"Glasses in about an hour" has been highly advertised by some chain store opticals in recent years.  The fact is that many privately owned opticals and doctors offices have in house labs that can make glasses in an hour.  Kirkland Vision Center has an in-house lab that can fabricate some prescriptions in less than 30 minutes.  But it is difficult to advertise such a service in an ethical way.  Certain simple single vision prescriptions can indeed be fabricated quickly, but it is ill advised to have glasses done in an hour if the power of the lens exceeds three or four diopters, or if the prescription includes a second lens power for reading.  There are several reasons for this.  First, as the compexity of the prescription increases, the likelyhood of error increases dramatically.  If an error is made on glasses promised in an hour, it is more likely to be overlooked or "let through''.  Second, the equipment used at a chain store is far less sophisticated than the multimillion dollar machinery found in todays modern full service regional laboratory.  Third, the range of product made available to the privately owned optical through the regional lab far exceeds what is available at the chain store.  At Kirkland Vision Center, for example, we offer more than five choices of high index materials and virtually every progressive addition lens on the market.  But the high index lens the customer is likely to get from the chain store is polycarbonate.  This material is marketed by one chain store as the "featherweight lens".  Their advertising goes on to suggest that this product is only available through their stores.  Polycarbonate has actually been around for more than a quarter century and is available everywhere.  Although it is thin and relatively inexpensive,  it also has the highest level of aberation and optical distortion of any high index material and it scratches easily.  It is, however,  virtually shatterproof which makes it an excellent industrial safety lens.  The range of progressive addition lenses at the chain store will likely be very limited as well.  Another important distinction should be pointed out between the privately owned optical and the chain store.  A well managed private office checks all work received  from a regional laboratory for accuracy.  If inacuracies are found the job is sent back to the lab for re-do. It costs the private practicioner nothing to insist upon quality work.  The corporate sector works a little differently.  Here the optical store and the laboratory are owned by the same entity.  In this scenario, costly mistakes are more likely to be overlooked.  Of course, the quality of service and product is going to vary from one privately owned office to another.  Nevertheless, vision care tends to be of a higher quality at the privately owned office.  

Astigmatism is the term given when the degree of nearsightedness (myopia) or farsightedness (hyperopia) varies as it is measured through different meridians of the eye. In most cases it is due to the front of the eye, the cornea, being out of round; not perfectly spherical.  It is primarily the curvature of the cornea that bends or refracts light.  If a cornea is perfectly spherical, then light is refracted to one precise point of focus.  If that point of focus falls short of the retina, then the eyeball is too long.  We call this condition myopia.  If the point of focus falls behind the retina, then the eyeball is too short.  We call this condition hyperopia.  With astigmatism, there is no precise point of focus.  Since the cornea is out of round, light is bent or refracted to an infinite number of different points of focus.  The result is blurred, distorted vision.  Uncorrected, astigmatism causes eye strain and can be a contributing factor to headache. Most people who wear an optical correction, be it eyewear or contact lenses, have some degree of astigmatism. 

Sooner or later most of us will acquire presbyopia, the condition in which the eye loses its ability to focus on near objects. Until a few years ago, bifocals were the best option to corret this problem, but were undesirable because they lacked midrange vision and tended to make the wearer look older.

Today's progressive lenses solve both problems. They look as natural as unifocal lenses and offer a full range of vision. Progresive lenses provide a reading prescription in the lower part of the lens, a mid-range prescription in the middle, and a distance prescription in the top. There are no segments lines to interrupt your vision. If you have a bifocal or trifocal prescription, as the eyecare professionals at KVC for more details.

One of the most popular innovations in lens materials is thinner, lighter high index plastic lenses. Not only do they provide greater comfort because of their light weight, they improve your appearance because thinner and flatter lenses are less noticeable in frames.

These lenses come with built-in UV protection and are available for virtually any prescription.

This surgery is primarily used to correct nearsighted (or myopic) vision. People interested in this procedure need to know what level of improvement to expect. Will your vision be correctable to 20/20? If not, will you still need to wear glasses? If so, how long can you expect it to stay that way?

