Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Fashion Frame Review: Jimmy Choo 38

Jimmy Choo 38
We are excited and proud to announce that we now carry the Jimmy Choo line of designer eyewear. Long famous for his hand-crafted shoes, and later handbags, Jimmy Choo has expanded into the world of fashion eyewear. So who wears Jimmy Choo? How about Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Pippa Middleton, Cameron Diaz, Heidi Klum, Michelle Obama, Jennifer Lopez, Taylor Swift and Natalie Portman, just to name a few. For a more complete list, along with great photos, click here.

So maybe you can’t pay $5,000 for a Jimmy Choo handbag or $1,000 for a pair of shoes, but you CAN get a unique and stylish pair of Jimmy Choo frames between $200 and $300. While we recently got a very nice selection of Jimmy Choo frames in, the one that really caught my eye was the JC38.

The first descriptor that springs to mind is “Classic Elegance,” and in fact, that is the theme for their fall collection.  The shape itself is hard to categorize. It has a retro element, but it’s not retro. It has a bit of a lift, but it’s not an upswept design. It’s too square to be rectangular, but too rectangular to be square. It’s too soft to be called boxy, but it has styling clues that give a hint of boxiness. It’s as if Jimmy Choo took the best of all of those elements, distilled their very essence, and came up with this classic look, which should be flattering on almost any face shape.

The main styling feature on this frame is the very distinctive end piece – hinge assembly, which looks like an oversized, stylized link in an expensive necklace. The center of the link is open (of course), and imparts an airy feeling to the frame, which lightens up a bit of the mild chunkiness, plus – for people who are bothered by the vision obstruction of heavier temples – provides a portal to the world to the side.

Finally, there is an understated JIMMY CHOO logo in gold on the temple. There will be logo-haters out there who may not buy this frame for that reason, but I find it tastefully done, and will definitely telegraph to other cognoscenti that the wearer is a person who is in touch with the world of fashion and taste.

To try on this – or other great Jimmy Choo fashion frames, please check back here soon!

Follow me on Twitter at @BillGregoryLDO
Check out my Facebook page at Bill Gregory Optician
Copyright © 2011 All Rights Reserved

Monday, August 29, 2011

Why do my glasses make my ears sore?

One of the biggest reasons for a patient to experience discomfort from their glasses is because of sore ears. While this may seem like a quick and easy fix, it’s important for the Licensed Dispensing Optician to fully assess the situation to find the root cause of the discomfort and be able to correct it.

Perhaps the most common situation is that the temples (aka stems or arms) have gotten too wide. Often times this is due to the glasses being put in a shirt pocket or a non-hard shell case, and then the front of the glasses being flattened out. When this has happened, the glasses will slip, and will make both ears sore, since the temples have been displaced from their intended area.

Falling asleep in glasses is another common culprit for getting glasses bend out of shape and hurting the ears. This often shows up with the temple that has been slept on being bent ‘way out, and sometimes significantly bent too high or too low.

Facial impact – for example, getting smacked in the face with a basketball – will not only really hurt at the point of impact, but can result in a harder to diagnose maladjustment commonly referred to as the “propeller effect”, where one lens is twisted from the same plane as the other.

Finally, your glasses may hurt because of their adjustment – or lack of one. It’s sad, but I have seen multiple patients whose eyewear provider did not even attempt to adjust their glasses, and others where the fit was actually detrimental to proper vision and good comfort. Here’s a quick test – just ask the person fitting your glasses to you if they are compensating for the mastoid curve. If they give you a blank look, just grab your glasses and go, and find someone who has the skills and training to make the glasses gently conform to that little depression just behind the very top of your ears.

The bottom line is that properly selected and professionally fit glasses should never hurt your ears – unless they experience the trauma of being stepped on, slept in, or hit by a ball or other object.

If you have questions about how your glasses fit, just leave me a note in the comments section, and I’ll respond as quickly as possible.

