February 7th, 2010
According to a research study carried out by Ipsos Health for Transitions Optical, the American company leader in the field of photocromic lenses, Italian people are totally uninformed about the possible consequences of exposure to sun rays and about 20% of them think that sunglasses are harmful to the eyes! But opticians well know that what is harmful to the eyes is something else, like neglecting to protect the eyes and their outiline at mountain also during gray and cloudy days. UV radiations, in fact, are always present and 80% of rays succeed in passing through the clouds.
Besides, snow is able to reflect 80% of sun rays, unlike grass, which reflects just 10%. Every 100 meters in height the UV rays undergo an intensity increase of 6% to 8% and, at high altitudes, even of 12%. It is useful to remind that a Ultraviolet excess can cause damages to the crystalline, which become more and more serious as one gets older.
Found in Optical, January 2008
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February 2nd, 2010
THE FACT
It is not uncommon that something like this may occur:
- The patient has “old glasses” thanks to which he sees very well with both eyes. For some reasons he has to replace these glasses.
- The patient has also contact lenses with which he reaches a “good vision” with both eyes.
- The patient states that he has some troubles with the new glasses (he does not see “anything” with the left eye).
At this point the patient addresses the optician who made the new glasses to “understand” the cause of the problem.
So far, nothing extraordinary; three are the possible causes:
1.The lens is faulty
2.The lens is “wrong”; which means that its characteristics are not appropriate for the problem in question.
3.The lens is right but it is not properly fitted (and this is the most likely cause).
THE SOLUTION
In all of the cases, it is the optician’s duty (as far as he is serious and professionally correct) to change the lens in question FREE OF CHARGE and put the patient in the best possible conditions.
THE OPTICIAN’S ANSWER
What left us taken aback is the optician’s answer: “…you got accustomed to a wrong lens, now you will have to get accustomed to the new lens…!!!!!”.
OUR CONSIDERATIONS
To us, this answer is weird; this “gentleman” should only replace that lens and stop telling stupid things, as well as apologize with the patient.
Moreover, we would like to congratulate with this patient, who carried out a research study which might have “enlightened” the optician’s mind; we would prefer to think that the answer stemmed from ignorance rather than from a willingness to deceive (also economically) the patient.
OUR ADVICE
We suggest this patient address to one of the many professionally correct and technically prepared opticians he can find in Italy.
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January 28th, 2010
A neglected problem: eye fatigue
More than 1/3 of Italians (37%) answer that their eyes often get tired, while only 27% state that they have never had problems on this account.
Despite this, only 9% has considered specific protective lenses. The criteria when choosing eyewear seem to be above all “lightness” and “design” (respectively 26% and 24%). The general impression we receive is that eye fatigue is not considered a pathological problem, but more a natural phenomenon which is dealt with generically by resting.
Poorly informed consumers
On the subject of lenses, however, 26% do not know what lenses their eyewear have, 23% are aware of AR coatings, 10% of the fact that lenses may be plastic and only 6% know about photochromic lenses.
When separating men and women, lens lightness is important for both, while AR seems more important for men, and infrangibility for women. Lightness is however the most determining objective feature for overall choice of eyewear (frame + lens) and is underlined by 26% of interviewees; the advice of experts -ophthalmologists (39%) or optician/optometrists (26%) is also important. The other criteria guiding choice are design (24%), which counts more than price (19%), while infrangibility is down to 13%.
Fashion as a reason for purchase
Fashion seems to be an impetus mainly guiding the choice of a frame but not that of eyewear as a whole. There is therefore a need to constantly inform consumers and also sensitize them on aspects more connected to eye protection and health, such as the adoption of suitable lenses to individual needs and lifestyles.
Little is done to protect children
As far as children are concerned, most parents (66%) state that they protect their children’s eyes (49% in the 5-8 age group; 52% in the 9-13 age group). Lastly, 17% of parents do not adopt any measures to protect the eyesight of their children. In reality, it seems that as long as they are young -i.e. more or less until they are 13 – the best protection against UVA rays is a hat!
More information, more education to prevention and protection
As already emerged in Phase 1, the research study carried out by IPSOS for Transitions Optical highlighted a fairly superficial attention by the Italian public to problems linked to eyesight, an inadequate adoption of measures to protect it and, even more, an endemic lack of information and “culture of visual wellbeing”.
This sounds like a pressing invitation to the industry, trade association and eye specialists – oculists and optician-optometrists first of all – to strengthen their commitment toward greater information, sensitization and education of the public on such crucial issues for the lives of all.
Found in Vedere International 2008
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January 23rd, 2010
THE QUESTION:
Sometimes we are asked questions to which it is really hard to give an answer: how does a blind person perceive reality?
THE ANSWER
The answer to this question is basically a philosophical one, we can only say a little about visual perception from the point of view of the traditional optics.
Since this patient has never had any “visual experience”, he will never be able to represent “reality” as a sighted person does. It is possible that shapes and colors may have a “sense” to him/her, but surely not the one we mean. To better understand (maybe) what we are saying, it may help to think about this question: how can I communicate the “concept” of a colour to a person who has never seen it?
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January 18th, 2010
Eyesight is an inestimable, precious asset. And yet, Italians do not seem to be aware of it and, above all, be particularly careful about protecting their eyes. Transitions Optical made a research interviewing 1000 persons on the phone.
