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About Us Latest News Our Services Eye Examinations Fundus Photography Other Tests PremierCare Our Products Frames Lenses Contact Lenses Sunglasses Our Practices Banbury Brackley Shipston On Stour Solihull Stratford Upon Avon Further Information Special Offers Eye Conditions Links Newsletter Sign-up Contact Us	Spectacle Lenses Types Of Lenses Single Vision This is the most simple kind of spectacle lens, where the whole lens is made to the same prescription. For younger patients this allows clear vision at all distances. However, when people reach approximately the age of 45, a condition called presbyopia has occured to such an extent that separate prescriptions are often needed for long and short distances. This means either two separate pairs of glasses, or a switch to Bifocal or Varifocal lenses. Bifocal A Bifocal lens consists of two parts. An upper part for clear long distance vision (driving, TV etc), and a lower section (commonly in a circular or D-shape) which is stronger and allows the eye to focus closer up. These lenses give nice wide viewing areas for both long-distance and close-up, but it might not be easy to focus on middle-distance items, for example computer screens and music stands. Solutions for this include having a separate pair of computer glasses, or trying either Trifocals (a lens similar to Bifocals but with an added section for middle-distances) or Varifocals. Varifocal Varifocals are a more modern lens design than Bifocals, and provide clear vision at all distances, at the expense of some field (or width) of view for reading. More advanced designs are being produced all the time, giving more natural peripheral vision with fewer distortions. Even if you have tried Varifocals before, the ease with which people can adapt to the newer designs means that it is probably worthwhile trying them again. Some people who wear Varifocals find that it is convienient to have a second pair of single-vision reading glasses for reading in bed or prolonged close-work tasks. Materials Glass Originally, all lenses were made of glass, which while it made them very resistant to scratching, also made them very heavy and prone to breakage. These lenses are now becoming obsolete with the exception of toughened lenses for industrial safety glasses. Plastic Plastic lenses were developed as a replacement for glass, and solved the problems caused by the glass being brittle and heavy. Unfortunately plastic lenses tend to scratch easily, so we only dispense plastic lenses with a hard coating to prolong the life of the lenses. Polycarbonate This is a newer lens material, which is almost as scratch resistant as glass lenses. In addition to this, it has the extra benefits of being lighter in weight and thinner than a plastic lens, and much more durable. Because of this it is our first choice when dispensing spectacles to children. It also blocks all UV light from reaching the eye, which is useful to protect the eye from further damage in cases of cataract and macula degeneration. Mid and High Index Lenses Mid and high index lens materials allow spectacle lenses to be made thinner, lighter and flatter than previously possible. In addition to making the glasses look cosmetically better, they will feel lighter on your nose, and the flatter shape of the lens will make things look less distorted towards the edges of your lenses. Enhancements Anti-reflective \ Multi-antireflective coatings As light passes through a spectacle lens, a percentage of it is reflected back from the surface of the lens, rather than being passed through the lens. Light can also be reflected off the back surface of lenses, towards your eyes, especially in situations where you are under overhead fluorescent lighting, or when driving at night with other car's headlights around you. These reflections cause glare, which is uncomfortable, and also reduce the contrast of what you are looking at, making objects less easy to see. An anti-reflective coating will reduce these reflections and make your lenses clearer to see through. In addition to this, the coatings are hydrophobic (water repelling) so they fog up less easily, and stay clearer in the rain. UV Block Clear lenses can be enhanced to provide additional protection from UV rays. Without significantly changing the colour of the lens, a treatment can be applied that will prevent UV light from reaching your eyes, reducing the risk of certain eye disorders. Tints A range of coloured tints can be applied to most of our lenses, from standard sunglass tints through to specialised tints for activities such as shooting and comfort tints for night time driving. Lenses can also be tinted to various colours that in some cases aid reading for people with dyslexia. Transitions ® For people who are sensitive to bright light, or are continually moving in and out of doors, Transitions lenses will reduce the need to swap between 'clear' glasses and sunglasses. When the lenses are exposed to sunlight, they darken to a state resembling sunglasses, providing protection from both bright light and harmful UV rays. Polarised Lenses These are the most comfortable sunglass lenses for driving, fishing, sailing and other situations where reflected light and glare cause problems. A polarised lens blocks all of the light that is reflected from the surface of the road or water, enabling you to see the fish that got away more clearly and enhancing your safety on the road.