Eye on Health Vision Health Update: The Eyes HaveIt (NAPSA)—There’s more to that annual eye exam than you may think.It’s not just about your ability to read small print on the Snellen chart (the one with the large E at the top). According to the American Foundation for Vision Awareness, that test only identifies 20 to 30 percent of vision problems. Because an eye exam is sometimes thefirst indication of other health problems such asdiabetes or hypertension, it’s even more important to see your eye care professional regularly and always when symptomsappear. Likewise, when it comes time to pick out your glasses, your choices aren’t limited to the shape and styles of the frames. Advances in lens technology mean you now have more to choose from when it comes to what you put in those frames, and the right lens can make a world of difference in how you look and feel in your glasses. Here’s a rundown of the latest lenses and top eye care technology picks: Technology Pick No. 1: Getting to Grips with Glare What most folks don’t realize is that you don’t have to put up with strained eyes at the end of each day caused by glare. With glare, light bounces off the surface of your lenses instead of passing through, compromising your crystal clear vision and causing eye strain. The cutting-edge technology in today’s anti-reflective lenses, such as Crizal, helps to preventthis. Crizal is the most widely prescribed anti-reflective lens in the Eye care professionals prescribe anti-reflective lenses to help prevent the end-of-day eye strain caused byglare. world, and is already popular among eyeglass wearers in Europe and Japan. In addition to eliminating glare, Crizal has twosided scratch resistance to protect against the surface damage that can cloudvision. Technology Pick No. 2: Lenses for Everyone For all active (or even clumsy) eyeglass wearers, Airwear lenses are the best all-round choice. Airwear provides the comfort of the lightest lens material available, the durability of a shatterproof lens, scratch resistance and even UVprotection. This technologically advanced polycarbonate material is great for everyday wear as well as for playing sports or other activities that put your glasses at risk of damage. Technology Pick No. 3: Arms Not Long Enough Suddenly at Age 40? In the past, presbyopia (or “long-arm-eyes”—the age-related inability to see things close up) meant having to wear bifocals with that telltale line or constantly take drugstore reading glasses on and off the perch of your nose. For today’s presbyopes, there’s a more technologically advanced (and many say more attractive) solution in a premium lens called Varilux. Unlike lined or unlined bifocals, Varilux progressive lenses allow you to see clearly near, far and in-between while wearing stylish frames. Because there’s notelltale line, these progressive lenses will help you look as youngas youfeel. Tip: to protect your investment against scratches, Varilux should be combined with the technology of Crizal. A High Tech Trip With all the state-of-the-art eye care solutions available, the key to your eye care questions rests with your eye care professional. Not only will he or she be up to date on the latest innovations, but will also be sure that you get the best care and products to meet your own individual needs. The Vision Council of America recommends seeing your eye care professional yearly for an eye health and vision exam. That’s a great opportunity to ask about the latest advancementsthat can be prescribed for your vision. For more information on how these eye care products can help you see more clearly, log on to crizal.com, varilux.com and airwear.com.
