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7 Reasons To Wear Sunglasses

Designer Sunglasses & Optical Frames at Kamloops Family Vision Clinic

Sunglasses Not Only Protect Your Eyes, But They Look Great and Can Accommodate Every Style and Budget

How times have changed. This year, Summer is looking very different than it did a year ago. Yet despite COVID-19, it’s important to spend time outdoors, whether in your garden or on daily walks.

Although sunglasses are ubiquitous symbols of style, they also serve an important function in protecting your eye health.

7 Reasons To Sport A Great Pair Of Sunglasses

    • Sunglasses Provide UV Protection

When most people think about sun-related damage, they think about their skin. But the sun’s ultraviolet rays also pose a threat to a person’s eyes. Protect your eyes by wearing a pair of sunglasses that block 100% of both UVB and UVA radiation.

  • They Help Prevent Cataracts and Macular Degeneration

Both cataracts and macular degeneration are the leading causes of visual impairment and blindness worldwide. You’re at a higher risk of developing these conditions if you expose your eyes to excessive amounts of UV radiation. The risk can be minimized by wearing glasses that protect against this radiation.

  • Cataracts cloud the lenses of the eyes, causing blurred vision. Years of exposure to UV rays cause the protein in the lens of the eye to clump and thicken, preventing light from passing through it. ..
  • Macular degeneration refers to central vision loss due to a damaged retina. UV light can be harmful to the eyes, specifically the retina, and exposure to UV rays is a risk factor for the onset of age-related macular degeneration later in life.
  • Sunglasses Can Help Prevent Certain Cancers

Ultraviolet exposure has been associated with certain eye cancers and several types of skin cancer found on the eyelids. You can reduce your risk significantly by wearing a pair of sunglasses that offer 100% UV protection. Keep in mind that when choosing shades, it doesn’t matter how dark they are or the color of the lenses. The most important thing is that they block 99% to 100% of UVA and UVB rays.

  • Sunglasses Keep You Looking Younger

Though a stylish pair of shades makes anyone feel youthful on the inside, it can also make you actually look younger on the outside. By protecting the delicate skin around your eyes, sunglasses slow down the development of wrinkles and crow’s feet. This leads to a more youthful appearance over the years.

  • They Protect Highly Sensitive Eyes

If you have light-colored eyes, take medication that causes photosensitivity (light sensitivity), or have a medical condition that causes you to be more sensitive to light (such as dry eye, corneal abrasion, scleritis, or conjunctivitis) you’ll need to protect your eyes with UV-blocking sunglasses. Note that large sunglasses block more UV rays than smaller ones.

  • Shades Protect Eyes Recovering From a Medical Procedure

Eye surgeries such as LASIK or cataract surgery are common nowadays. You must continue to wear sunglasses following a procedure to prevent complications.

  • Sunglasses Enable You to See and Enjoy More

Aside from protecting your eye health, wearing sunglasses helps you see better in bright light. They reduce glare and improve the contrast of what you see, allowing you to better enjoy the sunny outdoors or drive more safely.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How do I know which Sunwear lenses absorb UV rays the most?

  • A: Generally, most Sunwear lenses will absorb UV lenses to some degree. Lenses that are marked CR-39R plastic, absorb about 88 percent of UV light. If sunglasses contain polycarbonate lenses, UV absorption will be 100 percent.

Q: Is there a difference between a cheap pair of regular sunglasses versus designer sunglasses?

  • A: I believe once you put on a pair of polarized sunglasses you will understand and appreciate the difference. the clarity and the color difference are amazing. It is also one of the best ways to protect your eyes from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays. A “regular” pair of sunglasses is better than nothing ( along with wearing a hat) in protecting your eyes from the sun, but there is no comparison to polarized sunglasses

Visit the Kamloops Optical Near You

In addition to the countless eye health benefits that come with regularly wearing sunglasses, a pair of stylish shades can really spice up your look. Moreover, at Kamloops Family Vision Clinic, we offer a range of styles to choose from, whether you’re on a tight budget or want to splurge on high-end designer shades. So come visit us in Kamloops and select your favorite pair.

Want Frames that Fit Right? Don’t Buy Eyeglasses Online!

Benefits of buying glasses from an optical store near you

We get it, online shopping has become a staple in our lives. Even if you’re still lounging in your pj’s, you can browse items on the screen, make a selection and choose to pay now. All that’s left to do is wait for your delivery to arrive. However, this process doesn’t work smoothly for all purchases! Eyeglasses in particular are one item that’s better to buy from an optical store near you.

Before you raise your eyebrows in skepticism over this fact, let’s review the risks involved in buying designer frames from a website – instead of from a helpful, qualified optician.

