How to Buy Contact Lenses Online

Person putting a contact lens to their eye

How to Buy Contact Lenses Online

Buying contact lenses online can be overwhelming, but our expert guide will help you navigate the process with ease.

SUMMARY

To buy contact lenses online, you need to:

1. Have a valid contact lens prescription
2. Choose the type that matches your prescription and comfort
3. Enter your prescription details and checkout

In today’s digital age, the convenience of online shopping extends to essential items like contact lenses.

Whether you are new to wearing contacts or a seasoned wearer looking to streamline your buying process, purchasing contact lenses online can be straightforward and efficient when done correctly.

This guide will walk you through the essential steps to ensure a smooth and successful purchase of contact lenses on SmartBuyGlasses.

Understanding your prescription

The process of buying contact lenses begins with obtaining a valid prescription from your optometrist or ophthalmologist.

If you currently wear glasses and are considering switching to contact lenses, you may think that your glasses prescription will simply carry over to your lenses.

Unfortunately, that is not the case; the two prescriptions differ.

The optical properties of glasses and contact lenses differ because glasses sit on your nose, a small distance away from your eyes, but contact lenses lay directly on the surface of your eyes.

As a result, each requires a unique prescription to get the optimal vision correction and perfect fit, you should not manually transfer your prescription from glasses to contacts.

A valid contact lens prescription tells you exactly what your eyes need. It includes numbers for correcting nearsightedness or farsightedness (sphere), fixing irregular eye shape (cylinder), and the angle of correction (axis).

Additionally, a contact lens prescription includes the base curve (BC), which ensures the lens fits the shape of your eye comfortably.

It also specifies the diameter (DIA), which is crucial for ensuring the lens fits correctly on your eye.

DID YOU KNOW?

Two-thirds of contact lens wearers are female, and the average age of wearers around the world is 31 years old.

Which contact lenses suit you best?

With a diverse range of contact lens brands available at SmartBuyGlasses, finding ones that will suit you best is simple.

In our contact lens collection, you can choose between daily and monthly options, each offering distinct advantages.

Daily disposable lenses are convenient for daily use as they can be disposed of after each wear, making them ideal for occasional users or those who prefer hassle-free maintenance.

Alternatively, monthly lenses are designed for extended wear, lasting up to 30 days with proper care.

These lenses are typically thicker and often provide enhanced comfort compared to daily disposables, making them suitable for regular, continuous wear.

It’s also crucial to select the right type of lenses based on your specific needs. For correcting astigmatism, toric contact lenses are specially designed to refract light differently to address this condition effectively.

However, to determine the best option for you, seek guidance from your optometrist.

Simple steps to order your contact lenses

To get your contact lenses delivered straight to your doorstep, just follow a few straightforward steps and you’ll be able to enjoy the convenience of ordering at the touch of a button.

Step 1: Go to the contact lenses category page on our website

Go to the contact lenses category page on our website, where you’ll find a wide range of options to suit your vision correction needs.

Step 2: Filter your search by frequency

In the filter section, customize your search by selecting the use period you require.

Whether you prefer the convenience of daily disposables, the longevity of monthly lenses, or the flexibility of weekly disposables, you can easily find what suits your routine best.

Step 3: Select the type of contact lenses you need

Further refine your selection by filtering based on the specific type of contact lenses you need.

Choose from options like spherical, toric (for astigmatism correction), multifocal (for presbyopia), or colored contact lenses to enhance your look.

You can find your prescribed lens details on your prescription. Simply search for the brand, and you’ll be able to find your perfect fit.

Once you’ve identified the lenses that meet your criteria, click on them to view detailed product information. It’s essential to ensure you’re selecting lenses that match your prescription accurately.

Step 4: Enter your prescription details

Provide the details of your contact lens prescription with precision. Double-check every entry to ensure your lenses meet your specific vision requirements.

Step 5: Choose quantity and add to cart

Select how many boxes of lenses you’d like to buy and place them in your shopping cart.

Step 6: Checkout

Finalize your purchase by heading to the checkout and completing the payment process, and then you’re done. Your contact lenses will soon be on their way!

Aftercare and safety tips

Aftercare is essential for maintaining optimal eye health while wearing contact lenses.

To ensure your safety, it’s crucial to follow proper lens care practices, including regular cleaning and disinfection.

Always handle your lenses with clean hands to reduce the risk of introducing harmful bacteria.

Additionally, store your lenses in fresh solution and replace your lens case regularly to prevent contamination.

Avoiding online vision exams is also recommended, as they may not accurately provide prescriptions or detect underlying eye conditions.

Instead, prioritize regular visits to your optometrist for comprehensive eye exams.

These visits help monitor your eye health and ensure your contact lens prescription is up-to-date.

By following these guidelines, you can maintain clear vision safely and comfortably with your contact lenses.

And, with the ease of a few clicks, purchasing contact lenses online becomes quick and convenient.

How To Put Contact Lenses In

Putting it contact lenses can seem uncomforable and tricky at the beginning. You'll be able to do it with ease...

How To Put Contact Lenses In

Putting it contact lenses can seem uncomforable and tricky at the beginning. You'll be able to do it with ease...

What are Bifocal Glasses?

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What are Bifocal Glasses?

What are bifocals? | How do bifocal lenses work? | Bifocal vs progressive lenses | Advantages and disadvantages of bifocal lenses | Can you have LASIK if you wear bifocals? | Bifocal lenses

Bifocal lenses have significant advantages, but there are other things to consider before deciding if a pair of bifocals is the best choice for you.

