How Do I Choose the Right Glasses for Me?

When it comes to glasses, there’s an endless supply of information on the internet on how to pick the right frames. Try to avoid reading fashion or style blogs that suggest a certain style is better than others simply because it is what all the celebrities are wearing. The best advice comes from optometrists and other eye specialists who care about your eye health and have smart advice about the styles of available glasses in Bedford, NS.

However, if you’re determined to pick them out yourself, here are some things to keep in mind:

Face Shape: The shape of your face and whether your features are more angular or soft can influence which frame will look best on you. Round, soft face shapes tend to look better in angular frames. The opposite is true if you have an angular face: opt for testing out rounded frames.

Lifestyle: What are you planning on doing with your frames? If you use glasses just for work, then a standard frame will suit you just fine. Active individuals should shop for flexible frames that can twist and bend. Gamers, meanwhile, should pick out large frames that maximize their viewing area with tinted lenses that help filter out blue light from monitors and TV screens.

Personality: Your choice in glasses can say a lot about you. Whether you’re a fun-loving student or a serious business person, you’ll want to choose frames that you feel good wearing. You can even choose different frames for different occasions. As long as you have a consistent prescription, you can have as many pairs as you want.

How Proper Eye Care Improves Your Quality of Life

Your eyes are a window into the intricate workings of your brain, so it makes sense that eye health is closely related to brain health. As the brain is one of the most vital organs in determining your health overall, it’s clear to see why monitoring and checking up on your eyes regularly is paramount. Your optic nerve directly connects your eyes to your brain, so a healthy dependent relationship is necessary. As any eye doctor in Lower Sackville, NS, will tell you, routine eye exams can identify and even prevent complications that could disrupt the beneficial relationship between your eyes, your brain, and your overall health.

Preventative Maintenance

Did you know that your eyes are the only place where blood vessels can be viewed in their natural state? Optometrists are trained to take a look at these vessels during eye exams. They even know how to spot when something doesn’t look quite right. Some of the health concerns an eye specialist can spot include:

• High Cholesterol
• High Blood Pressure
• Diabetes
• Liver Disease
• Brain Tumors
• Blood Disease

Many of these conditions can start out symptomless at first, so discovering them during a routine eye exam is entirely possible. That’s why visiting an eye doctor annually is about more than just getting fitted for corrective lenses -- your eye care professional is invested in your overall health as much as you are. Although they cannot treat conditions outside of the eye, an eye doctor can recommend the right avenues in which to seek further care assistance. 

How Often Should You Get an Eye Exam?

Whether you wear corrective lenses or not, you’ve probably been told it’s beneficial to receive periodic eye exams. However, opinions on how often you should visit an eye doctor can vary greatly from source to source. While the decision is entirely up to you, eye doctors in Lower Sackville, NS, suggest you schedule an eye exam at least every 1 to 2 years, regardless of whether currently wear corrective lenses or not.

Comprehensive Eye Exams

It’s not enough to have a medical doctor shine a light in your eyes every once in a while. Annual eye exams from professional, medically trained eye doctors -- called optometrists -- are critical for children and adults alike. Beyond fitting you for corrective lenses (should you need them), an eye doctor will review the overall health of your eyes. This includes testing your eye pressure, which will help them assess your risk factor for eye disease. They may also test your visual field and acuity for potential blind spots or colour blindness.

An Investment in Your Eye Health

The value of taking care of your eyes cannot be stressed enough. Your daily environment plays a huge role in your overall eye health. Modern-day eye problems like digital eye strain require new, innovative solutions. Even when you don’t think you need glasses, you might be surprised by what an optometrist tells you. If you haven’t scheduled an eye exam in the last few years, now is a great time to pick up the phone and set up your next appointment.