All glasses don’t fit all people

When you choose frames from an online vendor, you’re probably given the option of uploading an image of yourself for “trying on” the glasses. But this process has limitations – namely, you’ll be able to see how the glasses look on your face, but you won’t be able to feel how they fit. Do they rest snugly on your nose, or do they slip down? Are the temples comfortable behind your ears, or do they pinch?

The only way to assess the fit of your glasses is to put them on your face. At our eye care center, our friendly optician will check if the glasses rest properly on your face and provide clear vision. Remember, ill-fitting glasses can do more than hurt your head, they can also blur your eyesight!

Quality you can depend on

As your trusted neighborhood optical store, we invest time and energy into stocking only quality frames that you can rely upon. Our glasses are handpicked from the designer brands you know and love, featuring top construction, trending style, and long-lasting use. When you shop online, you’ll never find this attention to detail and quality. Also, we use premium optics and precise engineering to ensure that your lenses fit your frames perfectly, giving the sharpest vision possible. What good are glasses that don’t hold up to daily wear, or worse, don’t provide crisp sight?

Eye exams are an essential part of buying glasses

When choosing the shape of your frames, your vision prescription must be considered. If you need bifocals or multifocal lenses, a minimum size is typically needed to make sure the lenses line up correctly with your PD (pupil distance). If your PD is wrong, the optics won’t work. The only way to confirm that your eyeglasses provide clear vision is by having our optician perform a thorough vision test.

Your optician will explain your lens options

Even after you’ve chosen the designer frames of your dreams, do you know which lens options you need? Your daily activities, occupation, and hobbies are important factors. Depending on what you do each day, our optical staff will recommend various lens treatments and coatings. For example, computer users can benefit from blue light protection, photochromic lenses can be ideal for people who move between indoors and outdoors constantly, and impact-resistant plastics are a good match if you’re physically active. When you order lenses from an optical center near you, you eliminate the guesswork of figuring out which features to add.

We care about you! Online vendors care about making sales

When you enter a website to buy cheap knock-offs or costly designer frames, there’s no personalized hands-on assistance. In contrast, our friendly optician will help you from the moment you enter our optical store! If any problems arise, we stand by our products. We’re available to help or make adjustments to your frames, as needed.

At Kamloops Family Vision Clinic, we put your family’s needs first. Talk to us about how we can help you maintain healthy vision. Call us today: 250-374-8755 or book an appointment online to see one of our Kamloops eye doctors.

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Do Your Eyeglasses Fit Right?

Get an eye exam to check the fit of your glasses

Tips and guidelines are all over the internet about how to choose the perfect eyeglasses for your face. Which advice should you listen to? Do any of these helpful hints have any real value?

Truthfully, there are many myths about what’s important when it comes to selecting frames that fit right. We’ve prepared the following helpful facts and instructions to guide your decision. Once you’ve narrowed down your eyeglasses choices to a few favorites, the best thing to do is ask our optical staff! We’re trained to check the precise fit of eyeglasses and to make adjustments, as necessary. If your vision isn’t up to par with your new glasses, we can also perform a detailed eye exam to ensure that an inaccurate prescription isn’t the problem.

The Basics Behind Well-Fitting Eyeglasses

Face shape isn’t most important: One of the most widespread myths is that you need to first identify your face shape to pick eyeglasses that complement your features. However, if you’ve ever looked at pictures of different shaped faces – round, square, triangular, heart-shaped, etc…, you probably got stuck. That’s because most people don’t neatly match up to one shape. It’s more probable that your face combines the elements of a few different shapes, and you don’t need to pinpoint them to find the best-looking glasses.

Glasses must feel comfortable: Many people simply settle, getting used to eyeglasses that pinch slightly behind their ears or press on the sides of their noses. Uncomfortable glasses are not something anyone should live with! When frames fit right, they feel good – they don’t slip, pinch, lead to headaches, or brush up against your eyelashes.

One size doesn’t fit all

Although many glasses can work for different size heads, the rule of thumb is that smaller, more delicate frames fit smaller heads best, and larger frames complement larger heads. Balance and proportion is key – large frame designs can overwhelm small heads, and tiny frames can make big heads look even larger.

Measurements that Matter

If our optical staff had to sum up the main criteria for fitting eyeglasses (not taking personal style into account), we’d break it down to matching you with the right frame width, arm length, and bridge width.

Frame width

The width of your eyeglasses is important for reasons beyond giving you an attractive appearance. It’s also linked to the placement of your pupils within each lens, which is inextricably connected to the quality of your vision. Frame width should extend slightly past your cheekbones, far enough so the arm of the frames doesn’t touch your temple – and close enough that you can’t fit more than one finger in that same area. This is particularly important for people who wear bifocals or progressives, so you see through the correct portion of each lens.

