At Kaiser Permanente, we’re passionate about keeping your eyes healthy and your vision sharp. Check out the information below on wearing glasses and contacts as well as eye health.
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Putting on a new pair of prescription glasses can feel strange at first. Even if your prescription has not changed, your glasses may feel different due to a different frame or lens design. But have no fear as your eyes and brain will quickly learn if you keep wearing your new glasses and do not keep switching back to your old glasses.
Progressive glasses may take a little more time to learn, especially if you have never worn them before. To better learn to use progressives for the first time, it helps to understand how they are designed. A progressive lens lets you see far away through the top of the lens and gradually closer and closer as you look down the lens. To achieve this seamless shift in focus of far to near, from top to bottom, progressive lenses will have areas of distortion on the side edges of the lens. This is why progressives are often shown having an hourglass outline with sides greyed or blurred out.
The location of the focal distances in progressive lens determines where to move your head or gaze to look through the correct part of the lens:
If you’re still not seeing clearly with your glasses after a few days, call your Optical Center.
A new pair may need adjustment to ensure good fit and vision. Just like a car or bicycle, your glasses may also need an occasional tune-up. Here are some tell-tale signs that you should come into your Optical Center for an adjustment at no charge:
Here are some tips for keeping your glasses in great shape:
Protective cases, lens cleaner, and micro-fiber clothes are available for purchase at your Optical Center.
Moisture from your breath can fog your glasses when you wear a mask. The best way to keep your glasses from fogging is to limit the flow of air from your mask to your lenses:
You can also try anti-fog sprays and wipes on your lenses. If your lenses have anti-reflective (AR) coating, make sure to find a product that is compatible. You can also try this easy trick using household ingredients:
The thin, soapy film will keep your lenses from fogging.
Contact lenses can be a good option for vision correction, particularly for people who are active.
We offer contact lenses that correct nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism and challenging prescriptions. We also offer multifocal contacts that improve both near and distant vision.
Our team of eyecare providers will check whether contact lenses are right for your eyes. See these three steps to get started.
Soft Lenses are a great choice for people who are active. They are available for daily, bi-monthly, and monthly wear.
Gas-Permeable (GP) Lenses are made of a lightly flexible plastic and are more durable than soft lenses. Multifocal GP lenses are also available for most prescriptions, including astigmatism correction.
Specialty Lenses are used to correct vision in certain medical conditions and prescriptions.
Your eyecare provider will help you decide which option is best for you.
How to put on and take off contact lenses
Left your contacts in too long? Not a good idea
Try to arrive 15 to 20 minutes early to your eye exam to allow time to check in and update your information.
Let your Optometrist know if you are interested in contact lenses. Fitting contact lenses may involve coming back for a special fitting appointment at another time. If you already wear contact lenses, wear your contacts to your appointment. Bring your eyeglasses and any information about your current contact lenses that you have, such as boxes, vials and your last prescription.
Your Optometrist will perform a series of tests and examinations to see if your eyes are healthy. Conditions that can be detected during your eye exam include:
The optometrist will then use the familiar eye chart to check if you need any vision correction. After your prescription has been determined, you will receive a written prescription for your lenses. You will then be directed to our Optical Center to work with an experienced Optician to choose the right frame and lenses for you.
Dilated eyes allow the optometrist to look at the inside of the eye.
Not every patient needs to have a dilated examination. When dilation is necessary this is what you can expect.
Drops will be placed in each eye to enlarge the pupil (the black portion in the center of the eye). This allows the optometrist to look at the inside of the eye. You will be asked to wait for your eyes to respond to the drops and the pupils to fully dilate. Then your eyes will be examined for signs of any health problems such as
Children are screened from birth for eye disease and vision problems by their pediatricians during their regular visits. Parents are an important part of this process and need to let the pediatrician know if they notice anything unusual about their child's eyes or vision. The most common eye problems of childhood are strabismus and amblyopia.
Children, even infants, may require eyeglasses to correct vision problems. Fitting children for eyeglasses is challenging and requires a wide array of suitable frames and an experienced staff. Our highly-trained Kaiser Permanente Optical staff loves to assist these special patients.
Sunglasses may be a hot fashion accessory but their most important function is to protect your eyes from the sun’s damaging ultraviolet (UV) rays – even on cloudy days. Plus, harsh glare on water, snow, and even buildings can impact your vision. A good pair of sunglasses can shield your eyes and help keep them healthy. And with a wide variety of styles available you can choose a pair that matches your personal look!
Sun Dangers
Sun Solutions