Bifocal glasses have come a long way since the 1700s when Benjamin Franklin created the first pair. He coined them “double spectacles,” as they contained two different types of lenses in one pair of glasses.

If you’re tired of constantly switching between glasses, bifocals might be the solution. And don’t worry, the lenses and style have significantly evolved since Ben Franklin’s pair.

What are bifocals?

Bifocals are unique multifocal lenses that allow you to have one pair of prescription glasses that can improve both near and far eyesight. If you look closely at bifocal lenses, you may notice a difference between the long-distance and close-range lenses, and that’s because they are two different prescriptions.

To others looking at you, the difference is almost undetectable. This lens is designed to work as both reading and prescription glasses, all in one frame.

How do bifocal lenses work?

The lens is divided in two, the larger part of the lens, located at the top, is for seeing long-distance. It can help you see far away, read street signs or watch television from across the room. The smaller part, located at the bottom of the lens, allows for improved close-up vision.

This part enables you to check your smartphone or read a book. Bifocal lenses may take some time to adjust, but they are easy to use. You use bifocals by moving your eyes depending on the distance you wish to see.

Generally, you look up and through the larger portion when looking farther away, and you look down through the smaller segment when focusing on objects nearer to your eyes.

Bifocals are an excellent option for people with presbyopia, an age-related loss of the eyes’ ability to focus on nearby objects. Bifocals can also be worn with contact lenses, making them a versatile option for many.

DID YOU KNOW?

Benjamin Franklin invented bifocals in 1779. He had developed both shortsightedness and nearsightedness over the years, and so he came up with this innovative solution.

Bifocal vs progressive lenses

Both bifocal and progressive lenses allow you to transition from near to far prescriptions all in one lens. Both can also be used as a solution for presbyopia and provide comfortable vision for people with multiple prescriptions. While similar, there are a few distinct differences between the two.

Bifocal lenses

Two vision segments (one for near and one for distance vision)
Has a distinct line separating the segments
May cause difficulty reading a computer screen

Progressive lenses

Progression between all distances (near, intermediate, and far vision)
No distinction between distance powers in the lens (no line)
Middle segment for better computer vision

While many immediately choose a progressive lens because of the seamless transition, some find the strong distinction between prescriptions in a bifocal lens more comfortable.

It is important to consider your lifestyle and preference when choosing your lenses. If you’re curious or want more information, visit our Optical Center and speak with one of our opticians.

Advantages and disadvantages of bifocal lenses

As is the case with most things, bifocal lenses have advantages and disadvantages. It is important to remember that everyone has different needs when it comes to glasses. Speaking with an optician and finding the right lenses is just as important as how they look.

Advantages

One pair of glasses for near and far vision
Typically more affordable than progressive lenses
May be easier to adjust to than progressive lenses

Disadvantages

Distinct separation lines may be distracting or “unfashionable”
Visual distortion is more likely than wearing two separate pairs of glasses
No area for intermediate vision
They may take more time to adjust to than single vision glasses

Can you have LASIK if you wear bifocals?

LASIK is an eye surgery that uses a laser to reshape the cornea. The cornea is the clear tissue that covers the eye and helps focus light. LASIK can treat vision problems such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism.

As we’ve discussed, bifocal wearers need glasses for both near and far vision correction. So is LASIK an alternative to regularly wearing bifocals?

According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, people who regularly wear bifocals can undergo a particular form of LASIK called monovision LASIK. Monovision LASIK is when one eye is treated for distance vision and the other for close-up vision.

Another option for bifocal wearers is full distance LASIK, focusing on correcting both eyes for distance. People who choose this form of LASIK will typically continue to wear reading glasses for close-range tasks and computer work.

LASIK may not be a solution for everyone, and speaking with your eye doctor about the possibility, procedure, results, and possible complications is imperative.

Bifocal lenses

Having progressed since Benjamin Franklin first wore them, bifocals are different from the same old lenses. Bifocals are a great option for people who are sick of switching between glasses. With the ability to wear one pair and see both near and far clearly and accurately, bifocals are an easy and economical solution.

How to Test Blue Light Glasses

man wearing blue light blocking glasses how to test them

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How to Test Blue Light Glasses

Discover the different types of blue light glasses and how to test their efficacy at-home.

In today’s world, people stare at digital screens every day, which can cause long-term damage to our eyes.

With hundreds of brands offering blue light-blocking glasses, many people aren’t aware that their regular glasses may also have a blue light filter. How can we determine if they effectively block harmful blue light?

Thankfully, you don’t need to go to your local optometrist to find this out. Here we’ve gathered five different ways you can perform a blue light filter test from the comfort of your home.

What is blue light?

Before discussing the various at-home blue light tests, we need to learn what exactly blue light is.

Blue light is a type of light with a short wavelength and high energy that is emitted by digital screens, LED lights, and the sun.

Some blue light is natural and necessary for our well-being, but when blue light rays reach a wavelength between 415-455nm, they can hit the retina and have a detrimental effect on vision.

In this case, wearing blue light glasses can be an effective way to counteract the effect of this short-wavelength light, and protect your eyes in the long term.

Different types of blue light-blocking lenses

At first sight blue light glasses can be distinguished by their lens color. Understanding the differences between these lenses can help you choose the right ones for your needs.

Clear lenses

The most common type of blue light glasses – also known as blue light computer glasses – contain clear lenses.

These are especially useful when using your phone or laptop, or while watching TV. They are perfect for daily use because they significantly relieve digital eye strain and improve sleep quality.

Their subtle coating filters out 25-30% of all blue light while maintaining the natural color of objects.