Arm (temple) length

The arms of your eyeglasses should go straight back towards your ears and only contact the side of your head just in front of your ears. If temples curve too early, they’ll push the glasses down your nose and apply too much pressure on the bridge, leading to headaches.

Bridge size

The bridge is the part of your eyeglasses that goes over your nose. It needs to fit snugly, not pinching or sliding around loosely. Often, metal frames have adjustable nose pads to help customize the fit – but acetate glasses usually don’t have this feature. If the bridge is too tight, you’ll feel uncomfortable and your vision will likely suffer because the lenses sit too high on your face. If the bridge is too loose, your eyeglasses will constantly slide down your nose.

What can you do when your fit isn’t right?

Ill-fitting eyeglasses can make your appearance look a bit off, as well as negatively affect your vision. Whatever the problem, your best bet is to visit our optical store for assistance. If poor vision is your complaint, we’ll first perform an eye exam to confirm that your prescription is accurate and that the lenses were crafted correctly. If the problem lies in the size and shape of your frames, there’s a variety of ways we can fix the situation. Arm temples, nose pads, and bridges can be adjusted and customized for your face. Instead of suffering uncomfortable vision, talk to your eye doctor!

At Kamloops Family Vision Clinic, we put your family’s needs first. Talk to us about how we can help you maintain healthy vision. Call us today: 250-374-8755 or book an appointment online to see one of our Kamloops eye doctors.

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Help! My Child Doesn’t Want to Wear Glasses!

Do your kids need glasses in order to see clearly? Maybe they have a strong case of nearsightedness, perhaps they have astigmatism, or another type of refractive error. Whatever the cause, getting your kids to wear eyeglasses can be a parenting challenge.

Dr. Williston treats patients from all over Kamloops, British Columbia with their vision correction needs. The knowledgeable, caring staff at Kamloops Family Vision Clinic can help you and your kids if they’re struggling with their glasses or don’t want to wear them.

Why Won’t My Child Wear His or Her Glasses?

To help your children get the best vision possible, you first need to understand why they’re fighting with you over their glasses. It usually stems from something physical, emotional, or social, such as:

  • Wrong fit
  • Wrong prescription
  • Personal style
  • Reactions from friends

How do you know which it is? Pay close attention to the signs, from what your kids say, to how they behave, to how they interact with others.

Physical

Improper fit is a big reason why glasses could feel uncomfortable. If they slip down, itch behind the ears, or put pressure on the bridge of the nose, it can explain why a child wouldn’t like to wear them.

If there’s been a big change to their prescription, they may need time to get used to it. If they were given the wrong prescription, they may be straining their eyes, getting headaches, or having eye fatigue. An incorrect prescription can make wearing glasses painful or awkward. It doesn’t correct their vision, either, so they’ll still see blurry images. When this happens, your eye doctor can check the prescription and make an adjustment.

Emotional

Your kids at home aren’t the same as your kids in school, on the sports field, or with their friends. They may be afraid of being made fun of in school, or they may not want the sudden attention on their appearance. These feelings can be even stronger among the tween and teen set.

Social

Even young kids can feel different when they put on a pair of glasses, especially if it’s for the first time. Feeling different or weird, in their eyes, translates to a negative experience. When wearing glasses makes them feel like the odd man out, they may not want to wear them. The last thing your child wants is to feel like a social outcast. After all, everyone wants to belong.

How We Can Help

First, bring your child in to the eye doctor for an eye exam. Our optometrist, Dr. Williston, will check to make sure that your child has the right prescription and that any vision problems are being corrected. Next, we’ll take a look at the glasses and place them on your child’s face to determine if they’ve got the proper fit. Our optician will take care of any adjustments that need to be made.

The Vision They Need, The Style They Want

Fashion isn’t only for adults. Your budding fashionista or trendy young stud wants to look awesome, so don’t forget about style. When your kids look great, they’ll feel great! Give them the top-quality eyewear they need without compromising on style. Your kids are a lot more likely to wear glasses when they like the way they look.

What You Can Do to Help

Encourage, stay positive, and don’t give up. Avoid telling them what you want them to wear. Let them choose for themselves. In the end, they’re the ones wearing the glasses. Making decisions is an important life skill, something they’ll need as they grow up and become more independent.

For younger children, use positive words to encourage them. Talk about how glasses are like magic, letting them see beautiful things around them. Show them how a pretty flower or a bright red truck looks with the glasses on, and how different it looks with the glasses off. For older kids, throw in a little pop culture. Tell them how trendy they’ll look by showing them pictures of celebrities who also wear glasses. You’ll also rack up some cool parent points.

At Kamloops Family Vision Clinic, we have the experience and unique approach to children’s eyewear that will make your kids want to wear their glasses. Schedule an eye exam today – you can book an appointment online right here. If you have any questions or concerns, give us a call and we’ll be glad to help.