Breakthroughs
in lens design and technology have transformed the eyeglass industry, improving
the science of vision correction and introducing a world of new options for
thinner, lighter, and more aesthetically pleasing lenses. Single-vision lenses, which have the same prescription
throughout, are most commonly prescribed for people with nearsightedness,
farsightedness, and astigmatism conditions. Multi-focal lenses,
which are lenses with two or more prescriptions, correct more than one vision
problem, improving the wearer’s vision at varying distances. Examples of these
types of lenses include bifocals, trifocals, and progressives.
Nearsightedness
is when you have difficulty seeing far away. In this case, the eyes are too
strong and can only focus on objects that are close. The eyeglass prescription
for this vision contains a minus sign (for example, -2.50) because the eye’s
power needs to be lessened so you can see far away. It is important especially
for nearsighted young people to have a comprehensive eye exam to avoid
developing lazy eye which can occur when a person is nearsighted and does not
wear corrective lenses. Farsightedness is when you have
difficulty seeing up close. If farsighted, the eyes have to work overtime in
order to focus. This can result in headaches, fatigue and long-term effects. Lastly,
astigmatism is a
very common, correctable vision condition resulting in blurred vision at any
distance.
