Silicone Hydrogel Lenses

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Silicone Hydrogel Lenses

The development of contact lenses

Arguably the main preoccupation of contact lens developers over the years has been increasing oxygen permeability. If worn for an extended period of time, traditional contact lenses deprive the cornea of much-needed oxygen. Without adequate oxygen, the cornea dries out and can become inflamed, which is a condition known as keratitis. This can cause itchiness and pain, and in more severe cases, can impair vision and lead to long-term damage such as scarring. In the quest to find a longer lasting, comfortable contact lens, the ability to improve oxygen permeability is crucial. Thus, silicone hydrogel contact lenses have been a game-changer for all contact lens wearers.

Silicone Hydrogel

Soft contact lenses were first created in the 1960s, after the development of ‘hydrophilic gels’ or hydrogels. Problems of keratitis became more widespread with the introduction of extended wear contact lenses in the 90s because more people were wearing contact lenses for longer periods of time. This resulted in many people getting infections.

The first silicone hydrogel contact lenses were introduced to the public in 1999. This amazing new technology allowed up to seven times more oxygen to reach the cornea compared to traditional hydrogel lenses, meaning that for the first time extended wear contact lenses did not lead to an increased health risk.

Oxygen permeability

The higher permeability of silicone means that the oxygen permeability of silicone hydrogel lenses is not tied to the amount of water in the lens. For the wearer, this means increased comfort, and the ability to wear the lenses continuously for an extended period of time. Studies have also shown that any infections that do occur tend to be less severe than with traditional Hydrogel lenses.

Contact lenses for dry eyes

Whilst they are not perfect, there is no denying that Silicon Hydrogel represents a major step forward in contact lens technology, and it is no coincidence that the market has been heading in this direction for some years now. Whilst they may not be for everyone, almost any contact lens wearer is in a position to try them out, though we will always recommend that you consult your optician before switching your contact lenses. People who stand to benefit the most from Silicone Hydrogel contact lenses are those who tend to wear their lenses for more than twelve hours a day, particularly if they spend a lot of time in low humidity environments (offices with air-conditioning is one example of this). Patients with high prescriptions, or younger people who haven’t yet got the hang of their contact lens wear and maintenance routine, will also benefit, as will anyone who regularly experiences dryness, redness, or any other discomfort towards the end of a day wearing traditional contact lenses.

Silicone Hydrogel Contact lenses come in a variety of brands and different duration of wear. Many Silicone Hydrogel lenses have been approved for overnight wear for up to seven nights, and there are even pairs that can be worn for up to 30 nights continuously.

How to choose the right contact lenses

What are the differences between daily and monthly contact lenses? Choosing the right contact lenses for your needs comes down to two main things, your prescription and lifestyle.

Daily contact lenses are typically thinner than monthly contact lenses and have high water content. 1 day silicone hydrogel contact lenses should for example be word for around 12 hours a day and then removed overnight to let the eyes rehydrate. Residue from the eye easily build up and affects the quality of the lens. Therefore, daily contacts should be disposed of and not reused after wearing them. If you play sports or engage in outdoor activities, daily contact lenses may be the better option for you as the lenses are likely to be exposed to dirt and can be replaced daily.

Monthly lenses are thicker and durable, making them more long-lasting. They do not dry out as easily if properly taken care of and stored and can therefore be reused multiple times. Your vision correction needs is important when choosing contact prescription lenses. Since monthly contact lenses are made with a harder composition, they are more suitable for prescriptions that require higher magnification. If you have a complex prescription, monthly lenses are typically more suitable for you.

If you have sensitive or dry eyes, silicone hydrogel contact lenses are a good option and together with your eye doctor you can discuss the perfect fit for your needs.

At SmartBuyGlasses, we stock a wide range of the leading brands of silicone hydrogel lenses, including Acuvue Oasys, PureVision 2 and Air Optix. Check out all the silicone hydrogel lenses available on our website here.

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Silicone Hydrogel Lenses

The development of contact lenses

Arguably the main preoccupation of contact lens developers over the years has been increasing oxygen permeability. If worn for an extended period of time, traditional contact lenses deprive the cornea of much-needed oxygen. Without adequate oxygen, the cornea dries out and can become inflamed, which is a condition known as keratitis. This can cause itchiness and pain, and in more severe cases, can impair vision and lead to long-term damage such as scarring. In the quest to find a longer lasting, comfortable contact lens, the ability to improve oxygen permeability is crucial. Thus, silicone hydrogel contact lenses have been a game-changer for all contact lens wearers.

Silicone Hydrogel

Soft contact lenses were first created in the 1960s, after the development of ‘hydrophilic gels’ or hydrogels. Problems of keratitis became more widespread with the introduction of extended wear contact lenses in the 90s because more people were wearing contact lenses for longer periods of time. This resulted in many people getting infections.

The first silicone hydrogel contact lenses were introduced to the public in 1999. This amazing new technology allowed up to seven times more oxygen to reach the cornea compared to traditional hydrogel lenses, meaning that for the first time extended wear contact lenses did not lead to an increased health risk.

Oxygen permeability

The higher permeability of silicone means that the oxygen permeability of silicone hydrogel lenses is not tied to the amount of water in the lens. For the wearer, this means increased comfort, and the ability to wear the lenses continuously for an extended period of time. Studies have also shown that any infections that do occur tend to be less severe than with traditional Hydrogel lenses.

Contact lenses for dry eyes

Whilst they are not perfect, there is no denying that Silicon Hydrogel represents a major step forward in contact lens technology, and it is no coincidence that the market has been heading in this direction for some years now. Whilst they may not be for everyone, almost any contact lens wearer is in a position to try them out, though we will always recommend that you consult your optician before switching your contact lenses. People who stand to benefit the most from Silicone Hydrogel contact lenses are those who tend to wear their lenses for more than twelve hours a day, particularly if they spend a lot of time in low humidity environments (offices with air-conditioning is one example of this). Patients with high prescriptions, or younger people who haven’t yet got the hang of their contact lens wear and maintenance routine, will also benefit, as will anyone who regularly experiences dryness, redness, or any other discomfort towards the end of a day wearing traditional contact lenses.

Silicone Hydrogel Contact lenses come in a variety of brands and different duration of wear. Many Silicone Hydrogel lenses have been approved for overnight wear for up to seven nights, and there are even pairs that can be worn for up to 30 nights continuously.

How to choose the right contact lenses

What are the differences between daily and monthly contact lenses? Choosing the right contact lenses for your needs comes down to two main things, your prescription and lifestyle.

Daily contact lenses are typically thinner than monthly contact lenses and have high water content. 1 day silicone hydrogel contact lenses should for example be word for around 12 hours a day and then removed overnight to let the eyes rehydrate. Residue from the eye easily build up and affects the quality of the lens. Therefore, daily contacts should be disposed of and not reused after wearing them. If you play sports or engage in outdoor activities, daily contact lenses may be the better option for you as the lenses are likely to be exposed to dirt and can be replaced daily.

Monthly lenses are thicker and durable, making them more long-lasting. They do not dry out as easily if properly taken care of and stored and can therefore be reused multiple times. Your vision correction needs is important when choosing contact prescription lenses. Since monthly contact lenses are made with a harder composition, they are more suitable for prescriptions that require higher magnification. If you have a complex prescription, monthly lenses are typically more suitable for you.

If you have sensitive or dry eyes, silicone hydrogel contact lenses are a good option and together with your eye doctor you can discuss the perfect fit for your needs.

At SmartBuyGlasses, we stock a wide range of the leading brands of silicone hydrogel lenses, including Acuvue Oasys, PureVision 2 and Air Optix. Check out all the silicone hydrogel lenses available on our website here.

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How to Reduce and Prevent Eye Strain

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How to Reduce and Prevent Eye Strain

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Eye strain often occurs when you use your eyes to focus on something for a long period of time. Eye fatigue is a result of tired eye muscles and while it does not cause any damage to your eye health, it can often be uncomfortable and make participating in everyday tasks difficult. Read on to discover the steps you can take to prevent and reduce eye strain now.

Eye strain causes

There are many factors to consider when trying to determine what is causing your eyes to strain. If you spend a lot of time at the computer, you might be suffering from digital eye strain. Eye fatigue can also be caused by reading, working in poorly lit rooms, or almost any task that requires consecutive hours of visual concentration. The most important step to take first is determining what activity is causing the problem so you can look for ways to prevent your eye strain from reoccurring. 

Prevent or reduce digital eye strain

If you have eye strain and work at the computer or regularly spend more than one hour at a time on digital devices, it’s possible that you’re experiencing digital eye strain, also known as computer vision syndrome (CVS). Reducing glare from your screen is one way to prevent digital eye strain while at the computer. 

Blue light glasses are designed to block your screen’s blue light emission which is harmful to the eyes and can be responsible for eye fatigue. SmartBuyGlasses has a wide selection of the best glasses to protect eyes from your computer screen, including these Blue Rachel Computer Glasses and these clear frame Blue Kennedy Computer Glasses. 

Eye strain relief

One of the simplest ways to achieve rapid eye strain relief is to take a break from focusing your sight on the task at hand and allowing your eye muscles to relax. While it may seem obvious, you should also remind yourself to blink often. This is because when we focus our eyes for a long period of time we can, unintentionally, stop blinking as often as we should. When you first notice you’re experiencing eye strain, the best thing to do is to step away, relax your focus, and blink. 

Night driving glasses to reduce eye strain

If you notice you tend to get eye strain when you drive at night, this could be the result of light glare from oncoming traffic and street lights. Anti-glare coating on your glasses could protect you from this type of eye strain when you are driving late. SmartBuyGlasses’ Arise collection comes with free anti-glare lenses on the most popular styles such as these Arise clear frame glasses.

Eye strain headaches

Eye strain is a common complaint among migraine patients. If you experience eye strain due to migraine headaches, this could be caused by photophobia, also known as light sensitivity. In this case, you should consider a pair of polarized sunglasses. Polarized glasses are designed to block harmful rays from entering the eye and causing conditions that might lead to eye strain. Read more about how polarized lenses work. 

