Are you puzzled at how to buy your first pair of glasses?<p>Buying your first pair of glasses can seem a daunting task when faced with all those frames on the walls and listening to all those lens options. There’s a lot to consider when purchasing glasses, whether they are for you or if they’re for a child. Read on for tips to help make the process a little easier.<p>The Prescription What do all those numbers on the prescription mean, anyway? It’s a good idea to ask your optometrist or eye care professional to explain the prescription to you before you leave the office. If you forget, your optician can explain it to you when you’re looking at glasses, but here’s a few basics: -Glasses powers are measured in diopters. A -1.00 means you’re mildly nearsighted, or myopic, while a -7.00 means you’re very myopic. -If your prescription has three numbers in a row, like this: -1.00 -.75 X 90, it means you are nearsighted or myopic, and have astigmatism. -If yours only has one number per line, you don’t have astigmatism. Your prescription, whether nearsighted or farsighted, is considered spherical. -OD stands for Oculus Dexter, Latin for “right eye”. OS means Oculus Sinister, or “left eye”. The right eye is always written first. -If you need bifocals, your prescription will have a section called an “add power”. This means you need glasses for distance and for closer objects. This condition is called presbyopia, and is a part of the aging process.<p>Why Are There So Many Different Lenses? Lenses come in many different styles to suit a variety of needs. If you just need glasses to see at a distance or for reading only, you’ll need single vision lenses. If you need glasses for near and far, you’ll need bifocals, trifocals, or multi-focals. Bifocals are lined lenses that have one segment for distance and one for near. Trifocals have a third lined segment for an intermediate range, such as computer use. Multi-focals are sometimes called “no-lines” or “progressives”. These lenses have no lines and allow optimal visual acuity at all focal areas. Multi-focals are sometimes mistakenly called trifocals. What are Lightweight Lenses? Lightweight lenses are plastic lenses, sometimes called hi-index. The material they are made from has a higher refractive index, meaning they can bend more light than regular plastic, therefore making them thinner. There are many kinds of lightweight lenses. One of the most common is polycarbonate. Polycarbonate is a great lightweight lens because it is also thinner and more impact-resistant than regular plastic. Polycarbonate is recommended for kids, athletes or those who want safety protection from their glasses. Lightweight lenses are recommended for everyone, especially those with a high or heavy prescription.
Buying Tips of Your First Pair of Glasses