Follow me on Twitter at @BillGregoryLDO
Check out my Facebook page at Bill Gregory Optician
Copyright © 2011 All Rights Reserved

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Activist Eyewear - Unique over-the-top Sunglasses

Activist Eyewear Review

Have you ever had an over-the-top dream about a product or service where you said “If I ever won the Lotto, I’d …” You know, open a really cool store/restaurant/business, paint landscapes or do ceramics – something where the object was to do something as perfectly as possible. That seems to be the philosophy of Activist Eyewear, and their meticulous attention to detail is obvious from the moment you open the tan box with the visually arresting black interior with your new sunglasses in it. A black folder holds your numbered Certificate of Authenticity, guaranteeing that you are the proud owner of #50 out of 718 in the limited production run. That’s right – if you are buyer 719, you’re out of luck.

Lift the folder, and pull back the black watermarked tissue to expose the glasses case beneath – a nicely tactile waxed canvas in olive with a neoprene seal with a striking orange accent. There are two straps in the shape of an X, held closed by stainless steel snaps. There are your new shades, with an additional layer of protection. Slide them out of the bag and the awe factor just keeps coming.

With tens of thousands of sunglass styles out there, a new line like Activist Eyewear needs something pretty unique to stand out from the crowd, and what supplies that product differentiation for AE is the very unusual Split-Fit™ temple design. I’ve seen a lot of designs through the decades, but this one is both fun, funky AND functional. The new concept promises no more sore ears or slipping glasses. They certainly felt comfortable for the little bit I got to try them!

Currently Activist Eyewear has three styles – a plastic style reminiscent of the classic Ray-Ban Wayfarer, an ultra-classic aviator style, and a small, completely round pair with a top bar. Each is available in at least three colors. The round 10.03, for example, comes in brushed white gold with dark amber polarized lenses, matte black with neutral grey lenses, and antique pewter with olive green polarized lenses. The eyewire rim itself has a cross-hatched pattern along the outside edge that evokes the meticulous engraving seen in the in the ‘30’s and ‘40’s.

The lenses themselves offer state-of-the-art polarized lenses with multi-layers of coatings, including an anti-reflective coating on the back, and an oleophobic top coat front and back to help resist smudging and finger prints.

If you’re ready to break from the herd and treat yourself to something special and unique – or get someone special in your life a gift that will truly wow – pick up a pair of Activist Eyewear.

As this is a very limited production line you aren’t going to find them just anywhere, so go on their website at www.activisteyewear.com and find a purveyor near you.

Follow me on Twitter at @BillGregoryLDO
Check out my Facebook page at Bill Gregory Optician
Copyright © 2011 All Rights Reserved

Monday, August 22, 2011

When kids need glasses – 5 quick, helpful tips

I remember when I first found out that my daughter needed glasses. I had been an optician for around ten years, and had fit dozens of kids with their first glasses. No big deal, I was always sympathetic and helpful, caring and compassionate, and no big deal, right?


Then my daughter came home from school at the start of a school year, and told me that the nurse said that she wasn’t seeing well, and that she needed an eye exam. WHAT??? Sure, her mom was very nearsighted, but I had always had 20/15 vision, so my daughter surely had my perfect eyes? And if not, how could I have been blind to the fact that she wasn’t seeing well? In a word, it was pretty traumatic for me.

So we got her eyes examined, (yep, nearsighted like her mom) and of course I got her some very cute glasses. Back when I first started, there had been very few children’s styles to choose from, but the eyewear business had caught on to the fact that fashion was a huge factor in frame styling.

Since then that scenario has been replayed many times as parents bring their kids in due to a school referral, pediatric well child check, or just observant parents. In the process, I’ve learned a few things that might be beneficial if you find yourself with a child needing their first glasses.

First, don’t do what I did and project your own feelings onto the situation. Carefully observe your young one – some will be blasé, some will actually be happy, and some will melt down. If the latter is the case, it can be helpful to ask them if they have a friend at school that wears glasses. Knowing that they won’t be the only one in their class with glasses and that their friend wears them can be very comforting.