Eye strain due to headaches could also be a sign that you might need vision correction. If your eyes are working harder than they should be to see things near or far, this could lead to eye fatigue and even headaches. Adults are recommended to have an eye test every two years, and children once a year. 

Other ways to reduce eye strain

There are other ways for you to reduce eye strain and better protect your eyes that do not always involve wearing protective eyewear. This includes making sure you are working under well-lit conditions, limiting your time on digital devices, putting ideal distance between you and your screen, and taking regular breaks when focusing on a task. 

Find out how eye strain can lead to dry eye syndrome and what you can do to prevent or treat it. 

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How to Reduce and Prevent Eye Strain

Eye strain often occurs when you use your eyes to focus on something for a long period of time. Eye fatigue is a result of tired eye muscles and while it does not cause any damage to your eye health, it can often be uncomfortable and make participating in everyday tasks difficult. Read on to discover the steps you can take to prevent and reduce eye strain now.

Eye strain causes

There are many factors to consider when trying to determine what is causing your eyes to strain. If you spend a lot of time at the computer, you might be suffering from digital eye strain. Eye fatigue can also be caused by reading, working in poorly lit rooms, or almost any task that requires consecutive hours of visual concentration. The most important step to take first is determining what activity is causing the problem so you can look for ways to prevent your eye strain from reoccurring. 

Prevent or reduce digital eye strain

If you have eye strain and work at the computer or regularly spend more than one hour at a time on digital devices, it’s possible that you’re experiencing digital eye strain, also known as computer vision syndrome (CVS). Reducing glare from your screen is one way to prevent digital eye strain while at the computer. 

Blue light glasses are designed to block your screen’s blue light emission which is harmful to the eyes and can be responsible for eye fatigue. SmartBuyGlasses has a wide selection of the best glasses to protect eyes from your computer screen, including these Blue Rachel Computer Glasses and these clear frame Blue Kennedy Computer Glasses. 

Eye strain relief

One of the simplest ways to achieve rapid eye strain relief is to take a break from focusing your sight on the task at hand and allowing your eye muscles to relax. While it may seem obvious, you should also remind yourself to blink often. This is because when we focus our eyes for a long period of time we can, unintentionally, stop blinking as often as we should. When you first notice you’re experiencing eye strain, the best thing to do is to step away, relax your focus, and blink. 

Night driving glasses to reduce eye strain

If you notice you tend to get eye strain when you drive at night, this could be the result of light glare from oncoming traffic and street lights. Anti-glare coating on your glasses could protect you from this type of eye strain when you are driving late. SmartBuyGlasses’ Arise collection comes with free anti-glare lenses on the most popular styles such as these Arise clear frame glasses.

Eye strain headaches

Eye strain is a common complaint among migraine patients. If you experience eye strain due to migraine headaches, this could be caused by photophobia, also known as light sensitivity. In this case, you should consider a pair of polarized sunglasses. Polarized glasses are designed to block harmful rays from entering the eye and causing conditions that might lead to eye strain. Read more about how polarized lenses work. 

Eye strain due to headaches could also be a sign that you might need vision correction. If your eyes are working harder than they should be to see things near or far, this could lead to eye fatigue and even headaches. Adults are recommended to have an eye test every two years, and children once a year. 

Other ways to reduce eye strain

There are other ways for you to reduce eye strain and better protect your eyes that do not always involve wearing protective eyewear. This includes making sure you are working under well-lit conditions, limiting your time on digital devices, putting ideal distance between you and your screen, and taking regular breaks when focusing on a task. 

Find out how eye strain can lead to dry eye syndrome and what you can do to prevent or treat it. 

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What to Do About Watery Eyes

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What to Do About Watery Eyes

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Causes of Watery Eyes

Watery eyes, also known as teary eyes or weeping eyes, is a common complaint for people of all ages. Watery eyes are especially common for infants, as their tear duct can be slow to fully develop and open. A tear duct is a small tube that allows your tears to drain from your eyes to your nose. Adults can also have problems with their tear duct, such as a blockage, which will result in itchy watery eyes. Other common causes of watery eyes include seasonal allergies, viral infections, foreign objects in the eye, some medications, aging, and even dry eyes.

Watery Eyes Treatment

Your watery eyes treatment will depend largely on the cause. While teary eyes are not uncommon, you should always speak with your eye care professional when you have doubts, especially if you experience excessive or prolonged tearing.

• Foreign Object: If there is a foreign object in your eye, such as an ingrown eyelash, your doctor will remove it and that should solve your watery eye problem.

• Bacterial Infection:In cases of a bacterial infection, such as pink eye, your doctor may prescribe you some form of antibiotics.

• Blocked Tear Duct: If you have a blocked tear duct, your eye care professional may perform an outpatient procedure to help flush it out with a saline solution.

• Seasonal Allergies: If you have watery eyes due to seasonal allergies, you might want to consider getting a pair of protective sunglasses while you are outdoors.

• ​Dry Eyes: If your watery eyes are a symptom of dry eyes, you might be prescribed eye drops to help solve the dry eyes and eliminate the symptoms.

How to Put in Eye Drops

While the thought of putting in eye drops can scare some people, it is actually a rather simple process. When you are prescribed eye drops for watery eyes, your doctor should give you specific instructions on how to apply eye drops. If you’re still now sure how to put in eye drops, you can follow these simple instructions, always keeping in mind that the instructions may vary depending on your specific condition.

1. Wash your hands:Whenever you do anything that involves close contact between your eyes and your hands, you should make sure your hands are clean of germs and bacteria to avoid infections.

2. Take out contact lenses:If you wear contacts you should always take them out before using eye drops unless your doctor has specifically instructed you to leave them in.

3. Tilt head back and look up: This is the first step to creating space between your lower eyelid and your eyeball, where the drops will go.

4. Pull lower eyelid down with one hand:This is the final step to creating a pocket where your eye drops will go.

5. Squeeze drops over eyelid pocket: You should have specific instructions on how many eye drops for watery eyes you should put in at one time.

Repeat these steps on the other eye only if instructed to do so. If you only have one watery eye, this may not be necessary.

After you Put in Eye Drops for Watery Eyes

Always be sure that when you use eye drops for watery eyes, you do not touch the actual bottle to any part of your eye. The eyes are very delicate and doing so could risk scratching the cornea or spreading germs. When you’re learning how to use eye drops, it is important to remember that once they have been applied, you should close your eyes, rather than blink. This will stop the eye drops for watery eyes from escaping before they have a chance to be effective. Lastly, you should wipe any unabsorbed drops with a tissue and wash your hands.

For better eye health, read about what foods can protect your eyes, or vitamins that are good for your eye health.

Ask the Optician

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What to Do About Watery Eyes

Causes of Watery Eyes

Watery eyes, also known as teary eyes or weeping eyes, is a common complaint for people of all ages. Watery eyes are especially common for infants, as their tear duct can be slow to fully develop and open. A tear duct is a small tube that allows your tears to drain from your eyes to your nose. Adults can also have problems with their tear duct, such as a blockage, which will result in itchy watery eyes. Other common causes of watery eyes include seasonal allergies, viral infections, foreign objects in the eye, some medications, aging, and even dry eyes.

Watery Eyes Treatment

Your watery eyes treatment will depend largely on the cause. While teary eyes are not uncommon, you should always speak with your eye care professional when you have doubts, especially if you experience excessive or prolonged tearing.

• Foreign Object:If there is a foreign object in your eye, such as an ingrown eyelash, your doctor will remove it and that should solve your watery eye problem.

• Bacterial Infection:In cases of a bacterial infection, such aspink eye, your doctor may prescribe you some form of antibiotics.

• Blocked Tear Duct:If you have a blocked tear duct, your eye care professional may perform an outpatient procedure to help flush it out with a saline solution.

• Seasonal Allergies:If you have watery eyes due to seasonal allergies, you might want to consider getting a pair ofprotective sunglasses while you are outdoors.

• ​Dry Eyes:If your watery eyes are a symptom of dry eyes, you might be prescribed eye drops to help solve the dry eyes and eliminate the symptoms.

How to Put in Eye Drops

While the thought of putting in eye drops can scare some people, it is actually a rather simple process. When you are prescribed eye drops for watery eyes, your doctor should give you specific instructions on how to apply eye drops. If you’re still now sure how to put in eye drops, you can follow these simple instructions, always keeping in mind that the instructions may vary depending on your specific condition.

  1. Wash your hands:Whenever you do anything that involves close contact between your eyes and your hands, you should make sure your hands are clean of germs and bacteria to avoid infections.
  2. Take out contact lenses:If you wearcontacts you should always take them out before using eye drops unless your doctor has specifically instructed you to leave them in.
  3. Tilt head back and look up: This is the first step to creating space between your lower eyelid and your eyeball, where the drops will go.
  4. Pull lower eyelid down with one hand:This is the final step to creating a pocket where your eye drops will go.
  5. Squeeze drops over eyelid pocket: You should have specific instructions on how many eye drops for watery eyes you should put in at one time.

Repeat these steps on the other eye only if instructed to do so. If you only have one watery eye, this may not be necessary.

After you Put in Eye Drops for Watery Eyes

Always be sure that when you use eye drops for watery eyes, you do not touch the actual bottle to any part of your eye. The eyes are very delicate and doing so could risk scratching the cornea or spreading germs. When you’re learning how to use eye drops, it is important to remember that once they have been applied, you should close your eyes, rather than blink. This will stop the eye drops for watery eyes from escaping before they have a chance to be effective. Lastly, you should wipe any unabsorbed drops with a tissue and wash your hands.

For better eye health, read about what foods can protect your eyes, or vitamins that are good for your eye health.

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What Vitamins Are Good for Your Eyes?

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What Vitamins Are Good for Your Eyes?

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There are some vitamins that are good for your eyesight, allowing you to increase your chances of healthy vision as you age. One way to get the necessary recommended dose of vitamins is to incorporate foods that are rich with vitamins into your everyday diet. Another way to get the best vitamins for your eyesight is through vitamin supplements, though this should be regulated as too much of any vitamin can be dangerous for your overall health. Read on to learn about the best vitamins to take for your eyesight.