Basically, a nearsighted person has an eyeball that is too long and is likely to further lengthen over time. It takes only fractions of a millimeter in change of length to increase nearsightedness. Laser surger only alters the shape of the front of the eye. A contact lens over the front of the eye has the same effect. Neither the surgery or the contact lens influences the length of the eye or how it will reshape itself in the future.

A great many recipients of this surgery will need some form of optical correction in the future. Unfortunately, if contacts are desired, they may be difficult to fit because the cornea is no longer a normal shape (tip of the cornea is artificially flattened).

As this new form of surgery is perfected, no doubt the results will improve. If you are considering refractive surgery, talk with your vision care professionals and make sure the expected results are what you desire and are the best option for your eye health.

Do you have trouble reading fine print? Threading a needle? Focusing on nearby small objects? If you are in your late 30's or older and answered yes to any of these questions, you may be experiencing presbyopia. Other symptoms include blurred vision, eye fatigue, and headaches.

You're not alone if you have presbyopia. It affects nearly everyone by age 55. Although not sight-threatening, presbyopia is a progressive condition which can only be properly diagnosed and treated by an eyecare professional.

School screenings for vision problems are controversial.  It is true that screenings catch some vision problems, but they fall very short of catching all vision problems.  School sceenings can actually be harmful if they lead the parent to believe that their childs' eyes are normal when in fact a problem does exist.  This also applies to pediatric screenings.  There is simply no substitute for a comprehensive vision exam by an optometrist or opthalmologist.  Some states are introducing legislation requiring an eye examination from a licensed vision care specialist before a child enters school.  

See the contact lens section under products for a complete description of the many types of contact lenses available today. Todays contact lenses are marvels of technology.  They are more easy to wear and safer to wear than ever before.  Finding out what type of contact lens is most appropriate for you can be determined in the course of a comprehensive eye examination.  The examination will include an evaluation of your lifestyle and weather there needs to be special considerations with respect to occupation, extracuricular activities and age.  Whether the contacts will correct myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism or presbyopia is another important determination.  Finally, the overall health of the eye must be evaluated to determine the efficacy of contact lens wear.  At the conclusion of the examination, the Doctor will councel you on what type of contact lens is most approprate for your individual needs and what the cost of the lenses and fit will be.  The actual fitting of contact lenses is not part of the initial examination.  The fitting consists of actually placing contact lenses on the eye and evaluating them for proper "movement and centration".  Once the final lens is selected, the patient is taught how to remove and place a contact lens on the eye.  Depending on the type of lens dispensed, the training session might also include cleaning and disinfection proceedures.  The cost of a contact lens fitting will vary with the complexity of the fit. Most soft contacts today can be fit quite quickly and easily at minimal cost to the patient.  Other contacts are more complicated and time consuming to fit.  

Sunglasses are more than a fashion accessory. They're an imnportant way to safeguard the health and comfort of your eyes. Even if you don't wear prescription glasses, make sure you buy your sunglasses from an eyecare professional who can explain all your choices and ensure that your sunglasses provide the proper amount of UV protections.

Tints alone don't provide UV or blue light protection, so avoid buying sunglasses if you don't know how much protection they provide. An untreated pair of sunglasses can harm your eyes by tricking the pupils to stay open in bright light, allowing them to be flooded with harmful rays.

The Sunglass Association of America and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have developed a voluntary labeling system for nonprscription sunglasses:

• Cosmetic: blocks at least 70% UVB and 20% UVA; lightly tinted lenses recommended for around town use
• General Purpose: blocks at least 95% IVB and 60% UVA; medium to dark tinted lenses recommended for use in any outdoor activity
• Special Purpose: blocks at least 99% UVB and 60% UVA; recommended for use in very bright environments - ski slopes, tropical beaches.

Check out the Sunglass Hooch at KVC for the latest in fashion and the best of quality.

