How to pick the perfect lens in Rochester Hills
Do you ever wonder how to pick the perfect lens in Rochester Hills? And, why are there so many options when choosing your eyewear frame and lenses? Choosing a frame could be considered the fun part. Choosing the correct lens is more of a science that requires an expert optician to help guide you through the process. Everyone has different visual needs and uses their eyes in different ways which is why there are so many options. There are different lens styles, materials and treatments that help you see your very best. Here's a guide to help you choose the perfect lens in Rochester Hills to fit your lifestyle and personality.
Your prescription, which is determined from your eye exam, will dictate what type of lens you'll need whether you are fitted with a single vision lens or a multifocal lens. A single vision lens has one prescription throughout the lens and provides clear vision at one specific distance. A bifocal lens offers two viewing areas specifically for reading and distance. A trifocal lens offers three viewing areas. A progressive lens offers more than three viewing areas and allows for more natural viewing.
Once your lens choice is determined, it's time to pick a material. Glass and plastic lens materials are not used very often because updated technology now offers safer, thinner and lighter options in lenses. Polycarbonate and Trivex materials are impact-resistant and recommended for children, sports enthusiasts, and for people whose work or hobbies pose a vision safety issue. These lightweight lenses are up to 10 times more impact resistant than regular plastic or glass lenses. Lastly, a high index lens material is available and helps keep medium to higher prescriptions as thin as possible. This lens also helps the eye look more natural as opposed to looking magnified through thick lenses.
The last part of the process is choosing your lens treatments. There are four main lens treatments available: tints, polarized, photochromic lenses and anti-reflective coating. Tints moderate the amount of light that reaches your eyes and filters out reflective light creating optimal contrast and depth perception, as well as improving visual acuity.
If you spend a lot of time outdoors, polarized lenses perform better than any tinted lens. Not only does it absorb and reflect light, but it has the added feature of blocking horizontal glare. Polarized lenses are the best option for sunglasses since they provide the maximum UV protection while outdoors.
Photochromic (or Transitions) lenses are clear indoors, just like regular lenses, and darken automatically when exposed to sunlight. This treatment is recommended for people with light sensitivity as well as children. Lastly, anti-reflective coating reduces glare, makes the lens "invisible" and helps eliminate halos and ghost images. This treatment is recommended for night driving, computer users, high index wearers, refractive surgery patients, students in a classroom setting and anyone who works under fluorescent lighting.
Be sure to discuss both your lifestyle and vision needs with the Oakland Optometry team in Rochester Hills so you can choose the perfect lens that meets your specific vision needs. Contact Dr. Mark Roy at Oakland Optometry at 248.373.6500.