See Well Archives

The Pros and Cons of Progressive Lenses

Written By Oliver Torres

Progressive lenses are a wonderful innovation in eyewear. But they’re not for everybody.

Progressive lenses are not bifocals (or trifocals)

Progressives give you line-free multifocal glasses.

The goal is to get a seamless progression from your lenses that deliver magnifying power for near and intermediate vision. Each lens changes gradually from point to point on the surface to provide the correct lens power for seeing clearly at various distances.

They differ from bifocals, which have only two lens powers—one for distant objects and one in the lower half of the lens—for vision correction at a specified reading distance. With bifocals, the different power zones have a clearly visible line across the center of the lens.

Progressive lenses don’t have this line. In fact, they’re sometimes called “no-line bifocals.” The truth is, progressive lenses offer a more advanced multifocal design than bifocals—or trifocals.

Foods to Fend Off Macular Degeneration and Cataracts

Written By Michael Healy

11 million people suffer from age-related macular degeneration (AMD), an eye condition that can cause blurry vision or lead to a total loss of central vision. According to the American Macular Degeneration Foundation, AMD is the leading cause of vision loss in adults over 55 years old.

Cataracts is another common eye condition that, like AMD, affects the lens of the eye. The lens becomes cloudy and can cause your vision to become blurry, or colors can appear more muted or dull. Cataracts can also cause impaired night vision and sensitivity to light. This is another age-related eye issue and while it is possible to restore your vision through cataract surgery, there are things you can do to slow down or prevent their development.

Getting Contacts for the First Time: What to Know

Written By Oliver Torres

Contact lenses are an amazing product of innovation. It still amazes me that something so small and delicate can bring a person’s world into focus. Contacts may seem like an obvious choice for anyone who wears glasses, but there are a few things everyone should consider first. Here’s what to know when getting contacts for the first time.

Does Your Eyesight Improve After Quitting Smoking?

Written By Michael Healy

When you think of smoking-related diseases and conditions, lung cancer and emphysema are likely the first things that come to mind. But smoking can lead to a host of other diseases and conditions, including a shortened life span, weakened immune system, and greater risk of heart disease, diabetes, and stroke.

Did you also know that smoking can have a huge impact on your vision?

Smoking cigarettes can lead to a variety of eye-related conditions and diseases, some of which can result in total vision loss.

Common smoking-related eye diseases

The following is a run-down of common vision-related diseases and conditions. Many of them develop as a natural sign of aging. However, if you’re a smoker, your likelihood of developing one of the issues mentioned below is far greater than if you were a non-smoker.

Transitions Signature Gen 8: What’s New in Photochromic Lenses?

Written By Oliver Torres

Transitions has been the best-selling photochromic lenses on the market for decades. The new Transitions® Signature® Gen 8 improves all the key features we’ve come to enjoy, plus there are some exciting new options.

Here’s what’s new and improved.

Faster fadeback

By far the number one complaint I get from patients regarding light adaptive lenses is the length of time it takes fully dark lenses to return to clear. Transitions VII took nearly eight minutes to return to clear. The new Gen 8 technology cuts it down by three minutes, making the fadeback time less than five minutes.