Be excited for them! It can be helpful if the doctor can “trial frame” a pair of glasses while you are there so they can see the improvement in their vision. Relate it to activities in their life – maybe it will improve their sports performance, or they will be able to see movies more clearly, or be able to read without getting tired.

Let THEM pick out their own glasses (within reasonable limits, of course). You may think they look particularly cute in that pair of glasses, but they may hate them. They are the ones that have to wear them, and they care what their friends and classmates think. Rely on the guidance of a Licensed Dispensing Optician to get a quality, durable frame that fits correctly, present several options to the child, and help them narrow it down to two choices, and then back off. Believe me, that will really help smooth out the process for everyone.

A quick word about lenses. Be sure to insist on Trivex or polycarbonate lenses for the best impact resistance in a dress safety pair of glasses. There has been some controversy about the suitability of changeable tint lenses for children, as it may make them more light sensitive when they are older. Ask your eye care provider about the pros and cons for your particular situation. If your child is engaged in sports, ask about sport-specific frames that are rated to provide maximum safety for that particular application.

Finally, you will be given a protective case and cleaning instructions and materials. Be sure to help your little one develop good cleaning habits that will extend the life of the glasses. Remember that they should be checked periodically for fit and alignment and that all the screws are snug and secure. So – sit back, take a deep breath – it will be OK. Glasses have never been as fun, acceptable or as durable for young wearers as they are now.

Follow me on Twitter at @BillGregoryLDO
Check out my Facebook page at Bill Gregory Optician
Copyright © 2011 All Rights Reserved

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Eye Emergency: Sudden Cloudy Vision in One Eye!!

I recently had a patient call in with "cloudy vision in one eye, like a curtain" and I remembered she had a fairly significant near-sighted correction, so I got her in to see the optometrist where I work as soon as she could get into our office. Sure enough, she had a Retinal Detachment. Worse, she was one week from her pregnancy due date! Fortunately, we were able to get her into a retinal specialist very quickly. Oddly enough, my wife picked up on similar clues a couple of days before at the OD office where she works, and again, it was a very significant RD that was still in process.


Dr. Cheryl Murphy has written an article about this sight-stealing condition, which she has kindly given me permission to repost here. You can get more information, and other great blog posts at her blog http://murphyod.wordpress.com/ or check her out on Facebook or on Twitter at @murphyod

Remember - this is a MEDICAL EMERGENCY -  don't hesitate to call your vision care provicer if you think you are experiencing any of these symptoms!