Yellow lenses

Yellow lenses are recommended for nighttime driving because of their ability to provide better contrast.

They block 65-70% of all blue light and reduce glare from artificial light sources such as traffic lights and LED car headlights.

Orange & red lenses

Orange and red lenses offer the highest level of blue light protection. They filter out 99.5–99.9% of all blue light and can help improve sleep quality by minimizing the disruption of the sleep hormone melatonin.

Using these glasses in the evening or before bedtime can reduce eye strain and fatigue, especially during prolonged periods of screen time.

In comparison with yellow lenses, blue light glasses with orange and red lenses are not suitable for nighttime driving.

They can also cause color distortion making objects appear slightly different in hue. This may not be ideal for tasks that require color accuracy, such as graphic design or photo editing.

DID YOU KNOW?

Not all colored lenses effectively filter blue light; it’s the science behind the lens tint and coating that determines their efficacy in blocking harmful wavelengths.

Five ways to test blue light glasses

Testing blue light glasses doesn’t have to be complicated.

With a few simple methods, you can ensure that your glasses effectively block blue light and provide the protection you need without the need of visiting the local optician.

1. Reflection test

This is a good initial test to determine your glasses’ authenticity. Hold your blue light glasses up to a light source and observe the reflection.

If you spot a blue reflection on the lens surface, it indicates that they are effectively blocking blue light, though it doesn’t specify their level of blue light filtration.

2. Pigment test

Hold your glasses up to a screen emitting white light, such as a computer screen with a white background. If the screen appears slightly yellow, it means that the glasses filter blue light.

3. RGB color chart test

Use a digital device to display an RGB color chart. Put on your blue light glasses and observe the colors. If the blue light is effectively blocked, the blue section “B” should appear slightly darker or almost black and the green circle “G” should be a bit dimmed.

The image on the left represents a regular RGB color chart, while the image on the right has been modified to simulate the results when using blue light lenses.

If you have true blue light filtering eyewear, both images will appear almost identical through your glasses.

4. Black and blue circle test

Similar to the previous test, put on your blue light glasses and look at the black and blue circles. If the circles appear less bright and a dark gray color, your glasses are working as they should.

5. Spectrophotometer test

While the other methods are a great way to test your blue light-blocking lenses and can be done at home, using a spectrophotometer is the best way to accurately and precisely measure how much blue light is being filtered.

The spectrophotometer test can be done in specialized labs or optical stores. The device will generate a spectrum report indicating the percentage of blue and green light blocked by your glasses, allowing you to assess their effectiveness.

Test not to use: blue light pen test

While there are many effective at-home tests, we advise you not to use a blue light pen to test your glasses.

The blue light test pen often accompanies blue light glasses imported from China and other local manufacturers.

This test kit typically includes a blue light pen and a small white card. The instructions claim that the pen emits blue light, and when shone on the card, it supposedly appears blue.

However, this test is fake because these pens emit violet light, not blue. Lab-grade spectrometers have confirmed that the wavelength of this light falls between 380-400nm, well within the violet light spectrum, while blue light ranges from 400nm to 500nm.

Glasses that pass the pen test filter violet light but do not block the harmful blue light emitted by LED screens.

Final thoughts

There are many blue light-blocking glasses out there and before relying on them, we need to find out if they are really serving their purpose.

By performing these simple tests, you can ensure that your blue light glasses are providing the protection you need to reduce eye strain and improve your overall eye health.

If you want to learn more about eye health, you can explore our Optical Center and Lens Hub.

Color Blindness Glasses: EnChroma Glasses

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Color Blindness Glasses: EnChroma Glasses

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By Emma Moletto

Reviewed by

Updated On Apr 23, 2023

Color blindness is a type of vision deficiency which affects the way people perceive colors. There are different types of color blindness and different options to correct it.

Did you know that humans are born completely color-blind? Then by the age of 6 months, they should be able to see the full-color spectrum. In some cases, though, this ability doesn’t fully develop due to genetics, resulting in color blindness. This color vision deficiency can also happen due to damage to the eye or brain.

Fortunately, color vision technology has improved enormously in the past years. EnChroma colorblindness glasses are revolutionary in helping people see a larger spectrum of bright, crisp tints and shades.

Read on to learn more about color blindness and how EnChroma glasses work. Please keep in mind that this article is purely informative, as we do not sell EnChroma or any other type of color-blindness eyeglasses at SmartBuyGlasses.

What are the types of color blindness?

White light is actually made up of the different colors of the rainbow. When it enters the eye, three different parts of the visible spectrum are recognized: blue, green, and red.

These colors are picked up by color-sensitive photoreceptors found within photopigments (pigments that react to light, contained in nerve cells in the retina). When these receptors do not function efficiently, a color vision deficiency occurs.

Colorblindness includes:

Red-green colorblindness (deuteranomaly or deuteranopia)
Blue-yellow colorblindness (tritanomaly or tritanopia)
Complete color blindness (monochromacy)

Red-green color blinding is caused by being unable to differentiate between red and green colors. It is the most common type of color blindness. Blue-yellow color blindness is caused by the ability to distinguish between blue and white. In the worst cases, the various shades of a hue can be reduced by up to 90%.

To determine if you are color blind, take this quick and easy online test here. We recommend visiting a qualified eye care professional for more accurate results, especially for kids.

What are EnChroma glasses?

EnChroma glasses are lenses specifically engineered to help correct color blindness. The color-blind glasses allow them to see a broader spectrum of bright colors. This innovation has been proven to help 80% of people with a lack of color perception.