Vitamin A: Best vitamin for eyesight

Beta Carotene is transformed in the body into what we know as Vitamin A. Vitamin A is one of many vitamins essential for good eyesight, as well as maintaining a strong immune system. Retinal is a form of vitamin A that is used by the retina to absorb low light and provide color vision. This vitamin can be found in many foods including carrots, spinach, onions, and eggs. Vitamin A can also increase your ability to see at night.

Appropriate levels of Vitamin A

The body only converts as much Beta Carotene as it needs into Vitamin A. Excessively high levels of Vitamin A can be toxic to the body, as almost anything in excess can be. It is important to note that vitamin supplements include vitamin A in the form of retinal and not Beta Carotene and therefore taking too many can put you at risk of toxic levels of vitamin A.

Vitamin E: Vitamins that are good for your eyes

Vitamin E is another one of the best vitamins for your eyes. Vitamin E dissolves in fat, making it possible to find it in cereals, capiscums, almonds, nuts, avocados, and spinach. Vitamin E is known to reduce the risks of cataracts as you age. Cataracts are a condition where the eye lense becomes hazy, resulting in blurry vision. Vitamin E is believed to protect the eye cells from unstable molecules that break down healthy eye tissue and can lead to conditions such as cataracts. 

Benefits of Vitamin E and C Team-Up

Vitamin E and C are some of the best vitamins for your eyes. If you combine foods that are rich with vitamin E and foods rich with vitamin C, you can create a natural eye supplement to offer your eyes optimal protection against vision impairment risks that increase with age. Your body does not create vitamin E or C and that is why it is essential to incorporate foods that are rich in these vitamins into your everyday diet.

Vitamin C: Vitamins to help eyesight 

Vitamin C is water soluble and can be found in fruits and vegetables such as kale, eggs, cos lettuce, citrus fruits, and tomatoes. Vitamin C, like E, is believed to reduce the risk of cataracts. Your body only takes in as much vitamin C as it needs, so taking more than the daily recommendation is not going to improve your vision. 

Cortical and Nuclear Cataract

Cortical cataracts start on the periphery of the lense and make their way to the center. Nuclear cataracts occur in the nucleus of the eye lens, or the center. As an antioxidant, vitamin C helps protect against oxidative damage such as cortical and nuclear cataracts making it the best vitamin for eyesight for those at high risk of cataracts. In some cases, vitamin C is believed to reduce your risk of cataracts by up to 33%!

Other foods with the Best Vitamins for Your Eyes

Berries and strawberries are other fruits that contain high levels of antioxidants to fight against oxidative damage to the eye tissue. Leafy greens are abundant in vitamins that are good for your eyes. Eggs and dark chocolate are unexpected (but delightful!) places to find vitamins that are good for your eyes, as their fatty acids and antioxidants make them rich with necessary vitamins.

In order to get the best vitamins for your eyes, you should watch your diet and make sure that the food you consume is giving you the daily recommendation of vitamin A, E, and C. If you want to learn about more foods to incorporate into your diet for good eye health, discover them here.

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What Vitamins Are Good for Your Eyes?

There are some vitamins that are good for your eyesight, allowing you to increase your chances of healthy vision as you age. One way to get the necessary recommended dose of vitamins is to incorporate foods that are rich with vitamins into your everyday diet. Another way to get the best vitamins for your eyesight is through vitamin supplements, though this should be regulated as too much of any vitamin can be dangerous for your overall health. Read on to learn about the best vitamins to take for your eyesight.

Vitamin A: Best vitamin for eyesight

Beta Carotene is transformed in the body into what we know as Vitamin A. Vitamin A is one of many vitamins essential for good eyesight, as well as maintaining a strong immune system. Retinal is a form of vitamin A that is used by the retina to absorb low light and provide color vision. This vitamin can be found in many foods including carrots, spinach, onions, and eggs. Vitamin A can also increase your ability to see at night.

Appropriate levels of Vitamin A

The body only converts as much Beta Carotene as it needs into Vitamin A. Excessively high levels of Vitamin A can be toxic to the body, as almost anything in excess can be. It is important to note that vitamin supplements include vitamin A in the form of retinal and not Beta Carotene and therefore taking too many can put you at risk of toxic levels of vitamin A.

Vitamin E: Vitamins that are good for your eyes

Vitamin E is another one of the best vitamins for your eyes. Vitamin E dissolves in fat, making it possible to find it in cereals, capiscums, almonds, nuts, avocados, and spinach. Vitamin E is known to reduce the risks of cataracts as you age. Cataracts are a condition where the eye lense becomes hazy, resulting in blurry vision. Vitamin E is believed to protect the eye cells from unstable molecules that break down healthy eye tissue and can lead to conditions such as cataracts. 

Benefits of Vitamin E and C Team-Up

Vitamin E and C are some of the best vitamins for your eyes. If you combine foods that are rich with vitamin E and foods rich with vitamin C, you can create a natural eye supplement to offer your eyes optimal protection against vision impairment risks that increase with age. Your body does not create vitamin E or C and that is why it is essential to incorporate foods that are rich in these vitamins into your everyday diet.

Vitamin C: Vitamins to help eyesight 

Vitamin C is water soluble and can be found in fruits and vegetables such as kale, eggs, cos lettuce, citrus fruits, and tomatoes. Vitamin C, like E, is believed to reduce the risk of cataracts. Your body only takes in as much vitamin C as it needs, so taking more than the daily recommendation is not going to improve your vision. 

Cortical and Nuclear Cataract

Cortical cataracts start on the periphery of the lense and make their way to the center. Nuclear cataracts occur in the nucleus of the eye lens, or the center. As an antioxidant, vitamin C helps protect against oxidative damage such as cortical and nuclear cataracts making it the best vitamin for eyesight for those at high risk of cataracts. In some cases, vitamin C is believed to reduce your risk of cataracts by up to 33%!

Other foods with the Best Vitamins for Your Eyes

Berries and strawberries are other fruits that contain high levels of antioxidants to fight against oxidative damage to the eye tissue. Leafy greens are abundant in vitamins that are good for your eyes. Eggs and dark chocolate are unexpected (but delightful!) places to find vitamins that are good for your eyes, as their fatty acids and antioxidants make them rich with necessary vitamins.

In order to get the best vitamins for your eyes, you should watch your diet and make sure that the food you consume is giving you the daily recommendation of vitamin A, E, and C. If you want to learn about more foods to incorporate into your diet for good eye health, discover them here.

How To Get Rid Of A Stye

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How To Get Rid Of A Stye

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What is a stye?

A stye is a red bump near the eye that can resemble a pimple inside eyelid, or more commonly, outside the eyelid. Styes are also known as a hordeolum. Styes are typically puss filled and can cause discomfort or swelling near the eye. While not usually an indicator of a serious medical condition, you should see your eye care professional if the stye does not go away on its own.

Stye Causes and Symptoms

Styes are caused by an infection of the oil gland around the eye. Styes are a lot like chalazions which look the same, but usually indicate a non-infected swelling of the oil gland.

Stye symptoms can include a red pump near the eyelid, or eyelid pain. This pain can increase when you touch the infected area. You may also experience swelling or tearing of the eye. You could get a stye on upper eyelid or a stye on lower eyelid. Finally, you could have a stye on the outside of your eyelid (external hordeolum) or on the inside.

How to Get Rid of a Stye

Styes typically go away on their own in a couple days. However, your eye care professional might prescribe stye medication such as eye drops or an antibiotic cream to help get rid of a stye fast. If the infection has spread beyond the eyelid, they might prescribe a stye medication antibiotic in tablet or pill form. If it persists, you should seek medical attention.

Stye Relief

While there often isn’t much to do but wait when it comes to how to get rid of a stye, there are a few things to try to relieve the pain. While these home remedies are sure to bring you some stye relief, there are people who claim these methods could also help you get rid of a stye:

• Wash with Soap and Water:washing the area of the stye with soap and water to gently remove any eye drainage.

• Apply Wet Washcloth:apply a warm, wet washcloth over the stye to help relieve the pain. Make sure the water is warm and not too hot, to avoid irritating the area further.

• Don’t try to pop it:popping a stye could cause the infection to spread to other areas of your face.

• Avoid Contact Lenses:try not to wear contacts until your stye clears up as it could spread infection to your eye. Don’t have a pair of backup glasses? Shop SmartBuyGlasses’ collection of designer eyewear today for cheap prescription glasses delivered right to your door.

Be sure to check out this video on how to get used to your new glasses, or learn more about how to properly clean your contact lenses.

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How To Get Rid Of A Stye

What is a stye?

A stye is a red bump near the eye that can resemble a pimple inside eyelid, or more commonly, outside the eyelid. Styes are also known as a hordeolum. Styes are typically puss filled and can cause discomfort or swelling near the eye. While not usually an indicator of a serious medical condition, you should see your eye care professional if the stye does not go away on its own.

Stye Causes and Symptoms

Styes are caused by an infection of the oil gland around the eye. Styes are a lot like chalazions which look the same, but usually indicate a non-infected swelling of the oil gland.

Stye symptoms can include a red pump near the eyelid, or eyelid pain. This pain can increase when you touch the infected area. You may also experience swelling or tearing of the eye. You could get a stye on upper eyelid or a stye on lower eyelid. Finally, you could have a stye on the outside of your eyelid (external hordeolum) or on the inside.

How to Get Rid of a Stye

Styes typically go away on their own in a couple days. However, your eye care professional might prescribe stye medication such as eye drops or an antibiotic cream to help get rid of a stye fast. If the infection has spread beyond the eyelid, they might prescribe a stye medication antibiotic in tablet or pill form. If it persists, you should seek medical attention.

Stye Relief

While there often isn’t much to do but wait when it comes to how to get rid of a stye, there are a few things to try to relieve the pain. While these home remedies are sure to bring you some stye relief, there are people who claim these methods could also help you get rid of a stye:

• Wash with Soap and Water:washing the area of the stye with soap and water to gently remove any eye drainage.