In Italy there has been a growing awareness of the importance of health and physical fitness to ensure a high quality of life. This trend does not seem to have involved the eyes and sight, as it is demonstrated by a research study carried out by IPSOS Health for Transitions Optical, a world leader in photochromic lenses. The international study, conducted in successive phases, each of which dealing with specific themes, at this stage involved four European Countries: Germany, Italy, Portugal and Spain.
In Italy the results show that around 48% of the population, i.e. 5 Italians in 10, wears spectacles or contact lenses, an important datum although 41% of the interviewees state that they have no problems with eyesight. Those who mention them place myopia in first place (31%), followed by astigmatism (14%) and, in third place, presbyopia (9%). The first part of the research (published in May 2007) also revealed the lack of concern for the effect of solar rays on the eyes. Consequently, the study underlined that as many as 16% of the interviewees do not use any protection or aid to protect their eyes during exposure to the sun. Moreover, a worrying 37% had expressed the erroneous conviction that damage to the eyes is reversible.
Let’s concentrate on the second stage of the study, made public last October.
Eyesight protection is in third place. Only 39% of Italians (36% men and 42% women) consider that maintaining the efficiency of their eyesight is considered halfway between the very important and the unimportant ones, thus revealing a worrying situation of lack of information and sensitivity to the problem.
There is a surprising persistence of certain prejudices concerning eyesight in the minds of the Italians. For example, 7 Italians out of 10 are ignorant of the fact that as much as 80% of the quantities of UVA rays we are exposed to during our lives takes place before the age of 18, or as many as 62% of Italians consider that people with dark eyes have fewer problems regarding exposure to sunlight! Just out of curiosity, we may add that 20% of Italians think that sunglasses may “damage” the eyes, a fact that probably has to do with many low-cost products, without warranty brands, purchased in the street, on stalls or the beach.
Found in Vedere International 2008
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January 13th, 2010
QUESTION
In which way can contact lenses interfere with the eye natural colour?
ANSWER
Just because lenses are NOT TINTED, they do not have any effect on the eye colour. Two brief notifications:
- since contact lenses can enhance the light reflection, they may give the impression that iris is brightest.
- if the lens edge coincides with iris edge, then it may seem that more emphasis is given to iris, but it’s just an impression.
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January 8th, 2010
Essilor (Charenton, France) has investigated the existing correlations between the quality of wave fronts entering the eye and some subjective criteria of perception such as visual acuity and sensitivity to contrasts. The results of the experiments have led to the creation of a new lens concept based on the differentiated management of wave fronts according to the wearer’s needs in term of near, intermediary and far vision. In near vision, the posture adopted by the person may vary considerably according to the activity carried out, the surrounding environment, and the time of day. Moreover, posture changes from one individual to another, and so to be effective in all situations, a progressive lens has an enlarged area for near vision which is enlarged both horizontally and vertically. For Varilux physio, the use of wave fronts has made it possible to establish the optical characteristics of the lens in a very large area, both vertically and horizontally, and this is why the lenses are comfortable for near sight.
In the cases of intermediary vision, all the progressive lenses have a a residual astigmatism on both sides of the median line, a defect which is even greater the greater the prescribed addition. In the case of Varilux, the action deriving from the wave front has enabled the reduction of astigmatism and at the same time made it possible to orient the lens axis vertically, so as to perceive the visual field as larger. As far as distant vision is concerned, the defects (decrease in power and astigmatism) affect not only the quality of vision, but also all the serious defects, like coma for example. This type of defect is present in the far vision area also of progressive lenses but, thanks to the use of wave fronts, with Varilux coma control may be achieved. In this way defects are minimized for very large areas of far vision, including the mounting crossover area.
Found in Vedere International 2008
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January 3rd, 2010
QUESTION:
The issue arisen from this patient is really common: why do contact lenses move while in the eye?
ANSWER:
The answer is very simple, not to say banal: the contact lenses in question ARE NOT RIGHT for the eye in which they are applied.
It will be the optician’s duty to proceed with the substitution of a material which obviously is not right for the patient’s technical problem.
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December 29th, 2009
QUESTION:
How come prescription glasses lenses become scratched after they have been used for only a few months?
This is one of the most common problems: why, although customers purchase lenses with anti-scratch coating, lenses become inevitably scratched?
ANSWER:
The answer to this question is really simple: the information the ophthalmologist gives to his patient is INCORRECT. This “misinformation” comes from the necessity of attributing a technical feature to an exclusively commercial need. When the optician proposes the “anti-scratch coating”, the patient thinks that those lenses WILL NOT GET SCRATCHED and that they do not need to be handle with care. This is false! It is true that a surface whit this kind of treatment is more resistant to scratches, but it is true as well that once it get scratched, the flaw is much more visible, so the product does not come up with the customer’s -wrong- expectations.
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December 24th, 2009
QUESTION:
Is astigmatism in cyclopegia the same as astigmatism in non-cyclopegia or not?
This is a technical question, and the patient shows to know the methods used by ophthalmologists to highlight refractive errors.
ANSWER:
The patient’s doubt is correct. The astigmatism highlighted in cyclopegia is not truthful since cyclopegia causes an unnatural stretching of the crystalline lens as a secondary effect, hence the evaluation of astigmatism is slightly distorted.
The doctor is usually aware of this problem, so he takes the results with a pinch of salt and with the proper considerations; in any case, another evaluation out from the presence of the cycolopegic effect would be useful and fair.
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