They are made of an EnChroma lens technology with a patented light filter. This is applied incredibly carefully and primarily targets red-green vision deficiency, which is the most common kind.

It is worth noting that EnChroma lenses are not a cure for color blindness. An eye exam from a professional optician is required to establish whether it is possible to have the condition treated.

Who are EnChroma glasses for?

Red-green color deficiency is the most frequently found form of the condition. It affects just under 5% of the global population, representing about 350 million people. However, men are more likely to suffer from color blindness than women.

It is estimated that around one in twelve men experience difficulties distinguishing red from green, compared to just one in 200 women. This is caused by how our genetics work, with the genes for color blindness appearing on the X-chromosome. Consequently, the condition is passed on by women but rarely affects them.

As for color blindness between blue and yellow, this is thought to affect a similar number of people worldwide as red-green color blindness. However, rather than occurring at birth, this condition tends to worsen over time. As a result, the number of cases of blue-yellow blindness is increasing because of our aging population.

Other types of color blindness do exist, but they are so rare that they only impact 1 in 2000 people. Nevertheless, this can vary between different subpopulations.

As red-green color blindness is experienced on the largest scale, this is what is targeted by EnChroma glasses.

DID YOU KNOW?

EnChroma glasses target mainly red-green color deficiency, as it is the most frequently found form of color-blindness. It affects just under 5% of the global population, representing about 350 million people.

How do colorblind glasses work?

The EnChroma lens was initially developed by a glass scientist in the early 2000s (National Institutes of Health, 2020). The technology was supposedly discovered by accident and has undergone intense clinical research for over a decade.

It works by filtering out light wavelengths at the exact spot where the color receptors overlap. The two photoreceptors are changed to increase differentiation between colors along the line of confusion for that person’s eyes.

It is worth considering that less light is permitted to enter the eye as part of the process. As a consequence, it is not advisable to wear such lenses at night. Users are also warned not to wear them while driving for safety reasons.

Do EnChroma glasses really work?

EnChroma glasses* aim to support four out of five cases of red-green color blindness. It cannot guarantee a 100% success rate because there are different levels of severity for color blindness, ranging from mild to severe.

In strong cases, the colorblind person will achieve limited results from EnChroma glasses owing to their complete lack of color vision. However, most people with red-green color blindness will be able to see much brighter, vibrant colors while wearing the glasses.

Extra Features

EnChroma glasses don’t just solve color blindness; they also offer other perks. One example is that they ensure 100% protection from the sun’s UV rays. In addition, the lenses are oleophobic and hydrophobic. This means that the surface repels dust, water, and sweat, making them very easy to clean.

Color-blind contact lenses

An excellent alternative to EnChroma glasses is wearing contact lenses. Some well-known brands are:

ColorMax, developed by Dr. Thomas Azman. This brand’s color correction system can be applied to both glasses and contacts.
Chroma-Gen, which the Brits invented. It offers contacts and glasses and claims to correct more than just red and green color deficiencies, with 8 color tints on offer. An extra benefit of ChromaGen is that the lenses can also support those with dyslexia, as the color tints help clarify the words on the page.

Color blindness possible solutions

Color blindness is the inability of the eye to see the colors clearly. To correct this vision deficiency there are a few options available.

EnChroma glasses* are one of the best solutions for people suffering from red-green colour blindness, but there are also great contact lenses available such as the ColorMax and Chroma-Gen ones. These all use innovative technology to help people see colours correctly.

Make sure to choose the best colorblind glasses or contact lenses only after adequate research and a consultation with your healthcare provider. You can also contact our online certified opticians for free advice on anything related to glasses and vision health.

*SmartBuyGlasses does not sell EnChroma glasses.

Reference list

National Institutes of Health. (2020, February 12). Accidental Discovery Leads to Glasses for the Color Blind. National Institutes of Health. Retrieved April 14, 2023, from https://seed.nih.gov/portfolio/stories/EnChroma

Everything to Know about Acetate Glasses

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Acetate Glasses

What are acetate glasses | Acetate glasses vs. other plastic glasses | Types of eyeglasses frames | SmartBuy Collection acetate frames

Acetate is a type of plastic that is better suited to glasses frames than other plastics. This article takes a look at the advantages of acetate glasses.

What are acetate glasses

Acetate is a nylon-based plastic, making them higher quality than regular plastic material. Because of the way they are made, acetate glasses are often a better option than regular plastic when it comes to choosing the best glasses frames type for you.

Not only is acetate more durable and flexible than other plastics, it is also hypoallergenic and eco-friendly as they are made from natural, renewable resources. Read on to learn about all the benefits of acetate frames.

Acetate glasses vs. other plastic glasses

Affordability: Plastic glasses are cheaper to produce than other materials such as titanium, and therefore they are more affordable to purchase. Acetate, being a type of plastic, is a more durable yet affordable option for types of eyeglasses frames.

With the SmartBuy Collection acetate frames, you can choose from over 140 frames that best fit your budget and style, starting from just $30.

Durability: Conventional plastic glasses are made up from a mixture of substances moulded into a frame shape. Acetate glasses are made of multiple polished layers of plastic, making them more durable than conventional plastic frames.

Part of what makes acetate glasses more durable is that they’re more flexible than other plastics, giving you more wiggle room.

Lasting Color: As conventional plastic is made from one layer of material, the color is typically sprayed or painted on. Acetate frames, on the other hand, are made from multiple layers of color blocks. This results in a richer color that is more likely to survive everyday wear and tear without fading or rubbing off.

