SAFETY, OCCUPATIONAL, COMPUTER, & SUNGLASSES

Safety Glasses

There are four (4) basic types of materials in which your glasses can be made of and they are as follow:

1. Glasses (these can shatter and break extremely easily)
2. Regular plastic material (similar to your plastic bottle, these also shatter and break easily)  
   
3. Polycarbonate material (these are one of the most shatter resistant material available, it is the same material found in bullet proof windows, they are the material that is required in safety glasses which are approved by OSHA, they are naturally 100% UV protected, they are lighter and thinner, etc.)
4. Hi-Index material (these material are similar to polycarbonate however since they tend to be even thinner and lighter than polycarbonate, they do not offer the same level of shatter resistance)

It is recommended by the FDA and required in some states that everyone under 18 years old must have polycarbonate lenses for their glasses for protection and safety purposes. In cases of accidents (trips, falls, getting hit in the eye and/or head, etc.), these lenses do NOT break into pieces and damages the child's eyes. Polycarbonate lenses are so important for children that most insurances do cover this material fully.

Our office emphasizes the importance of safety and protection and thus, we recommend that ALL patients, young and old, should wear polycarbonate lenses. Although it's not required by the FDA for those 18 years and older and adults tend not to trip or fall, the problem is that most adults drive on a daily basis and they put themselves at risk for damage and eye injuries anytime the car airbag explodes into their eyes. Airbags on average explode at a speed of approximately 200 mph (miles per hour) and any pair of glasses that are not made of polycarbonate lenses will have a greater chance of shattering and damaging the eyes. 

With our emphasis on safety and protection, we are proud to announce that we are one of only two offices that are contracted to provide the safety glasses to the city of Anaheim, CA.

Do you want to risk potentially damaging your eyes by wearing glasses that are made of materials which can shatter easily or do you want to protect your eyes and wear glasses that are made of polycarbonate which has the following benefits?

1. One of the most shatter resistant material (same material found in bullet proof windows and in all OSHA approved safety glasses)
2. Lighter and thinner than regular plactic and glasses
3. Is naturally 100% UV protected

For more information on polycarbonate lenses and/or safety glasses, click on the following links: The Safest Lenses for Kids, Impact Protection and Polycarbonate Lenses, and Polycarbonate Glasses

Occupational and Computer Glasses

As the name suggests, occupational glasses are worn at work. Depending on your work environment, you may need to wear safety glasses, safety goggles, special magnifiers, etc. If you work in an office and you use the computer on a regular basis, regular glasses that you wear everyday may not be sufficient which is when specially designed computer glasses will be of benefit to help reduce the straining, tiredness, squinting, headaches, etc. that you may get with frequent computer use.

Sunglasses

While everyone knows that sunlight, in particular, ultraviolet (UV) radiation, can cause lots of damage to the body and to the eyes, not everyone knows how to properly take care of their eyes and prevent such UV damage. Most people think that sunglasses are 100% UV protected however, that can be a dangerous mistake. The darkness of sunglasses are NOT what protects against UV damage instead, it's a clear UV coating added to some lenses while other lenses have the natural ability to protect against UV damage. In fact, some sunglasses just have a dark color tint and yet they do not have the ability to protect against UV damage. The darkness enlarges the pupil (black spot in the middle of your eyes which control the amount of light entering the eyes) and if the sunglasses do not protect against UV radiation, the eyes end up getting much more damage while wearing the sunglasses than it does by not wearing those bad sunglasses in the first place.

UV protection is so important it has even been brought to the attention of the U.S. Congress. In September 2010, Prevent Blindness America which is the nation's oldest volunteer eye health and safety organization, held a Congressional Briefing at the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center on the topic of "UV and Our Nation's Vision." More information can be found by clicking here

We are one of an elite number of offices that has a UV photometer which can measure how well your glasses and sunglasses are protecting your eyes from the damaging UV radiation. Bring all your glasses and sunglasses in and we will show you how to check to make sure that your eyes are getting the protection that they need to remain HEALTHY!

How do you know what pair of sunglasses to buy to ensure that you get the 100% UV protection that is so important to your eyes?

The best type of sunglasses are polarized sunglasses and these not only give you 100% UV protection, they also allow you to see extremely clearly and comfortably. These polarized sunglasses can allow you to see so clearly that you can even see fishes swimming around under the water because the glare from the water is reduced and minimized. Even better than polarized sunglasses are polarized High Definition sunglasses.

If you have any questions or if you would like to make an appointment for an eye exam, please don't hesitate to contact our office. Call NOW for an appointment!