Is your child seeing 20/20?

How does your child know that blur is not normal? There is a link with success at school and having good vision. As children go through school, each year the reading size becomes smaller and smaller. If its difficult to see what is in front of you, or far away on the board, it's near impossible to read it! A child struggling to focus may seem distracted or have poor concentration. Or slowly losing progress with work. Often when vision is corrected, a marked improvement in attention can be seen.

If your child is struggling, it may be difficult for them to communicate this with you. Or they may not know that what they're experiencing, isn't the norm. Here are some common signs that you can look out for:

• Constant eye rubbing
• Sensitivity to light
• Poor focus or concentration
• A head tilt 
• Difficulty following moving objects
• A turn or eyes that don't seem straight
• Chronic red eyes or tearing
• A white pupil

At a young age there isn't much demand on our eyes. Toys are larger and colours are bright. Children are generally looking at things much closer, exploring the world that is within reaching distance. Some signs may show later as the demand changes. These signs include:

• Struggling to see objects at a distance
• Difficulty reading the board in school
• A dull ache on the forehead, above the eyes
• Squinting
• Difficulty reading, especially in the evenings, towards the end of the week
• Or avoiding reading all together
• Sitting too close to the TV

There are many different reasons why your child may be having visual difficulty. They may be long or short sighted, have a squint or problems with colour vision. An eye exam can quickly determine a cause and treatment, be it glasses for concentrated work or coloured lenses to help with visual stress. Call one of our practices to book in for an appointment.

Clip on sunglasses

Innovative magnetic sunglass frames. These frames come with a magnetic polarised front. They can be placed with one hand and without having to remove the frames. Lightweight and durable, they negate the need for a separate pair of sunglasses. Perfect if your prescription lenses are very complex or expensive.

What do you think of our clip on sunglasses? They are currently stocked in all our practices across Hampshire, in various colours and styles. 

Why use Polarised lenses?

We've all experienced glare in our daily lives. You have probably noticed it on the sea at the beach, bouncing from the roadway or bonnet or on a boat reflecting from the surface of the water. Glare is uncomfortable and can be annoying, but reflected at just the wrong angle, glare can be dangerous, such as times when driving.

On polarised sunglasses, the filter creates vertical openings for light. This means that only light rays that approach your eyes horizontally can fit through those openings. As a result objects look crisper and clearer, and details are easier to see.

People who use polarised sunglasses for long stretches of time often say they are less tired than usual after hours of battling sun glare. Only polarised lenses can block out this dangerous, blinding glare. It can take 6-7 seconds to adjust to glare and becomes progressively worse as you age.

If glare impaired your vision for just three seconds whilst driving at 30mph, you would travel blind for 132 feet.

We stock a full range of polarised sunglasses in all our practices. Our experienced dispensing opticians can fit a frame to your shape, reduce glare and give clear vision.

UV and you

 

With the recent wave of summer sun, brings an increase of UV. Come rain or shine, we are always susceptible to the harm of UV rays. In the summer months however, exposure is at its peak! Fight for Sight, an eye research charity found only 1 in 2 of us are wearing UV blocking sunglasses. 

Here are 5 tips to reduce UV damage:

Darker lenses don't necessarily mean better protection! Sunglasses aren't equal in their ability to block UV. So a tint can be purely cosmetic with or without blocking UV well.

Tip: Look for CE marks to ensure your lenses meet the European standard for UV protection. 

It's a common misconception that we don't need protection on cloudy days. This may be true for wearing a tint,as it may not be as bright. UV however can penetrate through the clouds, so is still present, even when the sun isn't shining.

Tip: Day to day spectacle lenses can now be glazed to completely block out the sun's UV, therefore preventing long term damage. So now, clear lenses can give full coverage, all year long.

Have blue eyes? It's true that people with blue or lighter coloured eyes are more at risk of UV damage. Which in turn increases the risk of AMD. This is because lighter coloured eyes contain less melanin, a naturally occurring protective pigment.

Tip: Become familiar with the risk factors that contribute to AMD (Read more about AMD here). 

Sand and water are highly reflective, so they increase the UV levels in the surrounding area. If you're visiting the beach or planning a holiday, be sure to have protective sunglasses ready. 

Tip: Polarised lenses are extremely effective at blocking out glare, giving clear, undisturbed vision even on the sunniest of days. 

Our most vulnerable time, is up to the age of 5. After this our lens becomes more adapted to blocking out UV; so we better protect our retina (the camera film like layer, at the back of the eye). Damage done at this age can contribute to the development of cataracts later on in life.

Tip: Making sure your children have the appropriate sun protection, will help to reduce the cumulative effects of UV damage early on. 

If you are frequently exposed to UV, whether walking the dog or vacationing in warmer climates, you should protect your eyes. Be sure your sunglasses provide good vision, a high level of protection and enjoy the summer!

Matheson Optometrists stock a large range of optical quality sunglasses that give excellent protection against UV light giving you safer more comfortable vision in strong sunlight.We can provide plano sunglasses or have them made to your prescription. Prescription sunglasses are available at Matheson Optometrists from £59.95, including frames, lightweight tinted plastics lenses and UV 400 treatment.