Types of eyeglasses frames

When you buy your next pair of glasses, it’s important to know which materials are best for you. Some factors to consider are price, resistancy, and fit. We’ve put together this guide of frame materials below to give you a general overview of acetate glasses compared to other frame options:

Acetate: Acetate glasses are a low price option much like plastic glasses, with the benefits of greater durability and closer related to metal frames.

Metal: Aside from their elegant aesthetic benefits, metal frame glasses are a durable material that aren’t likely to break easily with proper care.

Plastic: The most affordable option, plastic frames make for a great second pair of backup glasses. Plastic is also lightweight and resistant to chemical corrosions.

Titanium: Titanium glasses, while more expensive than other materials, are the most resistant. They are flexible, hypoallergenic, and lightweight for a comfortable fit.
Wood: Wood frame glasses are durable and resistant as well as eco-friendly. Aside from this, they offer a unique aesthetic quality to add to your style.

DID YOU KNOW?

Acetate is hypoallergenic, so there’s no risk of any allergic reaction to acetate frames.

SmartBuy Collection acetate frames

While SmartBuy Collection does have a low price guarantee for a variety of frame materials, the collection of acetate frames is a great middle ground for affordable frames made from high quality materials. You can search for acetate frames for kids, men, or women, or filter by style such as frame shape and color.

Some of the most popular styles of acetate frames include the black square SmartBuy Collection Kennedy glasses for men and women. These acetate glasses come in a variety of colors, including the trendy clear frames. Other fun looks include the Betty Blue Light Block and the Linda Asian Fit rimless frames. Click here to read more about the benefits of rimless glasses.

Blue light acetate frames

When you buy acetate glasses with SmartBuyGlasses, you can add a blue light protective layer at check out. zFORT™ technology is designed to block harmful blue light rays emitted by your LED screens to protect your eyes and potentially improve sleep and eliminate glare.

Add this protection to your favorite pair of acetate frames today to get prescription and blue light glasses all-in-one for an affordable price.

How to Relieve Tired Eyes

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How To Relieve Tired Eyes

Eyes feel heavy | Remedies for tired eyes | Glasses for tired eyes

Just like in the rest of your body, the muscles in your eyes get tired when you use them a lot. Here are a few ways to relieve that feeling.

While heavy eyes could be a sign of overall body fatigue, the term “tired eyes” is usually another way of referring to eye strain. Eye strain occurs when the muscles in your eyes are overused and become tired.

While tired eyes do not cause any eye health damage, they can make everyday tasks more difficult to complete. Tired eyes might also be caused by outside conditions such as headaches or computer vision syndrome. Read on for more information surrounding eye fatigue symptoms, causes, and remedies.

Eyes feel heavy

Symptoms of tired eyes could include trouble focusing, irritated eyes, sensitivity to light, watery eyes, dry eyes, and a sore neck, shoulders, or back. One characteristic of eye strain might be the sensation that your eyes feel heavy. This can be a result of focusing your eyes for long periods of time, without properly resting them.

Tired eyes occur when the eye muscles have not had the opportunity to rest after intense or long periods of use. Some activities that might give you tired eyes could include driving, reading, and excessive screen time.

These activities all require you to visually focus on a task for an extended period of time, resulting in eye fatigue. While tired eyes are usually a result of eye muscle overuse, in some rare cases, heavy eyes could also be a sign of an underlying eye health problem.

Remedies for tired eyes

Solving eye fatigue is usually a matter of changing your daily habits. That is why there are plenty of at-home remedies for tired eyes that you can try. One way to get rid of tired eyes is to work on a task under proper lighting.

Poorly lit areas could result in tired eyes as the eye muscles have to work harder to see. Another way to avoid tired eyes is to take longer, more frequent breaks from visual focusing activities. This will allow your heavy eyes a chance to rest and recuperate.

Other ways to treat eye fatigue could include limiting your screen time and choosing the right eyewear for you. Wearing glasses for driving, reading, and using the computer is a great way to prevent tired eyes.

DID YOU KNOW?

Aside form letting your eyes rest, using the right glasses when reading, mdriving or looking at a screen can also reduce the strain on them.

Glasses for tired eyes

Driving Glasses: Do you get sleepy eyes when you drive? Focusing on the road for an extended period of time is likely to cause sleepy eyes. Driving sunglasses are designed to adjust to light, so your eyes don’t have to work as hard to see clearly.

Giving your eye muscles a break with driving glasses could prevent sleepy eyes while focusing on the road.

Blue Light Glasses: Blue light glasses are one way to avoid digital eye strain or tired eyes.

Our eyes are not designed to properly filter out blue light rays emitted by our LED screens, which is why a pair of computer glasses are beneficial.zFORT® is a transparent lens that uses blue light blocking technology to help prevent tired eyes as well as other vision and eye health problems.

At SmartBuyGlasses you can add zFORT® blue-blocking technology to any frames at checkout!

Reading Glasses: As you age, you may begin to have trouble focusing on objects up close. This is especially true when looking at small text, making it difficult to read. Reading glasses are a great way to correct this slight vision problem and prevent tired eyes.

Click here for more information about zFORT® blue blocking technology and find out how it could help prevent tired eyes as well as other health and vision problems.

How to Get Rid of a Stye

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How to Get Rid of a Stye

What is a stye? | Stye causes and symptoms | How to get rid of a stye | Stye relief

A stye can be unsightly and may cause some discomfort, but thankfully they are quite easy to treat.

What is a stye?

A stye is a red bump near the eye that can resemble a pimple inside eyelid, or more commonly, outside the eyelid. Styes are also known as a hordeolum. Styes are typically puss filled and can cause discomfort or swelling near the eye.

