A quick explanation and background of a progressive addition lens is necessary in order to understand the importance of choosing the proper lens for your needs.

A progressive lens gives people an array of prescriptions – placed in the proper positions throughout the lens – to best imitate normal vision. Imagine having the precise correction needed to see a television screen more than 15 feet from you, while reading this article on your desktop computer, and then looking down at your keyboard in order to start entering the address to your favorite website. This, in a nutshell, is exactly what the progressive lens is ideally capable of accomplishing with one pair of glasses.

Having the least amount of peripheral distortion, and one of the wider ranges in both distance power, astigmatism, prism, and add power availability, we find this lens to be very versatile. The most important thing to you is that this product feels very natural in front of your eye. For first-time progressive lens wearers, there is […]

Keratoconus is an eye disease in which the cornea deforms from its normally curved dome shaped and becomes cone shaped. Sometimes there is a flaw in the collagen, the material of the cornea that weakens and allows the cornea to stretch into an irregular cone shape.

The cornea is the clear tissue located at the front of the eye and it refracts and focuses light as it enters the eye. Therefore abnormalities of the corneal surfaces can severely distort vision.

Symptoms usually start in the teen years with near-sighteness and astigmatism which can often be treated with contact lenses or glasses. At the onset it can be difficult to detect.

It is first diagnosed when the cornea starts reveal progressive irregular distortion and eventually becomes to advance for conventional glasses or contact lenses to correct. At this critical point it is often treated with specially designed contact lenses to provide a smooth optical surface to focus light rays and impede progression of the bulging cone shape.

In some case keratoconus can progress to the point that […]

Glaucoma is a disease that affects the optic nerve. The disease causes the nerve cells at the front of the optic nerve to die, which leads to partial or total vision loss. The first two types of glaucoma occur with in an eye that has no structural deformities. They are called Open Angle and Normal Tension Glaucoma.

Open Angle glaucoma, also referred to as chronic glaucoma, normally develops after the age of 35 and is the most common form of glaucoma. It occurs when aqueous fluid builds up and causes the pressure inside your eye to increase. The fluid is not drained properly because of a clog in the trabecular meshwork, a sponge-like, porous tissue which drains fluid from the eye. This happens gradually, with no symptoms. It can lead to partial or total vision loss and can only be detected through routine eye examinations.

The second type of glaucoma affects a small percentage of people and is called Normal Tension glaucoma. It occurs with normal eye pressure and can be attributed to an unusually fragile […]

Glaucoma is a disease that affects the optic nerve. The disease causes optic nerve damage, which leads to partial or total vision loss. These two types of glaucoma both stem from a problem in the angle between the cornea and iris of the eye. They are called Narrow Angle and Closed Angle Glaucoma.

Narrow Angle glaucoma can develop either quickly or slowly and usually occurs in people with farsightedness. It occurs when the angle narrows causing the aqueous fluid to build up. This narrowing is caused by a bowing of the iris. Narrow Angle glaucoma can only be detected through routine eye examinations. It can cause vision loss and can also lead to an emergency condition called closed angle glaucoma.

Closed angle glaucoma, also called angle closure glaucoma, develops quickly and is a medical emergency. It occurs when the iris bows forward so much that the angle is completely closed. That means that no aqueous fluid can escape, which causes the pressure to build up rapidly. There are many symptoms associated with closed angle glaucoma such […]

Looking for the perfect sunglasses? If you drive or spend time outdoors, polarized lenses can give you clearer vision by enhancing contrast and eliminating glare.

Glare is caused when light bounces off a smooth surface. Problems from glare range from annoyance to eye strain to temporary blindness.

Light vibrates along all axis. But when light strikes a reflecting object, such as water or a highway, a high percent of light waves bounce off in similar horizontal angles.

Polarized lenses contain microscopic vertical lines that effectively cancel out the horizontal waves—thereby reducing glare.

Select a pair of polarized glasses from the display rack. Find a bright glare on the floor, or tabletop. Next, look at the glare through the glasses. The glare is gone. Rotate the glasses sideways while looking at the same glare. Now rotate back. You can clearly see the difference.