NBA star off the court due to Retinal Detachment

Amare Stoudemire, a forward-center for the Phoenix Suns, has had to take a ‘time out’ for the season after experiencing visual disturbances during a game against the Clippers on February 18th. It is reported that ‘he was bothered by the eye during an inbound play and then continued motioning toward it after trying to block an Al Thornton slam. He came out of the game briefly but re-entered and finished with 42 points, his second best scoring game of the season.’(source)
Sources say he was struck in the eye while fouling Al Thorton but was talking to his teammates about how much his eye bothered him even before the game started. (source: Arizona Republic 2/20/09) This is not the first time he has had eye-related problems and injuries. Back in October he was accidentally hit in the eye during training camp by a teammate which resulted in a torn iris to the same eye.
A retinal detachment is a very serious condition which can lead to permanent vision loss. The retina is the sight-seeing tissue that lines the inside of the eye. You can think of it as “film for your eye’s camera.” In this tissue, the image of what you are seeing is captured and sent to the brain for “developing” or interpreting. If the structure of the retina is disturbed or damaged, the image of what you are seeing can not be captured and vision is lost. That is why it is so important to protect the retina. You can do this by getting yearly eye exams and having your pupils dilated so early structure changes in the retina can be detected and cared for.
Blunt trauma is not always the cause of a retinal tear or detachment, they also can happen ‘spontaneously without injury.’
You are at a greater Risk for a tear or detachment if you:
  • are Nearsighted (have Myopia)
  • have had a Retinal Detachment in the other eye
  • have a Family history of Retinal Detachments
  • have had cataract surgery
  • have had other retinal diseases or conditions such as retinoschisis, uveitis, lattice degeneration, Degenerative Myopia
  • and of course, trauma/injury to the eye or orbit (which accounts for Amare’s sports related injury)
Symptoms of Retinal Tears or Detachments are:
  • Seeing Flashes of light or ‘lightening bolts’ in your vision
  • Seeing a sudden or gradual increase of Floaters which can appear as little dots that swarm into your field of vision, or cobwebs or curtains that block part or all of your vision in either eye
retinal detachment is a medical emergency and should be taken seriously. You should seek treatment immediately upon experiencing any changes in your vision particularly but not limited to flashes and floaters as we discussed. In my personal opinion, if Amare sensed something was wrong with his vision, his medical team should not have let him re-enter the game, I don’t care how many points he ended up scoring. Amare’s injury may have cost him the season, but it could have cost him a lot more. He is one of the lucky ones. After surgery was performed on his partially torn retina, his prognosis looks good and he is expected to recover in eight weeks (two days too late for this year’s season).
Bottom line, retinal detachments can cost you your sight. Take a proactive, preventitive approach towards protecting your eyes and your vision. Get yearly eye exams including the dilation of your pupils so that your eye doctor can examine your retinas properly. Know the warning signs of retinal detachments and “if you see something, say something.” When in doubt, get it checked out.

Monday, August 15, 2011

Fashion Frame Review: ProDesign 6901 Aluminum

 ProDesign has been outdoing itself recently with striking new designs, fun and clever engineering twists, and with materials. The 6901 incorporates each one of those elements into one beautiful package.

As an optician with experience and memory dating back a ways, I was really intrigued by this fresh use of aluminum as a frame material. Aluminum is one of the lightest weight materials available; it is hypo-allergenic; it can be tinted into very cool colors, and it is exceptionally strong. The only downsides (and every material has some) are that the lens has to be sized EXACTLY, and it is SO strong that it can be hard to adjust.

That being said, pairing the aluminum front with stainless steel temples is genius! The temples are all one piece, so there are no springs, hinges or hinge screws to be concerned about. Stainless is also very lightweight, strong and flexible, so it is a natural for a temple.

The shape on the front does not break and new design ground, but echoes a trend towards more distinctly feminine “right-sized” frames. The top has a gentle, flattering arch to compliment a woman’s eyebrows. The lower edge is nice and flat, no unwanted rounding to unnecessarily fill out the cheek area. The sides have a soft curve that provides a gentle lift to the frame. It has a finish halfway between shiny and satin, and the red is an amazing hue I expect to be very easy to wear.

The temples are a nicely contrasting satin dark gunmetal, and have ornamental geometric cutouts to add some great visual interest. The hingeless temples are very flexible, negating the need for spring hinges. The temple tip color matches the frame front. All in all, this is a great frame from fashion to function! Stop in at any ProDesign dealer to try these on!

Follow me on Twitter at @BillGregoryLDO
Check out my Facebook page at Bill Gregory Optician
Copyright © 2011 All Rights Reserved

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Great news for the Nearsighted!

We recently saw a nearsighted patient who is a VERY high myope – so high, that it took me nearly a week to find a lab that could produce a pair of progressive power lenses for her.  With all the advances in lens optics and materials that I’ve been writing about, it was a bit of a shock to have this much difficulty finding someone to make lenses for her. I was attending an optical conference a few years back when I was first introduced to a radically new way of compensating for high amounts of myopia, or nearsightedness that could have worked well for this patient.