While not usually an indicator of a serious medical condition, you should see your eye care professional if the stye does not go away on its own.

Stye causes and symptoms

Styes are caused by an infection of the oil gland around the eye. Styes are a lot like chalazions which look the same, but usually indicate a non-infected swelling of the oil gland.

Stye symptoms can include a red pump near the eyelid, or eyelid pain. This pain can increase when you touch the infected area. You may also experience swelling or tearing of the eye. You could get a stye on upper eyelid or a stye on lower eyelid. Finally, you could have a stye on the outside of your eyelid (external hordeolum) or on the inside.

How to get rid of a stye

Styes typically go away on their own in a couple days. However, your eye care professional might prescribe stye medication such as eye drops or an antibiotic cream to help get rid of a stye fast. If the infection has spread beyond the eyelid, they might prescribe a stye medication antibiotic in tablet or pill form.

DID YOU KNOW?

Most of the time, styes go away on their own without any intervention.

Stye relief

While there often isn’t much to do but wait when it comes to how to get rid of a stye, there are a few things to try to relieve the pain. While these home remedies are sure to bring you some stye relief, there are people who claim these methods could also help you get rid of a stye:

Wash with Soap and Water: washing the area of the stye with soap and water to gently remove any eye drainage.
Apply Wet Washcloth: apply a warm, wet washcloth over the stye to help relieve the pain. Make sure the water is warm and not too hot, to avoid irritating the area further.
Don’t try to pop it: popping a stye could cause the infection to spread to other areas of your face.
Avoid Contact Lenses: try not to wear contacts until your stye clears up as it could spread infection to your eye. Don’t have a pair of backup glasses? Shop SmartBuyGlasses’ collection of designer eyewear today for cheap prescription glasses delivered right to your door.

Be sure to check out this video on how to get used to your new glasses, or learn more about how to properly clean your contact lenses.

How Can Blue Light-Blocking Glasses Improve Your Sleep?

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How Can Blue Light-Blocking Glasses Improve Your Sleep?

Do you go to bed with tired eyes, but still have trouble falling asleep? It could be because of blue light exposure.

Disclaimer: Despite large amounts of anecdotal evidence from wearers of blue light glasses, current scientific evidence does not show a link between blue light-blocking lenses and the benefits outlined in this article, although research is ongoing.

In today’s digital era, an increase in the use of technology comes hand-in-hand with increased exposure to blue light.

Blue light is often cited as a cause of vision and sleep problems, but what is blue light, how does it affect the body, and how can wearing blue light glasses improve sleep quality?

What is blue light?

Have a look around your room, and take note of all the different colorful objects that you see.

Maybe you see a yellow pencil, a red apple, or a green houseplant, but have you ever thought about where these colors come from, and how we can see them?

Visible light is a segment of the electromagnetic radiation spectrum that is visible to the human eye.

Each segment of the visible light spectrum has certain wavelengths that produce energy.

Our brains capture this energy and translate it into the colors of the rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet.

Blue, indigo, and violet make up the part of the light spectrum that we know as blue light, and produce short wavelengths that are high in energy.

This higher amount of energy causes our brains to stay alert and attentive during the day.

The biggest source of natural blue light is the sun. Artificial sources of blue light include fluorescent lights, LED TVs, computer screens, smartphones, tablets, and other electronic devices.

When we stare at our digital screens for a large amount of time, our bodies absorb an excessive amount of blue light that could have harmful effects on our vision and be a cause of poor sleep quality and overall health.

Blue light negatively affects our overall eye health, leading to increased digital eye strain, blurry vision and more serious long term eye damage if left untreated.

Blue light filtering glasses

Artificial blue light exposure can have some harmful effects on vision, short term and long term if left untreated.

Blue light filtering glasses are meant to benefit individuals that spend an excess amount of time exposed to artificial sources of blue light.

These glasses have special lenses with lens focusing power (i.e. a blue light filter) that allows us to concentrate on the screen while reducing eye fatigue, or eye strain.

This blue light filter can easily be added to your prescription lenses when ordering a new pair of glasses.

They can be especially useful for those working night shifts, where you have increased exposure to blue light at night by staring at a phone or computer screen.

Wearing a pair of blue blocking glasses throughout the day when staring at a screen could block blue light and protect your eyes, especially in the evening when your brain is trying to regulate circadian rhythms by increasing melatonin levels to fall asleep at night.

How does blue light affect my body?

Our bodies run on a daily cycle called the circadian rhythm, otherwise known as the 24-hour body clock.

Throughout the day, the brain regulates our sleep and wake cycles, eating and digestion, and other important processes through changes in hormonal activity with exposure to light.

When we wake up in the morning, we are exposed to natural light from the sun. Have you ever noticed feeling more energized in the morning on a sunny day?

This morning exposure to bright natural light creates a boost in serotonin levels, providing our bodies with energy to wake up and stay alert throughout the day.

Then, when it starts to get dark in the evening, our bodies slow the flow of serotonin and start to produce melatonin, which helps us feel tired when our body is preparing itself for good quality sleep.

Proper exposure – or lack thereof – to light is critical for regulating our circadian rhythm.

How does blue light affect sleep?

Overexposure to blue light, especially in the evening, disrupts our circadian rhythm by replacing the production of the hormone melatonin with the secretion of serotonin.

When this happens, our sleeping hours can easily be affected due to the increased concentration levels induced by these light rays at night.

Staying awake longer than we should disturbs our circadian rhythm.

When our circadian rhythms are thrown off, sleep quality decreases, and issues such as headaches, restless sleep, reluctance to wake up in the morning, and sleep disorders like insomnia come about, which only leads to an increasingly lethargic lifestyle.