• Apply Wet Washcloth:apply a warm, wet washcloth over the stye to help relieve the pain. Make sure the water is warm and not too hot, to avoid irritating the area further.

• Don’t try to pop it:popping a stye could cause the infection to spread to other areas of your face.

• Avoid Contact Lenses:try not to wear contacts until your stye clears up as it could spread infection to your eye. Don’t have a pair of backup glasses? Shop SmartBuyGlasses’ collection of designer eyewear today for cheap prescription glasses delivered right to your door.

Be sure to check out this video on how to get used to your new glasses, or learn more about how to properly clean your contact lenses.

The Best Eye Health Supplements

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The Best Eye Health Supplements

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The human body is complex, and the eye especially so. In order to function properly, your eyes need care. Part of that comes from the vitamins and supplements you eat or drink. Use this guide to see which are the best vitamins for eyes and what kind of supplements you can add to your diet to maintain your eye health.

While tablets are always an option for upping your vitamin intake, the best way is always natural – there are so many good foods out there that can better your eye health. This list is chock-full of natural solutions to supplement your eye health.

Vitamins:

Vitamin A is important for ensuring your eyes are adjusted to low light settings. Famously, carrots are supposed to boost your night vision! While this claim isn’t exactly scientifically substantiated, carrots (as well as pumpkin, sweet potato, kale and cod liver oil) do contain a good amount of Vitamin A.

Vitamin B1 reduces inflammation, and there is some evidence to suggest that it may help prevent cataracts. Obviously, claims like this must be taken with a pinch of salt, but there’s no harm in adding extra vitamins to your diet where you can. If you’re looking for Vitamin B-rich foods, try wholesome ingredients like whole grains, eggs, almonds, avocados and spinach.

Vitamin C helps maintain the collagen in your cornea, the capillaries in your retina, and reduces the risk of cataracts. You may already be familiar with some foods that contain Vitamin C like citrus fruits, but it’s worth looking elsewhere too. Berries, broccoli, peppers and kiwi fruit are all jam-packed with Vitamin C!

Vitamin E, like some of the other vitamins on this list, allegedly helps to reduce the risk of macular degeneration and cataracts. When taken with selenium, your body can quickly absorb it – luckily, some superfoods contain both! For supplements full of Vitamin E, try Brazil nuts, seafood, whole grain cereals and sunflower seeds (though maybe not all at the same time).

Dietary Supplements:

Omega-3 Fatty Acids are believed to be particularly important in the development of vision in infants, alongside helping to drain intraocular fluid from our eyes – reducing the danger of high eye pressure and glaucoma. They also reduce the chances of getting dry eyes. Most commonly found in seafood, the best place to find omega-3 is in oily fish like salmon, mackerel and sardines.

Zinc can help out with your body’s absorption of Vitamin A – meaning it’s a pretty good dietary supplement if you’re looking to boost your eye health. Zinc is found in seafood, beef, eggs, tofu, beans, nuts and whole grain cereals. It’s a fundamental component of our immune systems, so incorporate it into your diet, but try to steer clear of overdoing it with extra supplements as an excess can get you into some difficulties down the road.

Lutein and Zeaxanthin are carotenoids, i.e. pigments found in plants and in your retina. Supplementing these pigments helps increase their density in your retina. They also absorb excess amounts of harmful blue and UV light. If you want some great lutein boosters, start from the ground up – dark leafy greens, peas, summer squash, pumpkin, brussels sprouts, broccoli and asparagus are all great naturally occurring sources that can really help!

Herbal Supplements are also a great way of getting in some extra nutrients – green tea is great for Vitamin C and E, chrysanthemum flowers are known for their Vitamin B levels, and wolfberries are known to improve eyesight, moisten dry eyes and prevent macular degeneration.

If you’re interested in learning more about the best foods to eat for eye health, read our article about the best foods you can eat to help your eyes! Still curious about more vitamins for eye health? Discover more here.

Ask the Optician

ASK NOW

The Best Eye Health Supplements

The human body is complex, and the eye especially so. In order to function properly, your eyes need care. Part of that comes from the vitamins and supplements you eat or drink. Use this guide to see which are the best vitamins for eyes and what kind of supplements you can add to your diet to maintain your eye health.

While tablets are always an option for upping your vitamin intake, the best way is always natural – there are so many good foods out there that can better your eye health. This list is chock-full of natural solutions to supplement your eye health.

Vitamins:

Vitamin A is important for ensuring your eyes are adjusted to low light settings. Famously, carrots are supposed to boost your night vision! While this claim isn’t exactly scientifically substantiated, carrots (as well as pumpkin, sweet potato, kale and cod liver oil) do contain a good amount of Vitamin A.

Vitamin B1 reduces inflammation, and there is some evidence to suggest that it may help prevent cataracts. Obviously, claims like this must be taken with a pinch of salt, but there’s no harm in adding extra vitamins to your diet where you can. If you’re looking for Vitamin B-rich foods, try wholesome ingredients like whole grains, eggs, almonds, avocados and spinach.

Vitamin C helps maintain the collagen in your cornea, the capillaries in your retina, and reduces the risk of cataracts. You may already be familiar with some foods that contain Vitamin C like citrus fruits, but it’s worth looking elsewhere too. Berries, broccoli, peppers and kiwi fruit are all jam-packed with Vitamin C!

Vitamin E, like some of the other vitamins on this list, allegedly helps to reduce the risk of macular degeneration and cataracts. When taken with selenium, your body can quickly absorb it – luckily, some superfoods contain both! For supplements full of Vitamin E, try Brazil nuts, seafood, whole grain cereals and sunflower seeds (though maybe not all at the same time).

Dietary Supplements:

Omega-3 Fatty Acids are believed to be particularly important in the development of vision in infants, alongside helping to drain intraocular fluid from our eyes – reducing the danger of high eye pressure and glaucoma. They also reduce the chances of getting dry eyes. Most commonly found in seafood, the best place to find omega-3 is in oily fish like salmon, mackerel and sardines.

Zinc can help out with your body’s absorption of Vitamin A – meaning it’s a pretty good dietary supplement if you’re looking to boost your eye health. Zinc is found in seafood, beef, eggs, tofu, beans, nuts and whole grain cereals. It’s a fundamental component of our immune systems, so incorporate it into your diet, but try to steer clear of overdoing it with extra supplements as an excess can get you into some difficulties down the road.

Lutein and Zeaxanthin are carotenoids, i.e. pigments found in plants and in your retina. Supplementing these pigments helps increase their density in your retina. They also absorb excess amounts of harmful blue and UV light. If you want some great lutein boosters, start from the ground up – dark leafy greens, peas, summer squash, pumpkin, brussels sprouts, broccoli and asparagus are all great naturally occurring sources that can really help!

Herbal Supplements are also a great way of getting in some extra nutrients – green tea is great for Vitamin C and E, chrysanthemum flowers are known for their Vitamin B levels, and wolfberries are known to improve eyesight, moisten dry eyes and prevent macular degeneration.

If you’re interested in learning more about the best foods to eat for eye health, read our article about the best foods you can eat to help your eyes! Still curious about more vitamins for eye health? Discover more here.

EnChroma Glasses for the Colour Blind

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EnChroma Glasses for the Colour Blind

What Are EnChroma Glasses?

EnChroma glasses are lenses that have been specifically engineered for people suffering from colour blindness. The colour blind glasses allow them to see a wider spectrum of bright colour. The innovation has been proven to help 80% of people with colour-blindness. They are essentially made up of a lens technology that features a patented light filter. This is applied incredibly carefully, and primarily targets red-green colour-blindness, which is the most common kind. It is worth noting that EnChroma glasses are not quite a cure for colour-blindness. An eye exam from a professional optician is required to establish whether it is possible to have the condition treated.

To help understand the use of Enchroma glasses, let’s take a look at what colour-blindness is.

Normal Colour Vision:

White light is actually made up of the different colours of the rainbow. When it enters the eye, three different parts of the visible spectrum are recognised: blue, green and red. The colours are picked up by colour-sensitive photoreceptors found within photopigments.

Colour-Blind Vision

The most common form of colour-blindness occurs when the green and red colour receptors overlap. This makes the two colours hard to distinguish for the viewer. In the worst cases, the various shades of a hue can be reduced by up to 90%.

Who Are EnChroma Glasses For?

Red-green colour-blindness is the most frequently found form of the condition. It affects just under 5% of the global population, which represents about 350 million people. However, men are more likely to suffer from colour-blindness than women. It is estimated that around one in twelve men experience difficulties distinguishing red from green, compared to just one in 200 women. This is caused by the way our genetics work, with the genes for colour-blindness appearing on the X-chromosome. Consequently, the condition is passed on by women, but rarely affects them.

As for colour-blindness between blue and yellow, this is thought to affect a similar number of people around the world as red-green colour-blindness. However, rather than occurring at birth, this form of the condition tends to worsen over time. As a result, the number of cases of blue-yellow blindness is increasing thanks to our ageing population.

Other types of colour-blindness do exist, but they are so rare that they only impact 1 in 2000 people. Nevertheless, this can vary between different subpopulations.

To find out if you are colour blind, take this quick and easy online test here. As red-green colour-blindness is experienced on the largest scale, this is what is targeted by EnChroma glasses.

How do EnChroma Glasses Work?

The EnChroma lens was initially developed by a glass scientist in the early 2000s. The technology was supposedly discovered by accident, and has since undergone intense clinical research for over a decade. It works by filtering out light wavelengths at the exact spot where the colour receptors overlap each other. The two photoreceptors are changed to increase differentiation between colours along the line of confusion for that person’s eyes.

It is worth taking into account that as part of the process, less light is permitted to enter the eye. As a consequence, it is not advisable to wear such lenses at night. Users are also warned not to wear them while driving, for safety reasons.

Do EnChroma Glasses Work?