People who have had cataracts removed have been able to use Intraocular Lenses (IOL’s) for years, and often report that they can see as well as they could when they were young! When I think of the horrifically thick lenses I had to use before then, and all of the associated visual disturbances they caused, it really brings home the benefits of our scientific advances. Recent studies have shown that patients with significant nearsightedness can also benefit from using this same IOL concept. The biggest difference is that the IOL is inserted in front of the iris, instead of behind it. This reduces potential complications, as well as making it easier to remove when cataract surgery becomes necessary.

The obvious benefits of this procedure are a marked increase in vision without external correction such as glasses or contact lenses. Imagine waking up in the morning and seeing clearly, not worrying about not being able to see in emergency situations, and improved vision and appearance from not having to have thicker lenses.

As with any medical procedure, check with your provider to see if this would be suitable for your specific situation. If you want to read the results of a technical study on the lenses, click here. Glasses may be necessary all or part of the time after the IOL is inserted.

The providers and staff at most vision providers are always on the lookout for new ideas and solutions for patients vision care needs. Stop in  and see what they can do for YOU!

Follow me on Twitter at @BillGregoryLDO
Check out my Facebook page at Bill Gregory Optician
Copyright © 2011 All Rights Reserved

Monday, August 8, 2011

An Opticians Top Choice! Review of the ProDesign 6121

As cool as they are, Geek Chic eye glass styles aren’t for everyone – and if YOU are one of those people, there are always cutting edge designs from Europe to tantalize your fashion taste buds. I fell in love with one great example of this, the ProDesign 6121, as soon as I saw it.


Okay, the shape is a pretty basic softened rectangle, and there is not a lot of flash on this frame, but it has a truly elegant simplicity. The frame is constructed entirely of strip stainless steel, so it is very light weight and flexible. The lines on the front flow from thick to thin and back again, elegant and minimalistic. The stainless steel makes a soft bend to become the end piece and hinge, which is a fun feat of engineering – no hinge barrels, no screws, but a very unique set of interlocking spring leafs that are fun to flip open and closed, as well as a visual delight.

The temples continue the ultra-thin stainless look, but with the addition of a raised soft rubber-type accent that widens out at the end to become the temple tip. Five drilled micro-perforations line up to visually continue the sweep to the very end of the temple tip. These temples are not designed to be fit around the ear, but to gently embrace the head visually and functionally.

Like all ProDesign frames, the 6121 comes in a whole palette of colors – there is a brushed medium brown, with black trim, and my favorite, a brushed dark gunmetal with red trim. Something for EVERY taste here! Check out this an other new styles from ProDesign at any good vision care provider.

PS – if you are an engineer, or an optician who loves great workmanship, be sure to check out the fine details of how the nylon mounting line and the nose pad arms derive from splitting and twisting the stainless steel at the bridge. A micro work of art!

Follow me on Twitter at @BillGregoryLDO
Check out my Facebook page at Bill Gregory Optician
Copyright © 2011 All Rights Reserved

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Active in Sports? Improve Performance and Save Your Sight!

 Guest blogger Cheryl Murphy, O.D. has some very interesting and informative information about sports vision in her blog. Check it out!