If you’re looking for ways of improving sleep, you may have to make some changes in your bedtime routine.

You should try to limit your screen time, especially when you are already in bed for the night.

This includes use of electronic devices such as your phone, tablet, computer, and even your beloved e reader.

To make a difference in the way your eyes feel, try picking up a book instead.

If you truly can’t resist and need some screen time, wearing a pair of glasses with blue light filtering lenses may help to reduce eye strain and to limit the amount of time that you stay awake at night with sleep issues.

The decreased blue light exposure sends signals to your brain that you are ready to fall asleep, so you can put away that sleep medicine and stick to a normal sleep cycle, further improving sleep quality.

Do blue light glasses work for sleep?

Although many who wear blue light blocking glasses claim that they have reported seeing positive effects on their overall health and sleep quality, the short answer is that there is no scientific link between wearing blue blocking glasses and its effects on sleep stated in this article.

So, is it just a placebo effect? Even if scientific research doesn’t back them just yet, no one enjoys having constant headaches, digital eye strain and poor quality sleep.

It may be worth testing the effects of wearing a pair of blue light glasses for yourself.

For more information, check out our Optical Center where you can find more informational articles, or speak to one of our certified opticians.

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What is Glaucoma?

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What is Glaucoma?

What is glaucoma? | How do you get glaucoma? | Is glaucoma hereditary? | What are the different forms of glaucoma? | What are the symptoms of glaucoma? | How to prevent glaucoma?

Glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness in people over 60, so detecting it early is crucial.

Glaucoma is a disease characterized by increased pressure in the eyeball (intraocular pressure). Extra fluid buildup in the front of the eye is a common cause of this pressure increase.

The built up intraocular pressure can cause damage to the optic nerve, affecting your vision. For people over 60 years old, Glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness.

How do you get glaucoma?

Aqueous humor, the fluid inside your eyes, typically drains out of your eyes through a specific channel. When that channel is blocked, it creates a build up of liquids and thus increased pressure in the eye.

Often, the cause of this block is unknown. Other less common causes of Glaucoma include chemical injuries, severe infections, and blocked blood vessels.

Is glaucoma hereditary?

Glaucoma tends to run in families. In some cases, the increased pressure in the eye can be attributed to a person’s genes. It is possible for children to have glaucoma, though the disease mainly affects people over 40.

Glaucoma developing in the first few years of life or present at birth could be caused by drainage blockage or an underlying condition.

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What makes glaucoma dangerous is the lack of other sympoms before loss of vision occurs, by which point irreversible damage has been done.

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Open-angle glaucoma is the most common form of glaucoma. The drainage angle formed by the iris and the cornea remains open while the channel becomes partially blocked. This pressure slowly damages this optic nerve, and you could lose vision before experiencing any noticeable warning signs.

Angle-closure glaucoma is when the iris blocks or narrows the drainage angle formed by the iris and the cornea. When this occurs suddenly, it is known as angle-closure acute glaucoma and it is a medical emergency.

Normal tension glaucoma occurs when your eye pressure remains the same while damage occurs to the optic nerve. The exact cause of this is unknown.

Pigmentary glaucoma happens when pigment granules from your iris build up in the drainage channels, blocking fluid.

What are the symptoms of glaucoma?

Symptoms of open-angle glaucoma include gradual loss of peripheral vision usually occurring in both eyes, and in some cases tunnel vision. Acute angle closure glaucoma is characterized by symptoms of severe pain in the eyeball, sudden visual disturbance, blurred vision, halos of light, and reddening of the eye.

If you experience any of these symptoms, especially those related to angle closure glaucoma, you should speak to your eye care professional immediately.

How to prevent glaucoma?

It is important to detect glaucoma early on and that’s why you should have a glaucoma test at least every two to four years if over the age of 40 and every one to two years if you’re over 65. Knowing your family’s health history is another preventative step when it comes to Glaucoma, as it can be hereditary.

Eye injuries can lead to glaucoma, so make sure you always have the right eye protection. Sports glasses and safety goggles are especially important to reduce the risk of eye injuries.

How to treat glaucoma?

Damage caused by glaucoma can not be reversed, and that’s why it is important to catch this disease in its early stages. However, treatments can help slow or prevent further vision loss once it has started.

Treatments involve decreasing your eyeball pressure by using prescription eye drops, oral medications, laser treatments, surgery, or a combination of these treatment options.

Read here to learn about ocular hypertension, another risk factor for glaucoma.

What is Depth Perception?

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What is Depth Perception?

Depth perception definition | Why is depth perception important? | What are depth cues? | Physiological depth cues | Psychological depth cues | What causes depth perception problems? | Depth perception test | How to improve depth perception?

Depth perception allows us to understand the distance between objects. Learn about the processes that make it work, how to test your own depth perception and how to improve it.

Wondering how to define depth perception? It refers to the ability to see objects in three dimensions, i.e., length, width, depth, and to judge how far away an object is. This also includes the ability to judge the distance between two objects.

To be able to perceive depth accurately, we generally need to have a binocular stereoscopic vision (vision in both eyes). In a process known as convergence or stereopsis, the brain collates the 2 sets of information based on the different angles of sight from our two eyes to form a unified 3D image.

Depth perception is an innate mechanism, strengthened by visual experience. Over time, the brain is able to speed up the computation of objects in our sight. Depth perception examples take place multiple times a day without even realizing it.

When both eyes see clearly and the brain is able to process a single image effectively, it is known as stereopsis. This is the concept that makes you feel like you’re able to perceive depth when watching a 3D movie.