EnChroma glasses aim to support four out of five cases of red-green colour-blindness. It cannot guarantee a 100% success rate because there are different levels of severity for colour-blindness, ranging from mild to severe. In strong cases of colour-blindness, the patient will achieve limited results from EnChroma glasses owing to their complete lack of colour vision. However, the vast majority of people with red-green colour-blindness will be able to see much brighter vibrant colours while wearing the glasses. This can save people embarrassment and endless questions like “what colour do you think that tree is?”. The glasses can also enable those in the creative industries to express themselves without the fear of getting a colour wrong. Although EnChroma glasses will not facilitate those with red-green colour-blindness to enter the airforce. Nevertheless, the glasses may come in handy when ensuring those with the colour blind condition swallow the correctly coloured medical pill.

EnChroma glasses are also solely designed to treat red-green colour-blindness. This means that those who struggle to distinguish blue and yellow will not be able to benefit.

Extra Features

EnChroma glasses don’t just solve colour-blindness, they offer other perks too. One example is that they ensure 100% protection from the sun’s UV rays. In addition, the lenses are oleophobic and hydrophobic. This means that the surface repels dust, water and sweat, which renders them very easy to clean. You can find this type of lens at SmartBuyGlasses too, as we offer different types of lens coatings, such as scratch resistance and blue light blocking.

How Much Do EnChroma Glasses Cost?

If you are serious about correcting your colour-blindness, you can expect the EnChroma glasses* price to fall between 200 and 400. There are often special offers available, so it is worth checking back at certain times of year to get a good deal on EnChroma glasses cost. You can find sunglasses for outdoor use, or lighter tints for use at home or in the office. They make a good investment as you can choose the frame style that works best for you. To find the best fit for you, have a look at our face shape guide here. It is worth taking into consideration that the cost of colour blind glasses will not be covered by medical insurance, as the condition is not considered to affect an individual’s health.

Colour Blind Contact Lenses

A good alternative to EnChroma glasses are contact lenses. A well reputed brand is called ColorMax, which was developed by Dr Thomas Azman. The doctor’s Colour Correction System can be applied to both glasses and contact lenses. Another brand of contact lenses for colour-blindness includes Chroma-Gen, which was invented by the Brits. They offer both contacts and glasses, and claim to correct more than just red and green colour deficiencies, with 8 colour tints on offer. The tint is located over the pupil, and in most cases, cannot be seen by others. An extra benefit of ChromaGen is that the lenses can also support those with dyslexia, as the colour tints help clarify the words on the page.

Fun Facts About Colour-Blindness

If you want more information on solutions to colour-blindness, you might enjoy these quick and interesting facts!

– Humans are born completely colour blind, but by the age of 6 months, they should be able to see the full colour spectrum. The ability to distinguish colours then develops until the age of 20, after which colour vision tends to gradually diminish.

– Lots of people believe that dogs see in black and white, but this is actually a myth. The truth is that dogs see mostly in yellow and blue.

– People who suffer from red-green colour-blindness have most difficulty distinguishing between green and brown. As a result, they may not be able to tell if a banana is ripe, and have been known to believe that peanut butter is green, owing to its particular shade of brown.

– For some people with colour-blindness, the rainbow is seen as just two bands: one yellow and one blue.

– Beware of colour blind drivers on the roads, as the traffic lights can appear to look very similar in colour. The red and amber lights can blend together, and the green often appears a more white or blue hue.

*SmartBuyGlasses does not sell EnChroma glasses.

Ask the Optician

ASK NOW

EnChroma Glasses for the Colour Blind

What Are EnChroma Glasses?

EnChroma glasses are lenses that have been specifically engineered for people suffering from colour blindness. The colour blind glasses allow them to see a wider spectrum of bright colour. The innovation has been proven to help 80% of people with colour-blindness. They are essentially made up of a lens technology that features a patented light filter. This is applied incredibly carefully, and primarily targets red-green colour-blindness, which is the most common kind. It is worth noting that EnChroma glasses are not quite a cure for colour-blindness. An eye exam from a professional optician is required to establish whether it is possible to have the condition treated.

To help understand the use of Enchroma glasses, let’s take a look at what colour-blindness is.

Normal Colour Vision:

White light is actually made up of the different colours of the rainbow. When it enters the eye, three different parts of the visible spectrum are recognised: blue, green and red. The colours are picked up by colour-sensitive photoreceptors found within photopigments.

Colour-Blind Vision

The most common form of colour-blindness occurs when the green and red colour receptors overlap. This makes the two colours hard to distinguish for the viewer. In the worst cases, the various shades of a hue can be reduced by up to 90%.

Who Are EnChroma Glasses For?

Red-green colour-blindness is the most frequently found form of the condition. It affects just under 5% of the global population, which represents about 350 million people. However, men are more likely to suffer from colour-blindness than women. It is estimated that around one in twelve men experience difficulties distinguishing red from green, compared to just one in 200 women. This is caused by the way our genetics work, with the genes for colour-blindness appearing on the X-chromosome. Consequently, the condition is passed on by women, but rarely affects them.

As for colour-blindness between blue and yellow, this is thought to affect a similar number of people around the world as red-green colour-blindness. However, rather than occurring at birth, this form of the condition tends to worsen over time. As a result, the number of cases of blue-yellow blindness is increasing thanks to our ageing population.

Other types of colour-blindness do exist, but they are so rare that they only impact 1 in 2000 people. Nevertheless, this can vary between different subpopulations.

To find out if you are colour blind, take this quick and easy online test here. As red-green colour-blindness is experienced on the largest scale, this is what is targeted by EnChroma glasses.

How do EnChroma Glasses Work?

The EnChroma lens was initially developed by a glass scientist in the early 2000s. The technology was supposedly discovered by accident, and has since undergone intense clinical research for over a decade. It works by filtering out light wavelengths at the exact spot where the colour receptors overlap each other. The two photoreceptors are changed to increase differentiation between colours along the line of confusion for that person’s eyes.

It is worth taking into account that as part of the process, less light is permitted to enter the eye. As a consequence, it is not advisable to wear such lenses at night. Users are also warned not to wear them while driving, for safety reasons.

Do EnChroma Glasses Work?

EnChroma glasses aim to support four out of five cases of red-green colour-blindness. It cannot guarantee a 100% success rate because there are different levels of severity for colour-blindness, ranging from mild to severe. In strong cases of colour-blindness, the patient will achieve limited results from EnChroma glasses owing to their complete lack of colour vision. However, the vast majority of people with red-green colour-blindness will be able to see much brighter vibrant colours while wearing the glasses. This can save people embarrassment and endless questions like “what colour do you think that tree is?”. The glasses can also enable those in the creative industries to express themselves without the fear of getting a colour wrong. Although EnChroma glasses will not facilitate those with red-green colour-blindness to enter the airforce. Nevertheless, the glasses may come in handy when ensuring those with the colour blind condition swallow the correctly coloured medical pill.

EnChroma glasses are also solely designed to treat red-green colour-blindness. This means that those who struggle to distinguish blue and yellow will not be able to benefit.

Extra Features

EnChroma glasses don’t just solve colour-blindness, they offer other perks too. One example is that they ensure 100% protection from the sun’s UV rays. In addition, the lenses are oleophobic and hydrophobic. This means that the surface repels dust, water and sweat, which renders them very easy to clean. You can find this type of lens at SmartBuyGlasses too, as we offer different types of lens coatings, such as scratch resistance and blue light blocking.

How Much Do EnChroma Glasses Cost?

If you are serious about correcting your colour-blindness, you can expect the EnChroma glasses* price to fall between 200 and 400. There are often special offers available, so it is worth checking back at certain times of year to get a good deal on EnChroma glasses cost. You can find sunglasses for outdoor use, or lighter tints for use at home or in the office. They make a good investment as you can choose the frame style that works best for you. To find the best fit for you, have a look at our face shape guide here. It is worth taking into consideration that the cost of colour blind glasses will not be covered by medical insurance, as the condition is not considered to affect an individual’s health.

Colour Blind Contact Lenses

A good alternative to EnChroma glasses are contact lenses. A well reputed brand is called ColorMax, which was developed by Dr Thomas Azman. The doctor’s Colour Correction System can be applied to both glasses and contact lenses. Another brand of contact lenses for colour-blindness includes Chroma-Gen, which was invented by the Brits. They offer both contacts and glasses, and claim to correct more than just red and green colour deficiencies, with 8 colour tints on offer. The tint is located over the pupil, and in most cases, cannot be seen by others. An extra benefit of ChromaGen is that the lenses can also support those with dyslexia, as the colour tints help clarify the words on the page.

Fun Facts About Colour-Blindness

If you want more information on solutions to colour-blindness, you might enjoy these quick and interesting facts!

– Humans are born completely colour blind, but by the age of 6 months, they should be able to see the full colour spectrum. The ability to distinguish colours then develops until the age of 20, after which colour vision tends to gradually diminish.

– Lots of people believe that dogs see in black and white, but this is actually a myth. The truth is that dogs see mostly in yellow and blue.

– People who suffer from red-green colour-blindness have most difficulty distinguishing between green and brown. As a result, they may not be able to tell if a banana is ripe, and have been known to believe that peanut butter is green, owing to its particular shade of brown.

– For some people with colour-blindness, the rainbow is seen as just two bands: one yellow and one blue.

– Beware of colour blind drivers on the roads, as the traffic lights can appear to look very similar in colour. The red and amber lights can blend together, and the green often appears a more white or blue hue.

*SmartBuyGlasses does not sell EnChroma glasses.

How to Relieve Tired Eyes

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How to Relieve Tired Eyes

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While heavy eyes could be a sign of overall body fatigue, the term “tired eyes” is usually another way of referring to eye strain. Eye strain occurs when the muscles in your eyes are overused and become tired. While tired eyes do not cause any eye health damage, they can make everyday tasks more difficult to complete. Tired eyes might also be caused by outside conditions such as headaches or computer vision syndrome. Read on for more information surrounding eye fatigue symptoms, causes, and remedies.

Eyes Feel Heavy

Symptoms of tired eyes could include trouble focusing, irritated eyes, sensitivity to light, watery eyes, dry eyes, and a sore neck, shoulders, or back. One characteristic of eye strain might be the sensation that your eyes feel heavy. This can be a result of focusing your eyes for long periods of time, without properly resting them.

