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		FAQs View the answers to our most frequently asked questions: 1. General queries 2. Driving related questions 3. VDU operators 4. Contact lenses 5. Spectacles 6. Glossary of terms 1. General queries Why is an eye examination so important? Your eyes are precious and need to be taken care of. Regular eye examinations will ensure that both the health of your eyes and your vision can be closely monitored and any problems detected at an early stage. How often should I have a Sight Test? At HBD we recommend that you have your eyes checked once every 18 months, but this may vary depending upon the nature of your prescription. At the very least, you should have your sight checked once per two years. Should you wear contact lenses, a more frequent interval of every 12 months is advised. These recommended intervals assume that you are not experiencing any symptoms of visual change. Will my sight worsen if I start wearing specs or contact lenses? Wearing a prescription does not make your vision worse. Often when someone gets spectacles for the first time the visual improvement is so amazing that vision without them seems much worse, especially as time goes by. However, this is simply because the brain can now compare two images directly: one with specs and one without. Prior to this it had nothing against which a comparison could be made and therefore the vision did not seem quite so fuzzy, when in fact it was. Both nature (your genes) and nurture (life's influence on you) have their roles to play and their interaction will decide the way your eyes will change with time. What does the HBD eye exam involve? An Eye Exam allows the optometrist to: Determine any relevant prescription for your eyes (long or short-sighted, astigmatic, presbyopic). Check that the muscles of the eyes work together. Check your Eye Health and screen for any associated general health problems. Perform any further testing as deemed necessary like Eye Pressures, Visual Fields, Colour Vision or Pupil Dilation What is the difference between 20/20 and 6/6 vision? No difference! Both of these fractions denote perfect sight. 20/20 is the imperial version measured in feet whilst 6/6 is the metric equivalent in metres. 2. Driving related questions What is the legal vision requirement for driving? You must be able to read a number plate from a distance of 20.5 metres (67 feet). Your field of vision must be 120 degrees wide and 20 degrees both above and below the horizontal. You must not drive if you have double vision. It is the driver's responsibility to ensure that these requirements are met and to inform the DVLA if they are in doubt. Regular eye examinations are therefore recommended. Which frames are best for driving? You should choose frames that do not obscure your vision such as rimless styles or thin frames, with sides that are above eye level. Which lenses are best for driving? Plastic lenses are recommended, as they are both lighter and safer should you be involved in an accident. Anti-reflection coating reduces glare and reflections and is especially beneficial for night-time driving as it will reduce dazzle from headlights. Are tinted lenses suitable for driving? Tinted lenses are suitable for daytime driving under normal weather conditions. However, it is not recommend that they be used either at night, or in poor driving conditions. 3. VDU operators I work on a VDU all day, which lenses should I choose? Choose lenses with an anti-reflection coating - they will help to reduce the glare from your computer screen. Should I wear my glasses when I use the VDU? If you normally wear glasses all the time then your eyes will feel more comfortable if you wear them whilst operating the VDU. Inform your Optometrist that you are a VDU operator and they will be able to offer you advice. How will I know that I need an eye examination if I use a VDU? You should visit the Opticians if you suffer from persistent headaches, eyestrain, squinting, blurred vision, double vision, dry eyes, watery eyes or excessive blinking. You should ensure that you have an eye examination every 2 years - this is particularly important if you regularly use a VDU. 4. Contact lenses Do I still need specs if I wear contact lenses? Absolutely YES! The key to successful contact lens wear is to allow your eyes a rest without them, at least one day per week. This is why no contact lens wearer should be without a pair of spectacles. Furthermore, an average of 12 hours wear per day is recommended. There will always be times when you cannot wear contact lenses. Examples include: when you have Hay fever causing the eyes to itch; if you have a bad cold or flu; if you have a mild conjunctivitis; if you are taking a course of medication which is not compatible with lens wear or if you are about to take a trip in an aeroplane. Perhaps you simply need to see your way to the kitchen in the middle of the night in order to grab a glass of water. As a parent of a newborn infant, you will understand the demands placed upon you throughout the night - no time for contact lenses when your baby needs you. Your spectacles should also be updated so that the prescription matches that of your contact lenses. All too often contact lens wearers have spectacles that they cannot see with, as the prescription is so old. In order to overcome any dislike for your spectacles also ensure that you are aesthetically happy with the frames. Look good, see good and feel good! Is it possible to get contact lenses for occasional use only? Yes. Many spectacle wearers are happy using their glasses but want the option of contact lenses for certain occasions. Examples include