During elementary school, my sister’s teacher scheduled a consultation with my parents. At this meeting, this caring educational professional talked with my parents about my sister’s potential eye problems. My teacher felt my sibling couldn’t see the board in the front of the classroom. My parents sat down with my sister and talked with her about seeing an eye doctor. Thankfully, my sister visited a trusting optician who knew how to successfully work with younger kids. After receiving her new pair of glasses, she began excelling in school. On this blog, I hope you will discover ways to prepare kids for successful appointments at an optician’s office. Enjoy!
If you are ordering bifocal lenses for the first time, it is important that you consult with your optometrist to get lenses and frames that are customized to your needs. Unlike single distance glasses, which you can often order online without much conversation with an optometrist, bifocals have many more specific measurements and details that are important to your comfort and clear vision. Below is a list of five tips that you should consider when you visit your optometrist to order bifocals.
Let Your Optometrist Know About Your Lifestyle Needs
Your lifestyle needs can greatly affect the prescription that you receive. Playing a distance sport, working at a computer often, driving long distances, and your self-image can all affect which type of glasses are right for you. For example, a sport such as golf may need a larger distance lens and a small, unobtrusive reading section, whereas work at a computer would need the reading section positioned higher so you do not need to tilt your eyes down to access it. When you are discussing your first pair of bifocals or progressive lenses, make sure that your optometrist has as much relevant information about your lifestyle as possible. Even some details that you may not think pertinent, such as enjoying reading in bed, can affect the angle and size of the reading portion of your glasses.
Try On Various Frames and Lenses
During your examination, you should ask your optometrist if you can try out a few different sizes of bifocal lenses. Although they may not be your exact prescription, trying on lenses of different sizes can give you an idea of where the line will fall in your field of vision and how much you will need to tilt your eyes and/or head to access the reading portion of your glasses. Your optometrist may watch you trying on various types of lenses to see which sizes you react to most naturally. This will let your optometrist better assess whether you need a larger set of lenses (and therefore a larger frame) or a more pronounced reading section in your glasses.
Make Sure the Frames You Order Fit Securely Without Slipping
If you currently wear single distance lenses or do not wear glasses at all, getting used to bifocal lenses can take some time. In order to make the process as easy as possible, it is important that you start with a pair of frames that feel somewhat natural when you first try them on. While you are being fitted for glasses, try on several pairs of frames to find one that feels secure and comfortable. It should not feel like it is slipping, nor should it pinch your nose or head.
While properly fitting frames are important for all glasses, they are especially important for bifocals. If your glasses slip while you are using them, it can be more difficult to find the correct focal point within the lenses, making it more difficult to get used to your glasses.
Consider All of Your Options
Bifocal technology has progressed in recent years. While traditional bifocals may work for you, you should also explore trifocals, progressive lenses, and adjustable focus glasses. Each of these types of glasses use the bifocal concept to deliver multi-distance clarity in various situations. For example, trifocals have three fields of vision whereas bifocals have two. Progressive lenses have no visible line in the lenses and have a gradient of focus distances. Adjustable focus glasses actually switch the entire lens from distance lens to reading lens. You should ask your optometrist about these options but keep in mind that bifocals may be the least complicated and least expensive of your options.
Ask Your Optometrist for Advice
While ordering your bifocals, it is a good idea to ask your optometrist for advice on the best way to get used to your new glasses once they arrive. They may be able to suggest certain ways of holding your head and inform you of strange sensations that new bifocal users commonly experience. Often, the final fitting when you pick up your glasses is completed by an assistant, so you should ask your optometrist all of your questions during your exam.
Share14 June 2016
