A Guide to Choosing the Best Eyeglasses for You

Eyeglasses have existed for centuries. With innovations in modern technology, eyeglasses are more comfortable and attractive while improving vision more than ever. Gone are the thick, Coke bottle style glasses that were considered nerdy.

New frame styles are continually being introduced to the market. Most frames are constructed of metal or plastic, or a combination, with recent introductions of wood and bamboo. Embellishments like rhinestones or multi-colored in-lays have become stylish. If you like the frameless look, rimless styles are available as well. High-end designers like Gucci, Calvin Klein and Oakley have also launched their own frame lines. Trendy, designer looks are also available in sturdy, budget-friendly frames.

Improved optics and lens materials make wearing glasses more comfortable as well as being fashionable. Most eyeglass wearers have myopia, meaning they are nearsighted. Distance vision is blurred. The prescription is indicated with a minus sign as in -4.00. The higher the number, the more nearsighted you are. Minus lenses are thicker on the edges than in the center. The stronger the prescription, the thicker the lenses.

High-index lenses are significantly thinner and lighter than the same prescription made with conventional plastic and are recommended for high minus prescriptions. High-index lenses are able to bend light more than conventional plastic. Indexes range from 1.53 to 1.74. The higher the number, the higher the index, and the end result is a thinner, lighter lens. Be sure you specifically ask for high-index lenses.

Polycarbonate lenses are often confused with high-index lenses. While they are 20% lighter than conventional plastic, they are not necessarily thinner. The main benefit of polycarbonate lenses is that they are impact-resistant, which make them ideal for children or protective eyewear such as sports goggles. One disadvantage is that they do tend to scratch more easily. Nowadays most lenses come scratch-coated.

When choosing frames, keep in mind that the larger the frame, the thicker the lens edges will be. Plastic frames will camouflage some of the lens edge. In prescriptions -6.00 or higher, rimless styles are not recommended, even with high-index lenses.

People who are farsighted or have hyperopia, wear lenses that are convex shaped. The center of the lens is thicker than the edge. Prescriptions are indicated with a plus sign. The higher the number, the stronger the prescription, and the thicker the center of the lens will be.

Aspheric lenses are ideal for strong plus prescriptions. The front surface of the lens flattens, thus eliminating the bulge most associated with high plus prescriptions. The aspheric lens eliminates distortions, thereby providing sharper optics than in a conventional lens.

Presbyopia eventually afflicts most of us. We usually start noticing it in middle age. Small print becomes blurry, and soon our arms become too short, as we pull our reading material further away. This is due to a gradual loss of flexibility to the lens, so it cannot accommodate and various distances. The most common correction for presbyopia is multifocal lenses.

Bifocal lenses have two main corrections. The main part of the lens is corrected for nearsightedness or farsightedness and the bottom part has the prescription for reading or close work. Traditional bifocals have a distinct line on the lens.

If you do not like the look of the line, progressive lenses may be an option. They are also known as no-line bifocals or blended bifocals. These lenses have a gradual transition between the two prescriptions, rather than a distinct, noticeable line. Progressives allow you to focus at various distances, including intermediate ranges where computers and sheet music fall. When you choose a frame, be sure the height of the frame is large enough so the reading portion is not cut off.

Single vision reading glasses are another option. They are available in full-frames or half-eyes, which are smaller frames that sit lower on the nose. You can get them filled with your prescription, or you can purchase them pre-made, such as those found in drugstores. While they are inexpensive, they are not ideal for everyone. They do not accommodate those with prescriptions that are different in each eye, nor do they customize the optical center for each eye.

Other features to consider when choosing eyewear include photochromic lenses, anti-reflective, ultraviolet and scratch coatings.

Photochromic lenses used to be known as PhotoGray, glass lenses that darken outdoors and lighten indoors. Photochromic lenses are available in conventional plastic as well as high-index and multifocal prescriptions. If you plan to wear them while driving, note that they will not darken in the car, as the windshield blocks the UV rays which activate the lens change. Also worth noting is that they do not change as quickly as suggested by television commercials.

Anti-reflective coatings are ideal for wearers of high index lenses and who are bothered by glare. The layers of metal oxides applied to the lenses reduce reflections and block glare. They do tend to scratch and smear fairly easily, so special care is essential. Do not coat photochromic lenses with anti-reflective coating, as it can impair their ability to change.

Ultraviolet coatings are a clear coat applied to the lens. While it does not change the appearance of the lenses, it does block harmful ultraviolet rays which are known to cause cataracts. Polycarbonate lenses do not need an ultraviolet coat, as they block UV rays on their own.

Most lenses come scratch coated. While no material is scratch-proof, the clear coat makes lenses more resistant to scratches. To avoid scratching your lenses, do not use paper products such as tissues or paper towels to clean your lenses. Keep your glasses in a case when not wearing them, and do not lay them on surfaces with the lenses down.

With continual improvements in frame styles and lens technologies, wearing glasses has become stylish and trendy, rather than having the stigma of nerdiness.