st, 2010

When we really think about how the human body works, muscles are seen as the power stores that drive us. Think of muscles and we visualize hard bodied sport’s men and women with sculpted bodies, perfect specimens of fitness and health. There are however some tiny muscles that most of us take for granted, which we use every waking moment in our visual system. They work tirelessly throughout the day to make our eyes work together and give us the gift of sight.

The movement of each eye ball is controlled by six muscles, called extra ocular muscles, which hold the eye in place and enable it to move. This gives us the maximum vision all around us, and helps both eyes to work together. Shut each eye individually and you’ll realize that you see a slightly different image with each eye, but by controlling the movements of both eyes and the brain then fusing the two images together, most of us don’t suffer from double vision.

Problems arise if your muscles don’t work together, and the eyes don’t turn together. Injury or disease such as stroke can cause difficulties with this, stopping the two eyes from co-ordinating their movements. Some of us are born with abnormalities in the length of a muscle, which means one eye is out of alignment. This can be corrected by surgery.

Opticians correct double vision by using a prism built into your spectacle lenses. The prism bends the light so that you only see one image. This can be put into one or both lenses, and usually we divide the prism up so that the weight is even across both lenses. We also use prisms that stick onto lenses sometimes, this allows us and you to experiment with the amount of prism needed, or correct a temporary problem. When you’re tired the double vision can be worse, as your eye muscles suffer from fatigue just like aching legs or arms! To prevent eye strain and overworking those busy eye muscles, always wear glasses if they have been prescribed, take breaks from close work at regular intervals, and visit your optician at once if you suddenly suffer from double vision. All less tiring than a visit to the gym!

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Need Some Assistance?

Monday, July 5th, 2010

All of the InternetGlassesCommpany team are experienced in practice and fully qualified in the different aspects of Optics. We have Opticians who verify prescriptions and follow up clinical queries, dispensing opticians who check the combinations of lens and frames and answer technical questions. Our workshop technicians make up the glasses and calculate lens curves, and optical assistants look after general queries and help out with every aspect of the business. If you’re itching to get out in the real world as soon as possible after school or want a change of career without having to gain a degree, then Optical Assistant may be a job you’d consider….

“The great thing about my job is the variety, both when I’m out in practice or working at the InternetGlassesCompany. It’s a blend of customer care and technical skills which make every day different. In practice, I pre-screen patients before the optician sees them, checking for signs of Glaucoma and using retinal imaging equipment. Training takes place in the practice, and it’s as much about how to communicate with patients as using the machinery. We don’t diagnose, our role is to help patients through the tests and make sure they’re comfortable with the process. I also help them to choose frames and lenses, under the watchful eye of the dispensing opticians of course! We’re not sales people, we’re advisors who want to help patients find the perfect specs for them. I also adjust glasses and fit them on patients when they collect a new pair. It can be a real Gok Wan moment when they’re transformed by a new frame!

I bring all of my knowledge from the practice to the InternetGlassesCompany, for a start having experienced real people I know how to set frames so they’ll be comfortable when they arrive in the post. Sometimes I contact patients if their frame choice is wrong for their lens power or pupil measurement, the dispensing optician and I discuss all queries and we like to take client cases and see them through to putting them in the post! I wouldn’t want to be involved in the InternetGlassesCompany if I didn’t work with real patients too, my face to face contact is invaluable for looking after my cyber space clients too! Most Optical Assistants are trained in practice, so keep a keen eye on situations vacant or check local opticians to see if they have job opportunities. You need to be computer literate and have GCSEs in useful subjects like maths and English – each optician may have their own criteria but these are general. People skills and a calm personality are also helpful, you’ll have to deal with all age groups and patients who might be nervous about seeing the optician. It’s worthwhile and no two days are the same – I love it – and you might too!”

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