Valuvision Eyecare is a locally owned and operated chain of vision centers. Valuvision has served the Greater Jacksonville and Orange Park areas for almost 40 years. Whether your looking for eye exams, contact lenses, eyeglasses, designer frames, or sunglasses, Valuvision has it all at a vision center near you in Jacksonville Florida. This article is the third in a four part series on the types and function of eyeglasses.

One of the primary functions of glasses is for correcting vision problems in eye such as myopia or nearsightedness, hyperopia or farsightedness, astigmatism and presbyopia. Optometrists are primarily concerned with this function of prescription eyeglasses as a means of providing eye care for patients.  Nearsightedness(myopia) is a vision disorder where near objects are scene clearly yet far object are blurry or out of focus. Optometrists prescribe glasses with concave lenses which refocus the image that comes through the lens of the eye onto the proper position on the retina. For patients with hyperopia(farsightedness), where objects are in focus far away but near objects are out of focus, and presbyopia optometrists prescribe eyeglasses with convex lenses to achieve the same effect.  Astigmatism is corrected using a cylindrical lens. The cylindrical lens, often a different prescription in each eye, is able to rectify astigmatism which is caused by a non-uniform curvature of the eye. Corrective lenses greatly improve the quality of life in patients, especially those with higher prescriptions or “worse” eyesight. Optometrists pride themselves on providing patients with a better quality of life through quality eye care and better vision.

The other highly popular function of eyeglasses or eye wear is UV protection or sunglasses. Sunglasses have become so popularized by Hollywood and pop culture that designer sunglasses are worn sheerly as a fashion accessory. Look in any issue of US weekly or any other celebrity gossip magazine and you will see cover to cover pages of pictures of actors and actresses styling their favorite designer sunglasses and designer eyeglasses. Of course the function of sunglasses, even designer sunglasses is to provide the eye with protection from ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Polarized sunglasses are a popular item among many sunglass wearer especially sportsmen and workers who have to operate outside on a regular basis. Polarization is an added feature that can be applied to sunglass lenses. Polarization filters remove horizontally polarized rays of light, which eliminates glare from horizontal surfaces (allowing wearers to see into water when reflected light would otherwise overwhelm the scene). Ask you optometrist if designer sunglasses or polarized sunglasses are right for your eye care.

While not as important to the general public, safety eye-wear provides crucial eye protection to those that need it. Safety eyeglasses or safety goggles are typically made with a shatter resistant plastic. The primary function of safety glasses is to protect the eyes from fling debris or aggravating chemicals and fumes. Safety glasses can be used over corrective lenses or in many cases can be made to hold a prescription. Safety glasses are usually chosen over safety goggles for sheer comfort. And in recent years, safety glasses have taken on a more stylish appearance to encourage use.

Whatever your family’s eyeglass needs are, Valuvision can provide eye care solutions for your needs. Valuvision has corrective and prescription eye glasses, designer eyeglasses, sunglasses, designer sunglasses, and is happy to consult about and safety concerns that may apply. Visit www.valuvision.com today to contact the vision center near you.