OPTICAL 101

Understanding Your Vison

Myopia – aka Nearsightedness. You can clearly see objects that are close to you but have difficulty seeing objects that are far away from you
Hyperopia – aka Farsightedness. You can clearly see objects far away but have difficulty seeing closer objects clearly
Astigmatism – When your cornea (the clear front layer of your eye) or lens (an inner part of your eye that helps the eye focus) has an irregular curve. This can change the way light enters your eye causing blurry or distorted vision at all distances. Astigmatism can occur alongside myopia/hyperopia and ranges in severity. You may experience halos and glare from the light which can make it difficult to focus on tasks in the dark, such as driving at night.
Presbyopia (age 40+) – The gradual loss of your eyes' ability to focus on nearby objects. Your eyes slowly lose their ability to focus clearly on nearby texts/objects but it does not affect your vision at far distances. It’s part of aging and usually becomes noticeable in your early to mid-40s. However, it is easily treatable by using prescription glasses.

Single Vision – The most common type of prescription lens and is used to correct vision at only one specified distance. They distribute focus evenly over the entire surface area of the lens. Examples include far distance glasses (such as driving), reading glasses and computer glasses.
Anti-Fatigue (<age 40) – A type of single vision lens that feature a slight power boost at the bottom half of the lens. It is designed to alleviate strain experienced after long sessions of close-vision tasks such as reading and screen work.
Bifocal/Trifocal (age 40+) – Bifocals correct both far- and near-distance vision by combining two prescriptions into a single lens. The upper part of the lens corrects your far-distance, while the bottom portion corrects your near vision. Trifocals work the same way with an added prescription to correct intermediate-distance.
Progressive (age 40+) – Similar to bifocal/trifocal lenses but without the distinct line seperating the two powers. Progressives offer a seamless progession from far, to intermediate, to near vision allowing you to complete tasks comfortably at all distances. Because there is no distinct line, your peripheral vison may be blurry due to the nature of the lenses. It can take some time to train your eyes and brain to see comfortably throughly progessive lenses. Most people will adjust to their new lenses in only a few days but for some, it could take up to two weeks.

Anti-reflection/Anti-glare – Makes your lenses almost invisible so people can look into your eyes without seeing their reflections from your glasses. It eliminates glare caused by light reflecting from your lenses. You can see more clearly and drive more comfortably at night.
Scratch resistance – There is no such thing as completely scratch-proof eyeglass lenses. However, lenses with a scratch-resistant coating feature a harder surface that’s more resistant to scratching.
Blue-light Filter – Specifically designed to filter out the high-energy blue-violet light rays that are commonly emitted from digital screens. It can help you avoid eye strain from prolonged exposure to blue light and may also improve your sleep-cycle.

Transition lenses – Light sensitive lenses that change from clear to dark when exposed to UV rays (sunlight). They offer the convenience of sunglasses without having to wear them over your prescription glasses or having to constantly switch between the two. Recommended for those who are sensitive to light. The downside of these is they don't change in the car because the car's windshield blocks out UV rays needed to activate the lenses.
Polarized lenses – The best type of sunglasses lens for vision performance. They filter out reflective glare caused by the sun, while preserving colour and clarity. Great for driving, outdoor sports and water activities.
Mirror coated lenses - Have highly reflective coatings applied to the surface of the lenses to reduce the amount of light entering the eye. These are helpful when you’re in exceptionally bright conditions, for example skiing on a sunny day.