After struggling with blurry vision for years, I finally realized that it was time to consult with a professional. Simply put, I was tired of dealing with the struggles of acting like I could see when I really couldn't. It was embarrassing, and I just wanted to be able to participate like normal. I was nervous for the eye appointment, but my doctor was incredible. He walked me through every aspect of the exam and calmed my fears about permanent eye damage. This blog is all about working with an optometrist to get the vision experience that you really deserve.
If you need glasses or it's been a long time since you've had your prescription updated, getting a new pair could mean a big deal for your eyes. In fact, with the right coatings and lens materials, you could potentially be taking a big step to protect your vision now and in the future. Here are the three ways that your next pair of glasses could help to protect your vision.
UV Protection
UV rays are a big deal and one of the potential causes of macular degeneration. Macular degeneration is the most common cause of blindness in older adults. Unfortunately, while the disorder can be treated, it can't be cured. Avoiding it in the first place is ideal, and that's where your glasses can come in.
Sunglasses can help to protect your eyes when you're out in bright light, but what about the rest of the time? Some UV rays can penetrate through glass windows, meaning that you're still at risk indoors. Having a UV-protection coating on your glasses ensures that your eyes are protected all day long, not just when you're in direct sunlight.
Blue Light Protection
Blue light is another potential trigger of macular degeneration later in life. Blue light, unlike UV rays, typically come from electronics. So if you're reading this on a computer, phone, or really any other electronic with a screen, blue light is likely currently being beamed towards your face and eyes. Without protection, long-term exposure to blue light could increase your risk of developing macular degeneration. Thankfully, as with UV protection, most optometrists will gladly add a blue light filter to your lenses to ensure that as little of this light wavelength enters your eyes as possible.
Strain Elimination
Straining your eyes doesn't lead to long-term problems or blindness, but it can have an impact on your short-term vision. Straining for an excessively long time to see can make your vision blur, making it even harder to see. From here, the problem gets worse, as you're likely to continue squinting if your vision is blurry, and that can make your vision more blurry, repeating the cycle all over again.
There are a few potential causes of strain and squinting when you're using glasses. One might be that your glasses don't have an anti-reflective coating on them, meaning that your glasses get a reflection on them from any light coming towards your eyes. Alternatively, your vision prescription may be out of date. Whatever the cause, your optometrist can help you so that you don't have to squint and strain anymore.
These three things are all you need to help protect your eyes and prevent vision problems. Talk to an optometrist for an eye exam and to order your next pair of glasses right away.
Share24 June 2019
