Most adults, starting around the age of 40, experience an accommodative disorder called presbyopia, causing our eyes to lose the ability to focus up close.  It is for this condition that progressive lenses were designed.  Progressive lenses can give you clear vision at all distances: up close, far away and everything in between.  However, in traditionally surfaced progressive lenses, the changing power of the lens from top to bottom creates some unavoidable optical issues, which we can now address with the latest progressive lens technology. 

In the past, typical progressive lens issues include:

• an uncomfortable transition between near and far
• a narrow field of vision at all ranges
• reduced peripheral vision
• distortion or swimming sensations when moving head and/or eyes
• feelings of instability when walking

Progressive lenses have come a long way, especially in the last two years.  We now have access to new technologies which have enabled progressive lens designers to reduce or completely eliminate some of the issues mentioned above.

Traditional progressive lenses are usually made with molds, where each lens is initially created the same, then your prescription is added to it later.  In addition, traditional surfacing of progressives can only incorporate two facial measurements; the height of your pupil in the frame and the distance between your pupils.  One further limitation to traditional surfacing is that it can only correct your prescription in quarter diopter increments and only in the optical center of the lens.  This is a little like buying a men’s suit off the rack and then having it tailored to fit you, which works but isn’t perfect.

With the latest technologies, each progressive lens is “digitally surfaced” individually for each wearer.  Your optician has the option of including several more fitting measurements; pupil height, pupil distance, vertex distance, pantoscopic tilt, frame wrap, eye movement and more.  The optometrist can also fine tune your prescription down to a sixteenth of a diopter and digital surfacing allows us to compensate the prescription throughout the entire field of lens, not just the center.  Taking all these new measurements, loading them into complex computer equations and combining that with the latest machining techniques, including microscopic digital lathes and polishers, means no two lenses are produced the same.  This is like having a suit custom made for you by the best tailor in the business.

The end result for you is:

• perfect interaction between near and far
• wide viewing areas at all distances
• no more limited field of view
• no more swimming sensation
• more secure, distortion free vision when moving

More than ever, it’s important to remember that not all progressive lenses are created equal.  While many optometry offices still sell the old stand-by lenses, we at Urban Optiks insist on providing you with only the best quality vision that today’s technology can provide.  You will pay more for these advancements but you will also experience vision superior to that provided buy the older technology lenses.

Urban Optiks is proud to provide the best progressive technology from lens innovators such as Carl Zeiss, Shamir and Hoya Vision.

Click on the links below for more information on any of the topics that interest you:

• Are you over 40? Facts to Know About Age-Related Vision Changes
• Tips for better wearing comfort of progressive lenses
• Simply see better with progressive lenses
• Progressive Lenses – Small Masterpieces

And check out this great video from Hoya Vision showing the complete process of creating a “digitally surfaced” progressive lens…

Are you a contact lens wearer?  Do you want to be?  If so, in addition to your comprehensive eye examination, you will need a contact lens “fitting”.  We have previously discussed what to expect during a routine eye examination, however, this is just the first step necessary to the process of fitting contact lenses. 

Contact lenses are classified as a medical device by the FDA and as such are subject to their rules and regulations, namely The Fairness To Contact Lens Consumers Act.  This law protects both the consumer and the optometrist by providing very clear guidelines as to what constitutes a valid contact lens prescription, how long before these prescriptions expire, etc.

In some cases, your optometrist will need to perform up to 30 additional diagnostic steps to produce a contact lens prescription for you.  The “fitting” process includes these additional steps and tests, along with setting you up in diagnostic lenses and all follow-up care.  These additional steps require additional time and thus additional cost.  Please inform your optometrist that you are in need of contact lenses when you schedule your exam.  This will let them know to allot extra time for the extra steps, ensuring a successfull outcome. 

The fitting process is both a science and an art which requires a high level of expertise and experience on the part of the optometrist.  The additional contact lens fitting fees usually run from $70 to $220, depending on the level of difficulty.

A Contact Lens Fitting – What to Expect

Your eye doctor may ask you some lifestyle questions to get an idea of what modality of contact lens might work best for you.  Some questions to consider before heading into your appointment:

• What are your vision goals?
• Do you want to change the color of your eyes?
• Do you want to be able to sleep in your contact lenses?
• Do you want your contacts to help you with a specific vision problem (e.g. reading)?
• Do you want your contact lenses to be used for specific tasks (e.g. sports)?
• Do you have difficulty touching your eyes?

Once the doctor has done his additional testing (see below) and determined which modality best fits your needs, you will need to actually try on the lenses he is suggesting.  Most often, the doctor stocks diagnostic lenses for fitting purposes and will give you a pair to put on at the time of the initial exam. 

At this point, if you are a new contact lens wearer, you will go through an extensive training on insertion, removal, and cleaning of contact lenses.  This process can take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour or more.

Once the diagnostic lenses are on your eyes and settled in, the optometrist will do additional testing.  You will likely be able to take the diagnostic lenses home with you.  The idea here is to wear them in your real life for a week to see how they settle in and then return for a follow up appointment a week or so later.

The follow up appointment is a necessary and important step in finalizing your contact lens prescription.  The way each contact lens interacts with your eye chemistry can only be determined after you have worn it for a while.  Usually, only one follow up is necessary but not always.  Sometimes, with more complicated fittings, you may need to come back several times, allowing the doctor to “tweek” the prescription in order to provide the most accurate and comfortable vision.

Additional Testing Needed For Contact Fittings

Some of the things your eye doctor will be looking at when he is going through the fitting process are:

• Your cornea’s curvature
• Your cornea’s topography
• The diameter of your pupil
• The diameter of your iris
• The integrity of your tear film
• Your overall corneal health
• Your overall conjunctival health

Something To Remember

A contact lens is a foreign body being placed directly on your cornea.  The cornea is made up of living, breathing cells performing daily metabolic processes, such as excreting waste and obtaining oxygen.  The result of these processes determines how your contact will perform and makes it very important that you follow the recomendations of your optometrist in regards to wear, care and replacement of your contacts.  Overwearing your contact lenses can have negative results on these living cells and on your overall eye health.  It is therefore equally important that you have your annual contact lens fitting, as required by law, so that the optometrist can check that the contact lenses have not caused any adverse effects.