Eye Care Blog | Ashbaker Vision

Performance And Sport Sunglasses

The boom in outdoor sports activities like mountain biking, snowboarding, rock climbing, kayaking, skiing, golfing and in-line skating has also created a demand for sports- and performance-oriented sunglasses.

These special-purpose sunglasses are designed to be exceptionally light and comfortable, able to withstand extreme conditions and stay comfortably in place during any activity.

Lenses

Perhaps the most important aspect of effective sports sunwear is the optical quality and visual enhancement properties of the lenses. In particular, sports and performance lenses are available in a wide variety of tints to modify light in certain ways to enhance contrast. This allows you to see certain objects […]

By Dotty|January 29th, 2014|Categories: Sunglasses|0 Comments

Sunglasses For Kids

Children may not be as interested as adults are in wearing sunglasses as a fashion accessory. But because kids spend so much time outdoors in direct sunlight, they need sun protection even more than adults.

In fact, some experts say we get up to 80% of our lifetime exposure to solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation by the time we’re 18 years old.

Many styles available

You should have no trouble finding sunglasses your child will enjoy wearing. Children’s sunglasses are available in a wide variety of styles and sizes. And virtually any children’s frame can be transformed into sunglasses by adding prescription or non-prescription […]

By Dotty|January 29th, 2014|Categories: Sunglasses|0 Comments

Toric Contact Lenses For Astigmatism

If you have astigmatism – a common condition where the eye isn’t perfectly round, but more football- or egg-shaped – then you’ll need a special design of contact lenses called “toric” lenses for clear vision.

Toric contact lenses are available in both soft and rigid gas permeable (RGP or GP) lens materials. Most contact lens wearers who need toric contacts choose soft toric lenses.

How do toric lenses work?

When you have astigmatism, different meridians of your eye need different amounts of correction for nearsightedness or farsightedness. Imagine the front of your eye is like the face of a clock: A […]

By Dotty|January 29th, 2014|Categories: Contact Lenses|0 Comments

Orthokeratology

Orthokeratology, or “ortho-k,” is the process of reshaping the eye with specially-designed rigid gas permeable (GP) contact lenses. The goal of ortho-k is to flatten the front surface of the eye and thereby correct mild to moderate amounts of nearsightedness and astigmatism.

How ortho-k works

The GP lenses for ortho-k are applied at bedtime and worn overnight. While you sleep, the lenses gently reshape the front surface of your eye (the cornea) to correct your vision, so you can see clearly without glasses or contact lenses when you’re awake. The effect is temporary – generally enough to get you through a day […]

By Dotty|January 29th, 2014|Categories: Contact Lenses|0 Comments

Contact Lenses For The “Hard-to-Fit” Patient

Not everyone is an ideal candidate for contact lenses. If you have one or more of the following conditions, contact lens wear may be more difficult:

astigmatism
dry eyes
presbyopia
giant papillary conjunctivitis (GPC)
keratoconus
post-refractive surgery (such as LASIK)

But “difficult” doesn’t mean impossible. Often, people with these conditions can wear contacts quite successfully. Let’s take a closer look at each situation – and possible contact lens solutions.

Contact lenses for astigmatism

Astigmatism is a very common condition where the curvature of the front of the eye isn’t round, but is instead shaped more like a football or an egg. This means one curve is […]

By Dotty|January 29th, 2014|Categories: Contact Lenses|0 Comments

Gas Permeable (GP) Contact Lenses

Gas permeable (GP) contact lenses, also known as rigid gas permeable (RGP) lenses, are hard contact lenses made of silicone-containing compounds that allow oxygen to pass through the lens material to the eye. Though not as popular as soft contact lenses, GP lenses offer a number of advantages over soft lenses.

Advantages of gas permeable lenses

GP lenses allow your eyes to “breathe” better. GP lenses allow more oxygen to reach the front surface of the eye. This reduces the risk of eye problems caused by hypoxia (reduced oxygen supply). Gas permeable lenses provide a better oxygen supply than most soft lenses […]

By Dotty|January 29th, 2014|Categories: Contact Lenses|0 Comments

Bifocal And Multifocal Contact Lenses

Bifocal and multifocal contact lenses are designed to give you good vision when you reach your 40s. Beginning at this age, you may need to hold reading material – like a menu or newspaper – farther from your eyes to see it clearly. This condition is called “presbyopia.”

Bifocal and multifocal contact lenses are available in both soft and rigid gas permeable (GP) materials.

Bifocals, multifocals – What’s the difference?

Bifocal contacts lenses (like bifocal eyeglass lenses) have two powers – one for seeing clearly far away and one for seeing clearly up close. Multifocal contact lenses, like progressive eyeglass lenses, have a […]

By Dotty|January 29th, 2014|Categories: Contact Lenses|0 Comments

Controlling Nearsightedness In Children

Myopia (nearsightedness) is a common vision problem affecting children who can see well up close, while distant objects are blurred. Nearsighted children tend to squint to see distant objects such as the board at school. They also tend to sit closer to the television to see it more clearly.

Sometimes, childhood myopia can worsen year after year. This change can be disconcerting to both children and their parents, prompting the question: “Will it ever stop? Or, someday will this get so bad that glasses won’t help?”

Myopia that develops in childhood nearly always stabilizes […]

By Dotty|January 28th, 2014|Categories: Children's Eye Care|0 Comments

Learning-Related Vision Problems

There’s no question that good vision is important for learning. Experts say more than 80% of what your child is taught in school is presented to them visually.

To make sure your child has the visual skills they need for school, the first step is to make sure your child has 20/20 eyesight and that any nearsightedness, farsightedness and/or astigmatism is fully corrected with glasses or contact lenses. But there are other, less obvious learning-related vision problems you should know about as well.

Good vision is more than 20/20 visual acuity

Your child […]

By Dotty|January 28th, 2014|Categories: Children's Eye Care|0 Comments

Are Contact Lenses A Good Choice For Kids?

A common question many parents have about contact lenses and kids is: “When is my child old enough to wear contact lenses?”

Physically, your child’s eyes can tolerate contact lenses at a very young age. Some babies are fitted with contact lenses due to eye conditions present at birth. In a recent study that involved fitting nearsighted children of ages 8-11 with one-day disposable contact lenses, 90% had no trouble applying or removing the contacts without assistance from their parents.

A matter of maturity

So the important question is whether or not your child […]

By Dotty|January 28th, 2014|Categories: Children's Eye Care|0 Comments