You don't need to avoid stressful eye tasks when you have the proper corrective eyewear. It's a common misconception that people with poor eyesight will suffer accelerated vision loss if they read fine print or undertake a task requiring visually taxing work. Finely detailed work will not cause vision loss, but it may cause eye strain. Therefore, it is essential to take frequent breaks, be careful to work in properly lighted rooms, and wear eyeglasses as necesary to diminish eye fatigue.

Most experts agree that viewing video display terminals (VDTs) is not harmful to the eyes. However, extended periods of close work may cause eye strain. The effects of eye strain include blurred vision, headaches, tearing, and difficulty focusing. It's wise for computer users to take the following steps to prevent eyestrain:

• Use good workspace ergonomics. Position yourself between 20 and 30 inches from the VDT screen, with your eyes high enough that you're looking down on it. Also, be sure your VDT is free from dust.
• Avoid glare. Use drapes and blinds to control sunlight, and keep the glare of interior lights to a minimum. Keep bright flourescent lights and desk lamps out of your field of vision. Use VDT filter screens or a VDT hood to reduce glare. Special eyeglasses and tints are available that maximize your eyes' ability to focus on the VDT's soft images.
• Take short, frequent breaks. Take a break every 15 minutes and be sure to blink your eyes often and focus on both near and distant objects. Try to organize your work so you don't have to use a VDT for long stretches.
• Keep your lens prescription up-to-date. If you are beginning a job requiring much VDT work, have an eye exam before you start, and have frequent exams afterward.

Absolutely not. Glasses or contacts correct refractive errors which are there due to the eye being improperly shaped. An optical correction merely bends light so that it enters the eye from a direction which compensates for the eye's imperfect shape. Changing the way light enters the eye has no bearing on how the eye shapes itself over time. By the same token, not using optical correction does not necessarily make the eyes worse, but may simply cause more stain or fatigue.

There is one circumstance, however, where not wearing glasses can cause the eye to focus poorly. This occurs sometimes when nearsighted people do not use glasses to to see up close. The muscles in the eye can become weak or "lazy" from disuse. Wearing the glasses, on the other hand, requires normal muscle function. This circumstance does not apply in all situations, and certainly doesn't apply to all ages because the eyes lose their ability to focus naturally as we age.

Another misnomer is that if you wear your glasses too much, you may become dependent on them. Glasses are prescribed for clearer and more comfortable vision. Of course, we become dependent on them to the degree that they accomplish these goals.

Research indicates that UV light can harm the eye's lens and retina with extensive low dosage exposure. One possible outcome of UV exposure is the formatin of cataracts. Some research also suggests that long-term exposure to blue light may lead to certain eye disorders.

UV-blocking lenses are not only recommended for people involved in outdoor activities, but for those taking photosensitizing medications, people exposed to artificial UV light in the work place, and people recovering from cataract surgery.

Lenses that block blue light reduce glare, ease eyestrain, sharpen definition, and improve depth of field. Blue light blocking lenses are especially popular with golfers and skiers, because they make contours on putting greens and slopes easier to see. Some people report that blue light blocking lenses help reduce eye fatigue under fluorescent lights and in front of computer screens. By cutting down on blue light exposure during the day, night vision can improve by upt to fifty percent.

The effects of the sun on your eyes are nothing to take lightly, but with all the choices available in UV and blue light blocking lenses, there's no reason why you can't protect your eyes and enjoy the healthful benefits of sunny day.

Most soft contact lenses are massed produced in only a few sizes.  Therefore it makes little difference where they are purchased.  The soft contact you buy on line is the exact same lens you buy from your doctor.  But be certain you get what the doctor ordered.  Never allow a mail order house to substitute product.  This is illegal and dangerous.  It is also illegal to sell lenses beyond the expiration date of a prescription. Only the doctor has the authority to extend a prescription. An expired prescription means it is time to have the eyes evaluated for possible complications to contact lens wear.

In the case of firm oxygen permeable lenses, it is better to get your lenses through the doctor.  Firm contact lenses are custom made and some of the finishing work is done by hand.  Kirkland Vision Center orders it's firm lenses from a reliable lab.  Prior to dispensing, the lenses are inspected for defects in workmanship.  Never order firm contacts from a mail order house or a discount optical.