By reducing glare, polarized sunglasses will prevent strong light from damaging your eyes, reduce your eye strain, and improve the way you perceive colors and contrast.

Dry Eye Syndrome is characterized by itching, burning, gritty, red eyes. There are many causes for Dry Eye and, consequently there are many treatments.

Your tears serve many important functions. They wash out debris, keep your eyes moist and have special enzymes that neutralize microorganisms that colonize your eyes. Tears are made up of three layers, the lipid, aqueous and mucus layers. The lipid layer is the outer oily section, the aqueous layer is the watery middle part, and the mucus layer is the inner section closest to your cornea. The layers are produced by different glands in your eyelid and a problem with any of them can cause dry eye syndrome. If left untreated, dry eye can cause tissue damage and scarring of the cornea, leading to major vision problems.

There are many factors that can cause dry eyes. Age, certain medications, insufficient blinking, chemical composition of tears and environmental factors like sunlight, wind, dust and smoke. Dry Eye is also the number one complaint of people who wear contact lenses. With all of these […]

There are two basic types of astigmatism; myopia and hyperopia. These two types affect up to one third of the population and can be treated in a variety of ways from corrective lenses to surgery.

Myopia, or nearsightedness occurs when the eyeball is slightly longer than usual from front to back or the shape of the cornea is too steep. This causes the light entering the eye to come to a focus in front of the retina which results in a blurred distance vision.

Hyperopia, or farsightedness is the opposite of myopia. It occurs when the eyeball is slightly shorter than normal, or the shape of the cornea is too flat. This cause the light entering the eye to come to a focus behind the retina, which results in blurred near vision. Distance vision may also be blurred depending on the severity of hyperopia.

Computer Vision Syndrome, or CVS, is characterized by tired and sore eyes, headaches, neck and shoulder pain and general body fatigue. It is the number 1 complaint in the workplace and affects everyone who works on a computer.

CVS is brought on by the way the computer screen works. An image on the screen is made up of thousands of tiny colored squares called pixels. These pixels are constantly changing in color and brightness which causes your eyes to refocus. This constant refocusing is what causes the systems of computer vision syndrome.

The only sure fire method to prevent CVS is to wear specialty prescribed computer glasses. These can range from specialized multi-focal lenses to single focal lenses used specifically uses while using the computer.

However, you can also combat the effects of CVS simply by setting up your workspace. Place your computer screen approximately 20 to 40 inches away from your eyes, directly in front of you and position it so there is little to no glare on the screen. Make sure the screen height […]

The vitreous is a sac of jelly like substance that fills the eye, and gives it its shape. It is located behind the lens, and is attached to the retina.

As we get older, the vitreous shrinks in size causing it to tug on the retina. As a result, small clumps or particles may appear in the vitreous. Because they are suspended in this jelly like fluid, they often hang suspended and don’t float downward.

As light passes through the pupil and back onto the retina, some of the floaters may be located in this light path. If the light hits a floater, it will form a shadow on the back of the retina and may appear to you as a spot or bug moving around in your field of vision.

Sometimes when the shrinking vitreous tugs on the retina, it may cause you to see a flash of light. However, in rare instances, the retina may even tear from this tugging action causing a flash of light as well. This can be a serious condition […]

Glaucoma, often referred to as “the silent thief of sight”, can occur with no warning signs, pain or symptoms. It affects 3 million people in the United States and has caused blindness in over 120,000 people. Glaucoma cannot be cured, but if detected early can be managed to limit its effects.

Glaucoma usually occurs when there is an increase of pressure within your eye, but can occur with normal eye pressure as well. This pressure causes damage to the optic nerve, which is the weakest part of your eye, leading to decreased peripheral vision and possibly blindness.

Your eye is divided into two chambers, the anterior chamber at the front of the eye, and the posterior chamber at the back. A fluid, called the aqueous humor, is produced by the cilliary body and circulates between the two chambers to clean and nourish your eye. Once it reaches the edge of your iris it leaves the eye through an opening called the trabecular meshwork.

With glaucoma, more fluid is produced than can be removed, which leads to […]