Tired eyes occur when the eye muscles have not had the opportunity to rest after intense or long periods of use. Some activities that might give you tired eyes could include driving, reading, and excessive screen time. These activities all require you to visually focus on a task for an extended period of time, resulting in eye fatigue. While tired eyes are usually a result of eye muscle overuse, in some rare cases, heavy eyes could also be a sign of an underlying eye health problem.

Remedies for Tired Eyes

Solving eye fatigue is usually a matter of changing your daily habits. That is why there are plenty of at-home remedies for tired eyes that you can try. One way to get rid of tired eyes is to work on a task under proper lighting. Poorly lit areas could result in tired eyes as the eye muscles have to work harder to see. Another way to avoid tired eyes is to take longer, more frequent breaks from visual focusing activities. This will allow your heavy eyes a chance to rest and recuperate.

Other ways to treat eye fatigue could include limiting your screen time and choosing the right eyewear for you. Wearing glasses for driving, reading, and using the computer is a great way to prevent tired eyes.

Glasses for Tired Eyes

• Driving Glasses: Do you get sleepy eyes when you drive? Focusing on the road for an extended period of time is likely to cause sleepy eyes. Driving sunglasses are designed to adjust to light, so your eyes don’t have to work as hard to see clearly. Giving your eye muscles a break with driving glasses could prevent sleepy eyes while focusing on the road.

• Blue Light Glasses: Blue light glasses are one way to avoid digital eye strain or tired eyes. Our eyes are not designed to properly filter out blue light rays emitted by our LED screens, which is why a pair of computer glasses are beneficial. zFORT® is a transparent lens that uses blue light blocking technology to help prevent tired eyes as well as other vision and eye health problems. At SmartBuyGlassesyou can add zFORT®  blue-blocking technology to any frames at checkout!

• Reading Glasses: As you age, you may begin to have trouble focusing on objects up close. This is especially true when looking at small text, making it difficult to read. Reading glasses are a great way to correct this slight vision problem and prevent tired eyes.

Click here for more information about zFORT®  blue blocking technology and find out how it could help prevent tired eyes as well as other health and vision problems.

Ask the Optician

ASK NOW

How to Relieve Tired Eyes

While heavy eyes could be a sign of overall body fatigue, the term “tired eyes” is usually another way of referring to eye strain. Eye strain occurs when the muscles in your eyes are overused and become tired. While tired eyes do not cause any eye health damage, they can make everyday tasks more difficult to complete. Tired eyes might also be caused by outside conditions such as headaches or computer vision syndrome. Read on for more information surrounding eye fatigue symptoms, causes, and remedies.

Eyes Feel Heavy

Symptoms of tired eyes could include trouble focusing, irritated eyes, sensitivity to light, watery eyes, dry eyes, and a sore neck, shoulders, or back. One characteristic of eye strain might be the sensation that your eyes feel heavy. This can be a result of focusing your eyes for long periods of time, without properly resting them.

Tired eyes occur when the eye muscles have not had the opportunity to rest after intense or long periods of use. Some activities that might give you tired eyes could include driving, reading, and excessive screen time. These activities all require you to visually focus on a task for an extended period of time, resulting in eye fatigue. While tired eyes are usually a result of eye muscle overuse, in some rare cases, heavy eyes could also be a sign of an underlying eye health problem.

Remedies for Tired Eyes

Solving eye fatigue is usually a matter of changing your daily habits. That is why there are plenty of at-home remedies for tired eyes that you can try. One way to get rid of tired eyes is to work on a task under proper lighting. Poorly lit areas could result in tired eyes as the eye muscles have to work harder to see. Another way to avoid tired eyes is to take longer, more frequent breaks from visual focusing activities. This will allow your heavy eyes a chance to rest and recuperate.

Other ways to treat eye fatigue could include limiting your screen time and choosing the right eyewear for you. Wearing glasses for driving, reading, and using the computer is a great way to prevent tired eyes.

Glasses for Tired Eyes

• Driving Glasses: Do you get sleepy eyes when you drive? Focusing on the road for an extended period of time is likely to cause sleepy eyes. Driving sunglasses are designed to adjust to light, so your eyes don’t have to work as hard to see clearly. Giving your eye muscles a break with driving glasses could prevent sleepy eyes while focusing on the road.

• Blue Light Glasses: Blue light glasses are one way to avoid digital eye strain or tired eyes. Our eyes are not designed to properly filter out blue light rays emitted by our LED screens, which is why a pair of computer glasses are beneficial. zFORT® is a transparent lens that uses blue light blocking technology to help prevent tired eyes as well as other vision and eye health problems. At SmartBuyGlassesyou can add zFORT®  blue-blocking technology to any frames at checkout!

• Reading Glasses: As you age, you may begin to have trouble focusing on objects up close. This is especially true when looking at small text, making it difficult to read. Reading glasses are a great way to correct this slight vision problem and prevent tired eyes.

Click here for more information about zFORT®  blue blocking technology and find out how it could help prevent tired eyes as well as other health and vision problems.

6/6 Vision Explained

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6/6 Vision Explained

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Have you ever wondered what perfect eyesight is? In optical terminology, it’s often referred to as 6/6 vision. Let’s take a deeper dive into what this means and whether it’s possible to achieve 6/6 vision.

Definition of 6/6 Vision and Visual Acuity

The phrase 6/6 vision means normal vision. As per medical journals, a person with 6/6 vision can see what an average individual can see the characters on a Snellen eye chart when they’re standing 6 metres away. An eye chart shows letters of progressively smaller size and helps in determining visual acuity, which refers to the clarity and sharpness of vision. Visual acuity is a static measurement of how accurately you can identify the characters on an eye chart; you are seated while you’re tested and the chart you’re viewing is stationary too. This is tested in high contrast conditions wherein the characters on the chart are black and the background is white. Comprehensive eye exams by an optometrist can help in diagnosing what’s affecting your ability to see clearly. Generally, an optometrist will prescribe eyeglasses, contact lenses, or a vision therapy program to aid in improving your vision. If your reduced vision is due to an eye disease, you may be prescribed ocular medication or another treatment.

Reading your Prescription

When you don’t have a prescription, nor do you require glasses or contact lenses for day-to-day tasks, you can assume that you have 6/6 vision. Dioptres are the unit of measurement used in prescriptions to measure refractive errors. In a prescription, a negative number would indicate that you are short-sighted, while a positive would show that you’re far-sighted. If you have a -1.00D prescription, it means that you can see objects at 1 meter clearly, while if you have a -2.00D prescription, you can only see objects clearly at half a meter. The higher your prescription number is, the more trouble you will have seeing clearly without eyeglasses or contact lenses. Read our detailed guide on reading prescriptions here.

How to Quantify Visual Acuity

Visual Acuity is quantified using Snellen fractions. This is coined after Herman Snellen, the Dutch ophthalmologist who developed this measurement system in 1862. The numerator is your distance in metres from the chart. The denominator is the distance at which a person with normal eyesight can read the same line.

This numerator’s distance is typically 6 metres. At this distance, the size of letters on the smaller lines close to the bottom of the chart follows a standard corresponding to “normal vision acuity” or 6/6 vision. If you can read these characters you have normal 6/6 vision acuity. The larger sizes on the chart correspond to poorer visual acuity measurements like (6/12, 6/18, etc). The largest alphabet at the top of most Snellen eye charts corresponds to 6/60 visual acuity, meaning very poor visual acuity. The smallest alphabets correspond to 6/3 vision. If you can read those characters, it means that your eyesight is twice as sharp as that of an individual with normal 6/6 vision.

For instance, when you are said to be having 6/12 vision, this means that your vision is poorer than average. At 6 metres distance, you can read letters that most people see from 12 metres. On the other hand, if you have 6/5 vision, it means that you can see a line in the eye chart at 6 metre’s distance while the average person can only see it when they are 5 metres away.

Whether you have 6/6 vision or not, it’s recommended to get eye exams as you age.

Drawbacks of Visual Acuity Testing

Even though it is possible to determine the relative clarity of eyesight in these standardized conditions, it’s not effective in predicting the quality of your vision in all situations. For example, it can’t help in predicting how well you would see the following:

  • • Objects which are as bright as their backgrounds
  • • Coloured objects
  • • Moving objects

There are three physical and neurological factors by which visual acuity can be determined. These are as follows:

  1. How accurately the cornea and lens of the eye focus light onto the retina,
  2. The sensitivity of the retinal nerves and the brain’s visual cortex,
  3. The brain’s ability to interpret information received from the eyes.

6/6 vision doesn’t however mean perfect vision, and it’s not very likely to happen. Other important factors such as peripheral awareness or side vision, eye coordination, depth perception, focusing ability, and colour vision play a part in your overall visual ability.

It’s essential to go for your eye tests regularly. Read more about the best intervals to get your eyes checked in this article. Eye tests can help in identifying deeper underlying problems such as glaucoma, macular degeneration, and even brain tumours.

What Deteriorates Visual Acuity and How to Improve It

Cataracts form when the lens tissue in your eye becomes cloudy and less flexible. This can make light rays scatter, or even stop them from passing through the lens in more advanced scenarios. Surgical removal or replacement with an artificial lens is the most appropriate option for restoring vision. With advancements in lens technology, some people no longer require even reading glasses after cataract surgery.

Refractive errors such as myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, and presbyopia negatively affect visual acuity. As a result, visual aid intervention is needed with prescription eyeglasses and contact lenses. The goal of prescription eyeglasses is to bring a person’s vision to 6/6 visual acuity.

Are Eyeglasses needed if you have 6/6 VIsion?

Someone with 6/6 vision has normal eyesight with good clarity and sharpness. However, if you need to be on the computer for extended periods of the day, you may benefit from blue-light blocking glasses from zFORT®. Blue light is a potentially harmful form of light. While it is naturally emitted by the sun, electronic devices (which we’re spending progressively more time on every day) are also high-level producers. Blue light rays at a wavelength between 415nm – 455nm can damage your retinal cells, which may lead to premature eye ageing and vision problems in the future. Our exposure to these harmful light rays may also cause a range of other health problems, including poor sleep (according to a 2012 Harvard Medical School study).

