NEWS
Children’s eyecare initiative
Polly Dulley is chair of this national group, run by the Optical Confederation. The aim of the group is to improve eyecare for ALL children. This means trying to get the message across to both parents and teachers that eyecare is vital for all children. In the UK, just 53% of children have ever had any kind of eye examination, and this means that one in five children have an undetected vision problem. Many parents assume that children’s eyes are still checked at school, but this is simply not the case, in many parts of the UK. They also think that a child will complain if they have a vision problem, but many children don’st realise they have a problem, because they have no idea of what is normal.
So far, Polly has written a letter to the head teachers of 23,000 schools in the UK, asking for help from teachers in encouraging parents to get their children’ss eyes checked, and offering help and resources to improve understanding and knowledge about eyes and eyecare.
Many children who come to Aves already have been used in filming and for interviews in both local and national newspapers, telling their own story of why regular eyecare is so important and how it has changed their lives.
If your children haven’st had an eye examination, book them in today. It’s free and it might make a huge difference to your child’ss development. Children who can’st see clearly find it more difficult to learn and play!
Prescription Sunglasses
Protecting our eyes from the sun’ss harmful rays is vital. Eye conditions such as cataract and macular degeneration are both more likely in people who don’st protect their eyes from the sun. Aves stock a wide range of both non-prescription and prescription sunglasses. A complete pair of prescription sunglasses costs as little as £99, so do pop in and have a look. Be ready for the sunshine!
Children’s eyecare initiative
Polly Dulley is chair of this national group, run by the Optical Confederation. The aim of the group is to improve eyecare for ALL children. This means trying to get the message across to both parents and teachers that eyecare is vital for all children. In the UK, just 53% of children have ever had any kind of eye examination, and this means that one in five children have an undetected vision problem. Many parents assume that children’s eyes are still checked at school, but this is simply not the case, in many parts of the UK. They also think that a child will complain if they have a vision problem, but many children don’st realise they have a problem, because they have no idea of what is normal.
So far, Polly has written a letter to the head teachers of 23,000 schools in the UK, asking for help from teachers in encouraging parents to get their children’ss eyes checked, and offering help and resources to improve understanding and knowledge about eyes and eyecare.
Many children who come to Aves already have been used in filming and for interviews in both local and national newspapers, telling their own story of why regular eyecare is so important and how it has changed their lives.
If your children haven’st had an eye examination, book them in today. It’s free and it might make a huge difference to your child’ss development. Children who can’st see clearly find it more difficult to learn and play!
Prescription Sunglasses
Protecting our eyes from the sun’ss harmful rays is vital. Eye conditions such as cataract and macular degeneration are both more likely in people who don’st protect their eyes from the sun. Aves stock a wide range of both non-prescription and prescription sunglasses. A complete pair of prescription sunglasses costs as little as £99, so do pop in and have a look. Be ready for the sunshine!
Spectacle Lenses
As an independent practice we are able to offer an enormous variety of spectacle lenses from almost any manufacturer. In this way we can recommend the best lens for your particular needs.
Our principal lens supplier is Rodenstock, a German manufacturer with laboratories in the UK. Rodenstock offer a huge variety of high quality lenses and have been at the forefront of developing new lens technologies for many years.
Here is a brief guide to spectacle lens materials, designs and coatings.
Spectacle Lens Materials
Glass Lenses
At one time all spectacle lenses were made of glass. Lens quality and durability was excellent but they were often heavy.
Plastic Lenses
Nearly all spectacle lenses dispensed today are made of plastics materials. Their lighter weight makes them more comfortable to wear and their impact resistance makes them safer. In recent years, all new developments in lens technology have been in plastics lens materials.
Photochromatic lenses
These are light sensitive lenses that will change to a dark tint when out in the sun but clear to a very pale tint at other times. This is of particular benefit to those who wear their spectacles constantly as they avoid the need for changing to sunglasses when out in the sun. For many years these were only available in glass, but in recent years excellent plastic photochromatics have been developed. They are available in grey, brown, green or orange tints. The Rodenstock product called Colormatic, but you will hear of other names such as Transitiions.
High Index
The refractive index of a spectacle lens material influences how easily the lens can focus light. Higher index materials allow lenses to be made using flatter lens surfaces with the result that the finished lens is thinner. This is particularly helpful for people with high degrees of myopia (short-sightedness). High index lenses are now available in glass, plastic and photochromatic materials.
Spectacle Lens Designs
Bifocal Lenses
When an individual reaches middle age, the flexibility of the focussing system of the eye reduces to the extent that distance and near viewing require different powers of spectacle lens. Some people choose to have separate spectacles for distance and near, but this makes life awkward as the different spectacles are repeatedly interchanged. For this reason the bifocal lens was invented to allow distance and near viewing through a single lens.
Multifocal (Varifocal) Lenses
The multifocal lens has largely superceded the bifocal lens. Like the bifocal lens, the multifocal provides distance focus through the top portion of the lens. The lens power then gradually increases as you look down through the lens until the reading power is reached at the bottom. In this way the lens provides a more natural, continuous focus, affording intermediate viewing for computer screens.
The most advanced multifocal lens designs, such as the Rodenstock Impressions and FreeSign are bespoke lenses. Not everyone’s visual requirements are the same and people’s eyes and faces are not standard shapes and sizes. These lenses are designed and made for you as an individual and represent the very latest in lens design technology.
Occupational Lenses
People’s visual requirements have changed in recent years, due in no small part to the arrival of the computer screen in nearly every home and office in the country. Because of the positioning of these screens at eye level and at arm’s length, bifocal and conventional multifocal lenses may not be able to provide optimum visual correction. For this reason occupational lenses such as the Rodenstock Nexyma lens have been developed to meet the needs of regular computer screen users.
Occupational Lenses
People’s visual requirements have changed in recent years, due in no small part to the arrival of the computer screen in nearly every home and office in the country. Because of the positioning of these screens at eye level and at arm’s length, bifocal and conventional multifocal lenses are not able to provide optimum visual correction. For this reason occupational lenses such as the Rodenstock Nexyma lens have been developed to meet the needs of regular computer screen users.
Spectacle Lens Coatings
Scratch-resistant Coatings
Plastic lenses have the advantage of lighter weight, but are made of softer materials and therefore more prone to scratching. Scratches cannot be polished out. Coatings have been developed to improve the scratch-resistance of lenses and therefore increase the expected lifetime of the lens.
Anti-reflection Coatings
Any spectacle lens (but particularly high index lenses) will reflect light. For the spectacle wearer such reflections can be distracting, particularly when driving at night. Anti-reflection coatings have been developed to overcome this problem by reducing the intensity of unwanted reflections. The newest of these is the Rodenstock Topcoat, which combines excellent anti-reflection qualities with a hard, water resistant surface.
YOU SAID IT
"My husband and I would like to thank you so much for going to the hospital to test his eyes. I know that you did it as a favour and we do appreciate it. It makes such a difference, as he can read now. Many thanks again."
Mrs M.J.