Monocular cues provide depth information when relying on one eye to see objects. Those with monocular vision may face depth perception inaccuracy since they have to rely on other visual cues to gauge depth.

Why is depth perception important?

Depth perception is extremely important for various reasons:

It helps us to move around without bumping into things
It helps us to identify how far away we are from an object or to identify the distance between two objects
It also tells you how fast an object is coming towards you and how quickly something is moving

Therefore, depth perception keeps you safe and stops you from getting hurt. For example, depth perception allows you to drive safely as it allows you to know how far away you are from other vehicles, how fast they are going, and helps you avoid them if they are coming towards you.

What are depth cues?

Depth cues are the different tools that our eyes use to interpret depth in sensed images. These depth cues can either be physiological and psychological.

Physiological depth cues

Accommodation: This is the process by which your eyes bring objects into focus at different distances. It ensures that light entering the eye focuses on the retina. The process involves contracting and relaxing the eye muscle to change the focal length of the lens.

Convergence: This refers to the change in eye direction that occurs when watching an object that is close to us. Our eyes point slightly inward. This cue can work effectively at a distance of fewer than 10 meters.

Binocular Parallax: Since our eyes are roughly 2 inches apart, the images received from each of our eyes are slightly different. The difference between the two images is called binocular parallax which is the most crucial depth cue when we see objects at a medium distance.

Our eyes can still calculate depth using binocular parallax even when all other cues are removed. However, this method only works well when the object is close up. When objects are far away, the 2 images our eyes receive seem more similar.

Monocular Motion Parallax: When we close one eye, a sense of depth can still be achieved if we move our head from side to side. While closer objects move in the opposite direction of the head movement, further objects move in the same direction.

Furthermore, the closer object moves quickly across your retina while objects that are further away don’t move as much or do not move at all.

Psychological depth cues

Retinal Image size: Our brain calculates the sensed size of objects by comparing it to their known size to then perceive the distance.

Linear Perspective: Known objects are thought to be moving further away if they become smaller and smaller.

Texture Gradient: The further away the object is, the less of its surface texture we can see and the smoother it appears. On the other hand, when we can see more detail of an object’s surface texture, it can be calculated as being closer.

Overlapping: We can understand if an object is closer to us when it blocks other objects from our sight. This closer object will have a more continuous borderline.

Aerial Perspective: Depth can also be interpreted based on the relative colour and contrast of objects. An object is considered as being further away when it is blurry.

Shades and Shadows: When an object casts shades and shadows on other objects, we understand that this object is closer to the light source.

Of all the above cues, only convergence and binocular parallax are binocular (require both eyes to be open) while the rest are monocular (require only one eye to be open).

What causes depth perception problems?

Depth perception problems usually result from the following common conditions:

Blurred vision: A lack of sharpness of vision which reduces the ability of our eyes to see fine details.

Strabismus: Eyes are misaligned (cross eye syndrome) so the eyes cannot see clearly or work together effectively.

Anophthalmia: A rare congenital situation where there is an absence of one or both eyes due to many reasons such as genetic mutations, infections, etc.

Amblyopia (lazy eye): A sight disorder that is typical in children. When children encounter double vision, their brain tends to suppress the input from one eye, and over time, it favors the other eye. Read our post on dominant eyes for more information.

Optic nerve hypoplasia: A condition where the optic nerve, which sends visual signals from your eyes to your brain, has incomplete development before birth. It can result in partial or complete vision loss in children.

Macular degeneration leads to a loss in the center part of one’s vision, hence leading to declining depth perception.

DID YOU KNOW?

You can easily test your own depth perception at home and also improve it by doing some simple exercises.

Depth perception test

No depth perception refers to the inability to see objects in 3D. It is possible to suffer from issues relating to depth perception for years without knowing. Follow these steps to quickly and easily test it right now with the following image of the tennis ball.

Hold a finger half-way between your eyes and the picture of the ball (about 6inches from your eye is good enough). The ball will be in the background.
Now focus your gaze on the ball. You should be seeing two images of your finger. It might be slightly blurry or transparent but that’s normal. If you see two fingers, it’s a sign that you have strong depth perception.
Now, switch your focus from the ball to your finger. You should see two slightly hazy images of the ball on either side of the finger.

If any of the following happens, it may be a sign of poor depth perception.

You see a finger/ball more clearly on one side than the other.
You see only one finger/ball where you should be seeing two.
One finger/ball is larger than the other.
A finger/ball appears and then disappears.
When you close one eye at a time and your finger starts in the centre of the ball but moves far to one side when you open the other eye.

How to improve depth perception?

One of the solutions to improve poor depth perception is to wear and prescription contact lenses.

Both of these will improve the image that your ‘bad’ eye sees. You can buy eyeglasses and contact lenses to improve your depth perception online at SmartBuyGlasses for free shipping with a 24-month warranty, a hassle-free 100 day returns policy, and a price match guarantee.

Other than wearing a pair of prescription glasses, you can also do a few different exercises with your eyes to treat poor depth perception such as:

Eye rolling: Slowly roll your eyes in both directions for a few minutes at a time. This exercise helps to strengthen nerve impulses and improve eye muscles.

Shifting your gaze: You should practice this exercise together with eye-rolling as you can shift your gaze slowly while rolling your eyes.

Resting the dominant eye: Covering the dominant eye with your hand or an eye patch for a few minutes can help train the weaker eye.

If you suspect that you may have depth perception issues, visit your optician and consider incorporating eye exercises and supplementing your diet with nutrients you need for healthy vision.

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