Athletic Performance and your Vision


Sports Vision entails more than just 'clear vision.'
“You miss 100% of the shots you never take.” Sure, but you also miss 100% of the shots you don’t see.
I don’t think anyone would question the importance of comfortable, clear vision while playing sports. And we have all heard having proper hand-eye coordination is important too but Sports Vision is much more than that. Visual awareness, visual experience and good binocularity are key cornerstones needed when trying to achieve your peak performance level. You could spend hours at the gym training, building body muscle and working on your swing but if you possess poor visual sensory skills then you are at a tremendous disadvantage. So, whether you are an athlete or if you just play sports for fun on the weekends, there are steps you can take to ensure your vision is up to par and will help, not hurt, your game.
Steps to maximizing your vision and game play:
  • Use vision correction: See perfect 20/20 near and far, with both eyes and with each eye individually (if one eye is not seeing as clear as the other eye your 3D vision or depth perception might suffer). Correct for any refractive error you might have through the use of prescription eyeglasses, rec specs, contacts, or LASIK. Your eye doctor will help you to determine which mode of vision correction will best match your needs and environment. Have your optometrist also test your binocularity, eye teaming, focusing and aiming skills and follow any recommendations they might give. Sometimes further testing may be required to ensure your visual system is working as efficiently and effortlessly as it should be. If there is a problem found with your binocularity, your doctor may suggest vision therapy as a treatment.
  • Guard your eyes: Use impact-resistant eye protection. There are around 40,000 sports related eye injuries each year in the US, 90% of which are considered preventable. “Basketball and baseball cause the most eye injuries, followed by water sports and racquet sports.” (source 1Prevent sports-related injuries to the eyes, particularly in high-risk sports, by wearing the right eye protection. Sports goggles such as Rec-Specs, when made with polycarbonate lenses (the most shatter-resistant lens material available), are among the most popular modes of protection.
  • Sports Vision Therapy: Seek a sports vision therapist evaluation or sensory testing. Areas tested will be skills such as eye tracking, visual concentration, eye-hand-body concentration and control, visual memory, visual reaction time, peripheral vision, depth perception, dynamic visual acuity and visualization. The American Optometric Association provides a simple and easy explanation for each of this areas here. Optometrists specializing in sports vision can make a customized treatment plan for you to help you excel in the visual and sensory areas you test weak in. There are also coaches who have used principles of sensory testing to host their own programs and clinics like Chris McKnight’s baseball vision program and Nike’s SPARQ program (Speed, Power, Agility, Reaction, Quickness).
  • Minimize Glare: Fighting the effects of glare is a hot topic lately in outdoor sports, even the NY Times recently reported on how baseball players with lighter eyes have a heightened sensitivity to glare.
  • Protect eyes from UV: If you play outdoors, protect your eyes from the sun’s harmful UVA/UVB rays  with the proper, high quality sunglasses recommended by your eye doctor, ‘wraparound’ frames are a popular choice since they block light coming in not only from the front but from the sides as well. Some contact lenses even come with UV protection built right in. Damage to the eyes from UV light exposure over time has been known to accelerate the development of cataracts and macular degeneration.
  • Protect eyes from eye diseases: Checking the health of your eyes is crucial. Close your eyes for a moment, would you be able to play your favorite sport without your vision? Do not let preventable eye diseases rob you of your sight, take a proactive approach in keeping your eyes healthy by having them checked by an eye doctor once a year.
All of these tips are important but Sports Vision Therapy and sensory training can take your game to the next level. Chris McKnight, associate scout for the Philadelphia Phillies and creator of the baseball vision program shares with us one of his sensory exercises used to help sharpen players’ visual sensory skills.

