If you have been experiencing blurred or distorted vision and have undergone an eye test, there is a good chance that your eye doctor has found that you require prescription eyewear. Refractive eye conditions are a very common occurrence, and you may be affected by one of four types…

• Myopia: Also known as short-sightedness. Patients can see objects close to them clearly, but those far away appear blurred. This is the most common type of refractive eye condition.

• Hyperopia: Also known as farsightedness. Patients can see objects far away clearly but struggle with things that require close visual attention such as reading or looking at a computer screen.

• Astigmatism: This occurs when a patient has a cornea that is shaped more like an American football than a soccer ball, causing the light to be refracted incorrectly and causing blurred vision.

• Presbyopia: Presbyopia is characterized as the normal loss of ability to focus on nearby objects that occurs with age. Typically, it begins to develop around the age of 40.

If this is the first time that you have required prescription eyewear, chances are that the first corrective solution you will try is prescription glasses.

About prescription glasses

You’ve undoubtedly seen countless people wearing glasses during your lifetime. What you probably don’t realize is that there are many different options when it comes to your glasses – and we aren’t just talking about the frames, although there are endless different options available.

There are many different types of lenses, both in terms of material and the type of visual solution they offer. If you have a single prescription then you will be able to have single vision lenses, which have one power covering the entire lens. However, if you need multiple prescriptions then you may need bifocal or varifocal lenses which combine different powers across the lens to prevent you from needing to change glasses.

In addition to lens types, you can also select from a range of tints and coatings, such as anti-scratch and anti-glare. After your eye exam, our experienced eye care team will be able to help you select the right glasses – and lenses – for you.

But, what about contact lenses?

There is certainly nothing to stop you from choosing contact lenses instead of glasses. Placed directly onto the eye, these work in exactly the same way, and like glasses, there are many different types of lens available. Some of the advantages of choosing contact lenses over glasses include:

• No need for maintenance visits as is often the case with glasses.

• Contacts are less likely to be damaged by accidents such as dropping them or sitting on them.

• You can wear contact lenses with protective eyewear such as goggles, which gives patients a greater range of activity opportunities.

• You don’t need to remember to take your glasses with you!
  
  

However, not all people find putting in and taking out contact lenses easy. They are small and fiddly, and if you choose a non-daily variety, you will need to undertake a comprehensive care routine every evening to keep your contacts in the best possible condition.

If you would like to know more about contact lenses, our experienced team would be happy to assist you.

Prescription sunglasses

It isn’t just our skin that is affected by exposure to sunlight. Protecting your eyes from the effects of harmful UV light is very important and failure to do can cause you to suffer from a range of problematic eye conditions, some of which that can have a permanent effect on your vision. These include cataracts, macular degeneration, and pterygium, a tissue growth that forms over the white part of the surface of the eye that can affect your vision.

By choosing sunglasses that offer 99% or more UV protection, you can protect your eyes, keeping them healthy and functioning properly. Fortunately, it is now possible to combine prescription lenses with sunglasses frames and tints to enable you to both see with complete clarity and precision and ensure that your eyes are adequately protected from the effects of the sun.

To inquire about prescription sunglasses, regular prescription glasses or contact lenses, or to schedule your eye exam to determine if you require a vision correction solution, please get in touch with our offices in Gainesville, FL today by calling 352-702-9700.