partaking in a sporting activity once or twice per week or weekend or holiday use. At HBD your optometrist will help you decide on the best contact lens system to meet your requirements. Generally, daily disposable soft lenses are the best type for occasional wear as they are so easy to use. The responsibility of cleaning them is removed since they are discarded immediately after use. How soon can I get contact lenses? At HBD our ample stock range allows us to fit and supply most established contact lens wearers in an hour. If you are new to contact lenses then more time is required in order to teach you how to insert, remove and take care of the contact lenses. Our patient contact lens fitters will spend all day with you if necessary, so do not feel pressured and take your time as you are introduced to the new world of contact lenses. Is it okay to sleep with my contact lenses in? Unless your optometrist has specifically said that you can, sleeping with your contact lenses in is a no-no. HBD optometrists generally allow overnight wear only if you are using a silicone-hydrogel type of lens. Can I wear contact lenses? Yes - in most cases you will be able to use contact lenses. Certain individuals with unusual prescriptions or poor eye health may not be suitable. 5. Spectacles How quickly can you make my glasses? As our spectacles are made on site, they only take an hour to make up. Sometimes this can be done in as little as 20 minutes as our cutting machines are extremely fast. Lenses and frames that need to be ordered will take a little longer. Our dispenser will be able to advise you on the length of the wait. How thick will my spectacle lenses be? This depends on your prescription, the type of lenses you choose, and your frame. The higher the prescription the thicker the lenses, but this can be minimised with high index lenses. Should you opt for plastic over glass lenses in a prescription over +/- 4.00 the thickness of the plastic will still be greater. In the lower prescription ranges, the type of lens does not matter as much. Ultra-thin 1.74 index plastics are now available which make plastic lenses much more feasible in more moderate prescriptions. As a general rule, the smaller the frame the thinner the edges of a lens for short-sighted individuals. Smaller frames always mean less lens, so significant weight advantages are gained when opting for something smaller. Ask your HBD dispenser about smaller diameter lenses. This means that the original lens size is smaller and the overall thickness is therefore less. Long-sighted individuals can have thickness reductions by asking to have their lenses "metzed" (Minimum Edge Thickness reduction). What are the advantages of glass lenses over plastic lenses? Plastic lenses are lighter and have 3 x the impact resistance of glass whilst glass is thinner. What are polarised lenses? These are special tinted lenses that polarise light as it passes through. This means that light from only certain planes is allowed to pass through whilst the rest is eliminated. Visually, the effect would be to get rid of unwanted stray light. This can be quite useful for the avid fisherman, for example, who wants to see just beneath the surface of the water without having to worry about distracting reflections from the surface. They can be made with or without prescription, but may take slightly longer to put together as they need to be ordered. Ask your HBD dispenser for more information on these lenses. 6. Glossary of terms Anti-Reflection coatings (AR or MAR) Coatings that reduce lens reflections, enhancing the visual performance and cosmetic appearance of spectacles Astigmatism A refractive error related to the shape of the cornea or crystalline lens Bifocal Lenses Provide clear vision a two ranges, near and far, with a visible line between them Cataract Opacity of the crystalline lens Cornea The front surface of the eye Conjunctiva The white area of the eyeball Conjunctivitis Inflammation of the white area of the eyeball Diplopia Double vision Glaucoma Damage to the retinal nerve fibres generally associated with raised pressure within the eye. This can lead to permanent loss of vision, but can be avoided by early detection and treatment. High Index Lenses Lenses made from more dense materials, which are thinner for higher prescriptions Interview Lens An extended reading lens recommended for people working on VDUs and close work Iris The coloured part of the eye, which changes the size of the pupil, regulating the amount of light allowed into the eye Myopia Near-sightedness causing distant images to be out of focus Multi-focal Lenses Spectacle or contact lenses with more than one refractive correction Optic Nerve Transmits to the brain the information produced when light hits the retina Polarised Lens Cuts down angular reflections of the light Polarised Light PLight that is reflected off a flat surface Presbyopia A gradual loss of lens flexibility making it difficult to focus on close-up tasks, this is a natural part of the ageing process. Corrected by reading glasses, bifocals, trifocals, varifocals or contact lenses. Pupil The aperture in the centre of the iris that allows light through to the retina Retina The screen of light receptors at the back of the eye Single Vision Lenses Lenses for only one distance, e.g. distance glasses, reading glasses Sports Vision Eyewear Corrective eyewear used for sports Trifocal Lenses Like bifocal lenses, but also give clear vision for long, intermediate and near distances, with lines dividing each sector of the lens Varifocal Lenses Multi-focal lenses with no lines between the various corrections
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