Super Vision Ring
“The Super vision ring is a training tool that is a circular plastic tube with 4 colored wiffle balls. Two partners face each other, one holds the Vision Ring while the partner ready to receive stands about 7 feet away. The partner holding the Vision ring will show the receiver one colored ball (out of four) and tell him/her the color (this provides audio and visual stimulation). As the partner holding the ring prepares to toss the ring, the receiver will begin to focus on the movement and the release point of the ring. The ring should make three rotations in the air, while the receiver tracks the color of the ball the tosser called out. We want the receiver to try to catch the ball, with the specific color that the tosser called out, and with their two hands out in front of the body. As the ball approaches, the receiver is using our EBH method- (otherwise know Eye Brain Hand)- as the Eye sends a signal to the brain, the Brain then sends a signal to the hands and the Hands perform the function, in this case catching the ball. 
This drill is used for speed of recognition, tracking, depth perception and eye hand coordination.”
-Chris McKnight
As you can see, if we take the seemingly simple action of catching a fly ball and break it down into steps, there are many mechanisms of that action that the eyes, brain and body have to perform and coordinate. For instance:
  • Visual Acuity: locate what player has the ball and see it clearly
  • Visual Concentration: concentrate on the ball and block out visual distractions (the crowd in the stadium for example)
  • Visual Reaction Time: read the player’s body language to know when he will hit the ball with the bat (the trigger to a cascade of events leading up to your visual reaction time)
  • Eye Tracking: follow the ball with your eyes as it flies through the sky
  • Depth Perception: use your 3D vision to see it getting closer to you
  • Dynamic Visual Acuity: focus it clear the entire time as it moves
  • Visual Memory: running up and navigating your way through the field to the ball to catch it
  • Peripheral Vision: making sure you will not collide with your teammates
  • Visualization: imagining yourself, in your mind’s eye, catching the ball
  • Eye-Hand-Body coordination (and end stage of visual reaction time): catching the ball
It would be impossible to remember or consciously perform each of these steps individually every time we catch a fly ball, so we can train our brain to remember this pathway for us. By exercising each of these sensory skills individually, we can optimize their wiring in the brain and then put it all together to enhance our performance when playing without even thinking about it.
If you have ever played golf, you have already probably practiced this method of breaking down an action into individual steps and then trying to perfect those steps when you work on your golf swing. In order to have a great swing at the ball, you must have “proper alignment, ball position, feet and hand position, posture, balance and more.” (source 2)
If you haven’t thought about other sports in that way, maybe now is the time. By enhancing each visual sensory step, your athletic performance as a whole can soar to new heights that you may have not even thought possible in the past. Seeing your eye doctor is the first step. Now let’s play ball!
Reprinted by permission. See more of Dr. Murphy's posts at  http://murphyod.wordpress.com/ or follow her on Facebook

Monday, August 1, 2011

Think Your Glasses are Safe? Read This!

Do you own a bench grinder? How about a power saw or hammer? Or maybe a weed eater, power mower or shrub trimmer? Do you do home or auto repairs? OK, so what do all these things have in common, anyhow? Each one can result in significant eye injury, even when be used in an otherwise safe manner. Grinding wheels explode; saws kick up particles; hammers can cause nail heads to chip and fly. Yard implements can launch debris, and cut branches can snap of fall in unanticipated trajectories. Tools can slip unexpectedly and put you in harms way.
An estimated 2.4 million eye injuries occur in the United States each year, and nearly one million Americans have lost some degree of eyesight due to an eye injury, according to Prevent Blindness America.

All About Vision says that experts agree that more than 90 percent of these injuries could be prevented with simple precautions, including wearing safety glasses or protective goggles.
If you are one of the nearly 50% of Americans that wear glasses, you may think that they provide adequate safety against vision-threatening hazards, but that is definitely not a safe assumption. There are two reasons why.

IMPACT RESISTANCE: “Dress” safety, or normal eyewear is required to be able to withstand the impact of a 5/8-inch steel ball weighing approximately 0.56 ounce dropped from a height of 50 inches onto the center of a lens. “Industrial” safety lenses up that to using a 1” ball dropped from a height of 60”. The bottom line is that true safety lenses can withstand a MUCH greater impact than standard lenses.

LENS RETENTION: Even if a lens is capable of withstanding the greater impact, that benefit is lost if the entire lens is dislodged from the frame, and driven into the eye socket area, causing great injury or blindness. You may have noticed that most frames have a “V” groove, and lenses have a corresponding “V” bevel; the two work together to keep the lenses in the frame. On true safety glasses the V groove is about 33% deeper than dress glasses so that lens retention is dramatically increased and preventing injury.

Short and simple, your eyeglasses are no match for the hazards they are commonly exposed to when working around the house or yard. Here are two MORE reasons why you need safety glasses: your right eye and your left eye. You have one of each, they are irreplaceable, and they are designed to work together.

Follow me on Twitter at @BillGregoryLDO
Check out my Facebook page at Bill Gregory Optician
Copyright © 2011 All Rights Reserved