How to Buy Eyeglasses Online 

SmartBuyGlasses’ revolutionary Virtual Try-On tool is an advanced online solution to the problem of not being able to check out a pair of glasses in-hand. It’s simple, free, and takes all the guesswork out as far as seeing how frames look on you! See what you look like wearing different designer sunglasses or eyeglasses from home in just 2 easy steps.

Step 1: record your selfie video. We’ll walk you through a simple process and show you how to use your desktop or mobile camera to record a quick, five-second selfie video.

Step 2: try on glasses online! Go to the brand page of any glasses you’d like to virtually try on. Then, filter by ‘virtual try-on’ in the special features option. You can see yourself wearing any of the glasses that appear! We have over 5,000 pairs of eyeglasses and 6,000 pairs of sunglasses just a few clicks away from appearing on your face!

SmartBuyGlasses is the UK’s most trusted online eyewear retailer. Whatever your style or eye care need you’re sure to find what you’re looking for from our large selection of styles and brands. We offer you a 24-months warranty, FREE shipping and guarantee you the best price in the market.

Ask the Optician

ASK NOW

6/6 Vision Explained

Have you ever wondered what perfect eyesight is? In optical terminology, it’s often referred to as 6/6 vision. Let’s take a deeper dive into what this means and whether it’s possible to achieve 6/6 vision.

Definition of 6/6 Vision and Visual Acuity

The phrase 6/6 vision means normal vision. As per medical journals, a person with 6/6 vision can see what an average individual can see the characters on a Snellen eye chart when they’re standing 6 metres away. An eye chart shows letters of progressively smaller size and helps in determining visual acuity, which refers to the clarity and sharpness of vision. Visual acuity is a static measurement of how accurately you can identify the characters on an eye chart; you are seated while you’re tested and the chart you’re viewing is stationary too. This is tested in high contrast conditions wherein the characters on the chart are black and the background is white. Comprehensive eye exams by an optometrist can help in diagnosing what’s affecting your ability to see clearly. Generally, an optometrist will prescribe eyeglasses, contact lenses, or a vision therapy program to aid in improving your vision. If your reduced vision is due to an eye disease, you may be prescribed ocular medication or another treatment.

Reading your Prescription

When you don’t have a prescription, nor do you require glasses or contact lenses for day-to-day tasks, you can assume that you have 6/6 vision. Dioptres are the unit of measurement used in prescriptions to measure refractive errors. In a prescription, a negative number would indicate that you are short-sighted, while a positive would show that you’re far-sighted. If you have a -1.00D prescription, it means that you can see objects at 1 meter clearly, while if you have a -2.00D prescription, you can only see objects clearly at half a meter. The higher your prescription number is, the more trouble you will have seeing clearly without eyeglasses or contact lenses. Read our detailed guide on reading prescriptions here.

How to Quantify Visual Acuity

Visual Acuity is quantified using Snellen fractions. This is coined after Herman Snellen, the Dutch ophthalmologist who developed this measurement system in 1862. The numerator is your distance in metres from the chart. The denominator is the distance at which a person with normal eyesight can read the same line.

This numerator’s distance is typically 6 metres. At this distance, the size of letters on the smaller lines close to the bottom of the chart follows a standard corresponding to “normal vision acuity” or 6/6 vision. If you can read these characters you have normal 6/6 vision acuity. The larger sizes on the chart correspond to poorer visual acuity measurements like (6/12, 6/18, etc). The largest alphabet at the top of most Snellen eye charts corresponds to 6/60 visual acuity, meaning very poor visual acuity. The smallest alphabets correspond to 6/3 vision. If you can read those characters, it means that your eyesight is twice as sharp as that of an individual with normal 6/6 vision.

For instance, when you are said to be having 6/12 vision, this means that your vision is poorer than average. At 6 metres distance, you can read letters that most people see from 12 metres. On the other hand, if you have 6/5 vision, it means that you can see a line in the eye chart at 6 metre’s distance while the average person can only see it when they are 5 metres away.

Whether you have 6/6 vision or not, it’s recommended to get eye exams as you age.

Drawbacks of Visual Acuity Testing

Even though it is possible to determine the relative clarity of eyesight in these standardized conditions, it’s not effective in predicting the quality of your vision in all situations. For example, it can’t help in predicting how well you would see the following:

  • • Objects which are as bright as their backgrounds
  • • Coloured objects
  • • Moving objects

There are three physical and neurological factors by which visual acuity can be determined. These are as follows:

  1. How accurately the cornea and lens of the eye focus light onto the retina,
  2. The sensitivity of the retinal nerves and the brain’s visual cortex,
  3. The brain’s ability to interpret information received from the eyes.

6/6 vision doesn’t however mean perfect vision, and it’s not very likely to happen. Other important factors such as peripheral awareness or side vision, eye coordination, depth perception, focusing ability, and colour vision play a part in your overall visual ability.

It’s essential to go for your eye tests regularly. Read more about the best intervals to get your eyes checked in this article. Eye tests can help in identifying deeper underlying problems such as glaucoma, macular degeneration, and even brain tumours.

What Deteriorates Visual Acuity and How to Improve It

Cataracts form when the lens tissue in your eye becomes cloudy and less flexible. This can make light rays scatter, or even stop them from passing through the lens in more advanced scenarios. Surgical removal or replacement with an artificial lens is the most appropriate option for restoring vision. With advancements in lens technology, some people no longer require even reading glasses after cataract surgery.

Refractive errors such as myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, and presbyopia negatively affect visual acuity. As a result, visual aid intervention is needed with prescription eyeglasses and contact lenses. The goal of prescription eyeglasses is to bring a person’s vision to 6/6 visual acuity.

Are Eyeglasses needed if you have 6/6 VIsion?

Someone with 6/6 vision has normal eyesight with good clarity and sharpness. However, if you need to be on the computer for extended periods of the day, you may benefit from blue-light blocking glasses from zFORT®. Blue light is a potentially harmful form of light. While it is naturally emitted by the sun, electronic devices (which we’re spending progressively more time on every day) are also high-level producers. Blue light rays at a wavelength between 415nm – 455nm can damage your retinal cells, which may lead to premature eye ageing and vision problems in the future. Our exposure to these harmful light rays may also cause a range of other health problems, including poor sleep (according to a 2012 Harvard Medical School study).

How to Buy Eyeglasses Online 

SmartBuyGlasses’ revolutionary Virtual Try-On tool is an advanced online solution to the problem of not being able to check out a pair of glasses in-hand. It’s simple, free, and takes all the guesswork out as far as seeing how frames look on you! See what you look like wearing different designer sunglasses or eyeglasses from home in just 2 easy steps.

Step 1: record your selfie video. We’ll walk you through a simple process and show you how to use your desktop or mobile camera to record a quick, five-second selfie video.

Step 2: try on glasses online! Go to the brand page of any glasses you’d like to virtually try on. Then, filter by ‘virtual try-on’ in the special features option. You can see yourself wearing any of the glasses that appear! We have over 5,000 pairs of eyeglasses and 6,000 pairs of sunglasses just a few clicks away from appearing on your face!

SmartBuyGlasses is the UK’s most trusted online eyewear retailer. Whatever your style or eye care need you’re sure to find what you’re looking for from our large selection of styles and brands. We offer you a 24-months warranty, FREE shipping and guarantee you the best price in the market.

What Is Depth Perception?

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What Is Depth Perception?

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Depth Perception Definition

Wondering how to define depth perception? It refers to the ability to see objects in three dimensions, i.e., length, width, depth, and to judge how far away an object is. This also includes the ability to judge the distance between two objects. To be able to perceive depth accurately, we generally need to have a binocular stereoscopic vision (vision in both eyes). In a process known as convergence or stereopsis, the brain collates the 2 sets of information based on the different angles of sight from our two eyes to form a unified 3D image. 

Depth perception is an innate mechanism, strengthened by visual experience. Over time, the brain is able to speed up the computation of objects in our sight. Depth perception examples take place multiple times a day without even realizing it. When both eyes see clearly and the brain is able to process a single image effectively, it is known as stereopsis. This is the concept that makes you feel like you’re able to perceive depth when watching a 3D movie.

Monocular cues provide depth information when relying on one eye to see objects. Those with monocular vision may face depth perception inaccuracy since they have to rely on other visual cues to gauge depth.

Why is Depth Perception Important?

Depth perception is extremely important for various reasons: 

– It helps us to move around without bumping into things

– It helps us to identify how far away we are from an object or to identify the distance between two objects

– It also tells you how fast an object is coming towards you and how quickly something is moving

Therefore, depth perception keeps you safe and stops you from getting hurt. For example, depth perception allows you to drive safely as it allows you to know how far away you are from other vehicles, how fast they are going, and helps you avoid them if they are coming towards you.

What are Depth Cues?

Depth cues are the different tools that our eyes use to interpret depth in sensed images. These depth cues can either be physiological and psychological. 

Physiological depth cues

– Accommodation: This is the process by which your eyes bring objects into focus at different distances. It ensures that light entering the eye focuses on the retina. The process involves contracting and relaxing the eye muscle to change the focal length of the lens.

– Convergence: This refers to the change in eye direction that occurs when watching an object that is close to us. Our eyes point slightly inward. This cue can work effectively at a distance of fewer than 10 meters.

– Binocular Parallax: Since our eyes are roughly 2 inches apart, the images received from each of our eyes are slightly different. The difference between the two images is called binocular parallax which is the most crucial depth cue when we see objects at a medium distance. Our eyes can still calculate depth using binocular parallax even when all other cues are removed. However, this method only works well when the object is close up. When objects are far away, the 2 images our eyes receive seem more similar.

– Monocular Motion Parallax: When we close one eye, a sense of depth can still be achieved if we move our head from side to side. While closer objects move in the opposite direction of the head movement, further objects move in the same direction. Furthermore, the closer object moves quickly across your retina while objects that are further away don’t move as much or do not move at all.

Psychological depth cues

– Retinal Image size: Our brain calculates the sensed size of objects by comparing it to their known size to then perceive the distance.

