​How Glasses Protect and Improve Vision

For the vast majority of Americans, glasses are an essential part of everyday life. Six (6) out of every ten (10) adults in the United States wear prescription and nonprescription glasses or use contact lenses. Finding the right glasses for your needs is very important because glasses not only improve our vision, but also protect our eyes. Also, glasses protect your eyes against many harmful factors:

Glasses Protect Our Eyes from UV Rays

UVA and UVB rays emitted from the sun, known as ultraviolet rays, cause numerous eye diseases. UVA rays are more effective than UVB rays in the formation of eye and skin disorders. Studies show that overexposure to UV rays facilitates the development of cataracts, eye and eyelid cancers, and pterygium (tissue on the cornea).

If you like snow sports, you need to be very careful, especially on sunny days because intense reflection of the sun’s rays on snow can cause snow blindness. Snow blindness refers to the burning of the tissue (cornea) on the surface of the eye. Although the effects of snow blindness are usually temporary, the affected person's vision is very poor and they experience severe pain in the process.

Another important point to remember is that there are significant UV rays around, even on cloudy days. Therefore, the best way to protect your eyes from the harmful effects of the sun rays is to wear sunglasses when you go out. So what should be considered when choosing sunglasses? The most important point to be sure of is that the sunglasses block the UV rays by 99 or 100 percent.

If there is an expression such as "UV absorption up to 400 nm" on the label on the sunglasses, it means close to 100 percent UV protection. The color and darkness of the lenses do not affect the absorption of UV rays. So getting the darkest sunshades doesn't mean these glasses are the best option.

Glasses Protect Our Eyes from Trauma

America's leading ophthalmologist experts state that they have encountered plenty of patients with work-related eye trauma that can be prevented with appropriate eye protection. More than 20,000 workplace-related eye conditions occur in the United States each year. While most eye disorders do not have serious consequences, some patients experience permanent vision loss or blindness.

Safety glasses or goggles should be worn at all times without exception, even in an environment that guarantees eye protection. Safety glasses should completely cover the eyes and there should be no openings at the sides. However, there are many incidents where glass or metal pieces passing through the thinnest opening of the protective glasses get stuck in the patient's eyes.

Safety glasses should be made of strong plastic material such as polycarbonate. Flimsy sunglasses do not protect the eyes from high-impact trauma, and broken parts of the sunglasses can cause further eye damage. In addition, it is necessary to use safety glasses when using a lawnmower or playing sports.

Glasses Improve Vision

Despite their tiring and intense work schedules, people aim to create a healthy lifestyle by taking time for themselves. Efforts are made to live a longer and healthier life by consuming healthy foods or exercising. But usually, not much time is spent maintaining or developing vision. However, the average person is very likely to experience far-sightedness, astigmatism, or near-sightedness.

In such a case, you will most likely need to start using prescription glasses. Additionally, by the age of 40, people begin to lose the ability to focus on nearby objects and have difficulty reading books or doing computer work. This condition is called presbyopia, and people with this condition should wear corrective lenses. The earliest symptom of presbyopia is the inability to read at a very close distance. This discomfort progresses by holding the book further away to read.

For some presbyopic patients, non-prescription reading glasses are suitable for close reading and handicrafts. However, most people need to wear multifocal lenses to correct far, near, and even intermediate vision. Non-prescription reading glasses and single vision lenses for only seeing nearby objects, cannot meet all the needs of these people. In such a case, people need a prescription for progressives, bifocals, or trifocals.

When Buying Glasses, Be Sure to Keep in Mind!

When buying glasses, invest in lenses as well and opt for lenses with anti-reflective and anti-scratch coatings. The anti-scratch coating feature extends the life of the lenses, while the anti-reflective coating feature minimizes sunlight damage and glare. Also, this feature improves vision by reducing reflection from the lenses. Opticians recommend that people who want progressive lenses do not buy lenses that have a small vertical distance and prevent comfortable reading.

Glasses are generally, the first thing noticed on a person's face. Therefore, glasses also play an important role in fashion. If it's economically viable, you can buy colored or fun glasses to feel good about yourself. Remember, not all eyewear stores are the same. A well-trained optician who makes your glasses can also recommend glasses that suit your facial structure and lifestyle.