– Linear Perspective: Known objects are thought to be moving further away if they become smaller and smaller.

– Texture Gradient: The further away the object is, the less of its surface texture we can see and the smoother it appears. On the other hand, when we can see more detail of an object’s surface texture, it can be calculated as being closer. 

– Overlapping: We can understand if an object is closer to us when it blocks other objects from our sight. This closer object will have a more continuous borderline. 

– Aerial Perspective: Depth can also be interpreted based on the relative colour and contrast of objects. An object is considered as being further away when it is blurry.

– Shades and Shadows: When an object casts shades and shadows on other objects, we understand that this object is closer to the light source.

Of all the above cues, only convergence and binocular parallax are binocular (require both eyes to be open) while the rest are monocular (require only one eye to be open).

What Causes Depth Perception Problems? 

Depth perception problems usually result from the following common conditions:

– Blurred vision: A lack of sharpness of vision which reduces the ability of our eyes to see fine details.

– Strabismus: Eyes are misaligned (cross eye syndrome) so the eyes cannot see clearly or work together effectively.

– Anophthalmia: A rare congenital situation where there is an absence of one or both eyes due to many reasons such as genetic mutations, infections, etc. 

– Amblyopia (lazy eye): A sight disorder that is typical in children. When children encounter double vision, their brain tends to suppress the input from one eye, and over time, it favours the other eye. Read our post on dominant eyes for more information.

– Optic nerve hypoplasia: A condition where the optic nerve, which sends visual signals from your eyes to your brain, has incomplete development before birth. It can result in partial or complete vision loss in children.

– Macular degeneration leads to a loss in the centre part of one’s vision, hence leading to declining depth perception.

Depth Perception Test

No depth perception refers to the inability to see objects in 3D. It is possible to suffer from issues relating to depth perception for years without knowing. Follow these steps to quickly and easily test it right now with the following image of the tennis ball.

Depth Perception Test

1. Hold a finger half-way between your eyes and the picture of the ball (about 6inches from your eye is good enough). The ball will be in the background. 

2. Now focus your gaze on the ball. You should be seeing two images of your finger. It might be slightly blurry or transparent but that’s normal. If you see two fingers, it’s a sign that you have strong depth perception.

3. Now, switch your focus from the ball to your finger. You should see two slightly hazy images of the ball on either side of the finger.

If any of the following happens, it may be a sign of poor depth perception.

– You see a finger/ball more clearly on one side than the other.

– You see only one finger/ball where you should be seeing two.

– One finger/ball is larger than the other.

– A finger/ball appears and then disappears.

– When you close one eye at a time and your finger starts in the centre of the ball but moves far to one side when you open the other eye.

How to Improve Depth Perception?

One of the solutions to improve poor depth perception is to wear and prescription contact lenses. Both of these will improve the image that your ‘bad’ eye sees. You can buy eyeglasses and contact lenses to improve your depth perception online at SmartBuyGlasses for free shipping with a 24-month warranty, a hassle-free 100 day returns policy, and a price match guarantee. 

Other than wearing a pair of prescription glasses, you can also do a few different exercises with your eyes to treat poor depth perception such as:

– Eye rolling: Slowly roll your eyes in both directions for a few minutes at a time. This exercise helps to strengthen nerve impulses and improve eye muscles. 

– Shifting your gaze: You should practice this exercise together with eye-rolling as you can shift your gaze slowly while rolling your eyes.

– Resting the dominant eye: Covering the dominant eye with your hand or an eye patch for a few minutes can help train the weaker eye.

If you suspect that you may have depth perception issues, visit your optician and consider incorporating eye exercises and supplementing your diet with nutrients you need for healthy vision.

SHOP FOR MEN
SHOP FOR WOMEN

Ask the Optician

ASK NOW

What Is Depth Perception?

Depth Perception Definition

Wondering how to define depth perception? It refers to the ability to see objects in three dimensions, i.e., length, width, depth, and to judge how far away an object is. This also includes the ability to judge the distance between two objects. To be able to perceive depth accurately, we generally need to have a binocular stereoscopic vision (vision in both eyes). In a process known as convergence or stereopsis, the brain collates the 2 sets of information based on the different angles of sight from our two eyes to form a unified 3D image. 

Depth perception is an innate mechanism, strengthened by visual experience. Over time, the brain is able to speed up the computation of objects in our sight. Depth perception examples take place multiple times a day without even realizing it. When both eyes see clearly and the brain is able to process a single image effectively, it is known as stereopsis. This is the concept that makes you feel like you’re able to perceive depth when watching a 3D movie.

Monocular cues provide depth information when relying on one eye to see objects. Those with monocular vision may face depth perception inaccuracy since they have to rely on other visual cues to gauge depth.

Why is Depth Perception Important?

Depth perception is extremely important for various reasons: 

– It helps us to move around without bumping into things

– It helps us to identify how far away we are from an object or to identify the distance between two objects

– It also tells you how fast an object is coming towards you and how quickly something is moving

Therefore, depth perception keeps you safe and stops you from getting hurt. For example, depth perception allows you to drive safely as it allows you to know how far away you are from other vehicles, how fast they are going, and helps you avoid them if they are coming towards you.

What are Depth Cues?

Depth cues are the different tools that our eyes use to interpret depth in sensed images. These depth cues can either be physiological and psychological. 

Physiological depth cues

– Accommodation: This is the process by which your eyes bring objects into focus at different distances. It ensures that light entering the eye focuses on the retina. The process involves contracting and relaxing the eye muscle to change the focal length of the lens.

– Convergence: This refers to the change in eye direction that occurs when watching an object that is close to us. Our eyes point slightly inward. This cue can work effectively at a distance of fewer than 10 meters.

– Binocular Parallax: Since our eyes are roughly 2 inches apart, the images received from each of our eyes are slightly different. The difference between the two images is called binocular parallax which is the most crucial depth cue when we see objects at a medium distance. Our eyes can still calculate depth using binocular parallax even when all other cues are removed. However, this method only works well when the object is close up. When objects are far away, the 2 images our eyes receive seem more similar.

– Monocular Motion Parallax: When we close one eye, a sense of depth can still be achieved if we move our head from side to side. While closer objects move in the opposite direction of the head movement, further objects move in the same direction. Furthermore, the closer object moves quickly across your retina while objects that are further away don’t move as much or do not move at all.

Psychological depth cues

– Retinal Image size: Our brain calculates the sensed size of objects by comparing it to their known size to then perceive the distance.

– Linear Perspective: Known objects are thought to be moving further away if they become smaller and smaller.

– Texture Gradient: The further away the object is, the less of its surface texture we can see and the smoother it appears. On the other hand, when we can see more detail of an object’s surface texture, it can be calculated as being closer. 

– Overlapping: We can understand if an object is closer to us when it blocks other objects from our sight. This closer object will have a more continuous borderline. 

– Aerial Perspective: Depth can also be interpreted based on the relative colour and contrast of objects. An object is considered as being further away when it is blurry.

– Shades and Shadows: When an object casts shades and shadows on other objects, we understand that this object is closer to the light source.

Of all the above cues, only convergence and binocular parallax are binocular (require both eyes to be open) while the rest are monocular (require only one eye to be open).

What Causes Depth Perception Problems? 

Depth perception problems usually result from the following common conditions:

– Blurred vision: A lack of sharpness of vision which reduces the ability of our eyes to see fine details.

– Strabismus: Eyes are misaligned (cross eye syndrome) so the eyes cannot see clearly or work together effectively.

– Anophthalmia: A rare congenital situation where there is an absence of one or both eyes due to many reasons such as genetic mutations, infections, etc. 

– Amblyopia (lazy eye): A sight disorder that is typical in children. When children encounter double vision, their brain tends to suppress the input from one eye, and over time, it favours the other eye. Read our post on dominant eyes for more information.

– Optic nerve hypoplasia: A condition where the optic nerve, which sends visual signals from your eyes to your brain, has incomplete development before birth. It can result in partial or complete vision loss in children.

– Macular degeneration leads to a loss in the centre part of one’s vision, hence leading to declining depth perception.

Depth Perception Test

No depth perception refers to the inability to see objects in 3D. It is possible to suffer from issues relating to depth perception for years without knowing. Follow these steps to quickly and easily test it right now with the following image of the tennis ball.

Depth Perception Test

1. Hold a finger half-way between your eyes and the picture of the ball (about 6inches from your eye is good enough). The ball will be in the background. 

2. Now focus your gaze on the ball. You should be seeing two images of your finger. It might be slightly blurry or transparent but that’s normal. If you see two fingers, it’s a sign that you have strong depth perception.

3. Now, switch your focus from the ball to your finger. You should see two slightly hazy images of the ball on either side of the finger.

If any of the following happens, it may be a sign of poor depth perception.

– You see a finger/ball more clearly on one side than the other.

– You see only one finger/ball where you should be seeing two.

– One finger/ball is larger than the other.

– A finger/ball appears and then disappears.

– When you close one eye at a time and your finger starts in the centre of the ball but moves far to one side when you open the other eye.

How to Improve Depth Perception?

One of the solutions to improve poor depth perception is to wear and prescription contact lenses. Both of these will improve the image that your ‘bad’ eye sees. You can buy eyeglasses and contact lenses to improve your depth perception online at SmartBuyGlasses for free shipping with a 24-month warranty, a hassle-free 100 day returns policy, and a price match guarantee. 

Other than wearing a pair of prescription glasses, you can also do a few different exercises with your eyes to treat poor depth perception such as:

– Eye rolling: Slowly roll your eyes in both directions for a few minutes at a time. This exercise helps to strengthen nerve impulses and improve eye muscles. 

– Shifting your gaze: You should practice this exercise together with eye-rolling as you can shift your gaze slowly while rolling your eyes.

– Resting the dominant eye: Covering the dominant eye with your hand or an eye patch for a few minutes can help train the weaker eye.

If you suspect that you may have depth perception issues, visit your optician and consider incorporating eye exercises and supplementing your diet with nutrients you need for healthy vision.

SHOP FOR MEN
SHOP FOR WOMEN