As well as being windows onto the soul, our eyes provide a reflection of our lifestyles. Being healthy and making the right choices can have a significant impact on our vision, and these top tips will help to ensure everyone enjoys the best possible eye health:
 
Have regular eye tests
Our specialist equipment provides a detailed eye health check, allowing us to start treating problems at the first possible opportunity. Regular eye tests are particularly vital for monitoring sight levels and eye health in children, and we stock specialist spectacle lenses designed for office work.

We are proud to be an independent local optician, and according to the experts at consumer body Which?, our pride is well-founded. In a comprehensive survey of UK opticians, independents topped the table with an average customer score of 87 per cent – significantly outperforming every national chain of opticians.

Which? surveyed over 4,000 practices and independent opticians achieved the maximum 5-star rating in five of the seven chosen categories.

Customer service: The Which? survey investigated seven key categories, including store environments and the thoroughness of eye tests. Local independents were the only opticians to achieve five stars in customer service, product quality and aftersales. While independent opticians received a five-star rating for their store environment and customer service, some of the national chains were awarded just two stars.

Overall ratings: There was little distinction between high-street chain opticians and retailer spin-off brands, whereas independent opticians achieved top ratings in five of the seven categories Which? assessed. The independents’ industry-leading 87 per cent customer score was calculated according to satisfaction levels during each respondent’s most recent visit.

The bigger picture: This survey of almost 8,500 Which? members bears a striking resemblance to a similar report in 2014. The previous survey also concluded that local independent practices led the way for quality and service, recording similarly large rating gaps between independents and high street chains. It seems the benefits of using independent opticians remain as compelling as ever...

It is a fact we live in an increasingly technological society. We are slowly moving away from paper based literature and using innovative media such as laptops, tablets, phones and wearable devices. This change not only affects us but also children.

In my experience some parents are very anti-technology and actively prevent their children from using devices. Personally I think this is a shame as it can put children on a 'back foot' when it comes to learning to use technology and learning how to control their personal usage.

As a father of a three year old girl I do let my daughter use my tablet or laptop, and I have since she was about 18 months old. Now to some that is way too early but Ava now has the dexterity and hand eye co-ordination to use a track-pad, she can scroll through photos or watch an episode of Peppa Pig without too much effort. At the same time I have instilled (hopefully) good habits so that she can continue to use technology in the correct way, and I will reinforce these habits regularly.

Habit 1. Control the duration of use - Device use should be limited to reduce fatigue to the ciliary muscle in the eye. The duration of time is a matter of contention. Personally 30 mins is more than enough in one sitting.

Habit 2. Control viewing distances - Most children will want to immerse themselves into their programme of choice. To do that they will move closer and closer to the screen. That way peripheral distractions are reduced to allow full concentration on the entertainment in front of them. Of course, sometimes it is a genuine visual problem so if the child is unhappy when you push the device further away from them it is wise to have their eyes examined to check for an uncorrected prescription.

Habit 3. Stop use at a fixed time before bed - Most devices emit blue light of wavelengths that are thought to reduce the melatonin levels in the brain and in doing so altering the  natural body clock (circadian rhythm). Think about how you can stay awake for longer when you are looking at your phone/tablet when in bed. I recommend cessation of all device use 1 hour before bed to encourage a good nights sleep.

These are just a few pointers I practice at home/work but I also think regular eye examinations are important and for children under 16 it is free.

So this is a question I am asked many times over in the day and the answer as always is a bit more difficult to answer.

There are a few types of vision deficiency:
Long - sightedness (Hyperopia)
Short - sightedness (Myopia)
Astigmatism
and Presbyopia.

A few of these can combine to produce a complex prescription.

I will break them down simply:

Long-sightedness -

Hayfever seems to be more common now then in the past. The number of patients I see with hayfever related eye symptoms is increasing, and as it is not just an eye related I can only assume it is increasing in the population. The College of Optometrists have released the following infographic to help reduce the symptoms of hayfever.

New research, jointly funded by the College of Optometrists and Ulster University, has shown that myopia is more than twice as prevalent among children in the UK now than in the 1960s. 
The Northern Ireland Childhood Errors of Refraction (NICER) study, conducted by researchers at Ulster University and published in PLOS ONE, is the largest longitudinal research undertaken in the UK to examine changes in children’s vision and cycloplegic refractive error over time. The latest findings, using data gathered from more than 1,000 children over six years, provides vital information on how children’s eyes grow and change in the 21st century.

Of all the luxury fashion brands in the world, Chanel is perhaps the most famous. It is able to strike a powerful balance between the past and the present — something which eludes many luxury competitors — working with punky models like Alice Dellal or soon to be stars like Lily-Rose Depp while simultaneously maintaining a timeless, prim and proper image.

Chanel has an incredibly rich heritage, but somehow still feels very modern and contemporary. This is conveyed in its eyewear collections.

Pearl Collection
Coco Chanel loved pearls, she was famous quoted to say ''a women needs ropes and ropes of pearls.'' In this latest collection the Chanel pieces feature metal arms embellished with mother of pearl.

Essilor’s Crizal® Prevencia™ is the first preventive lens offering selective protection from harmful blue light and UV rays now available at Martin Reynolds Opticians.

• UV Light is not only a major risk factor for many skin diseases, but is also a risk factor for eye diseases, including cataract.
• Blue-Violet Light is harmful to retinal cells and is one of the risk factors for the onset of age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

• AMD is a major cause of severe vision loss and legal blindness in adults over 60—having a family history can increase your chances of developing AMD.

It's true... at Martin Reynolds Opticians we have been using Crizal UV lenses for several years. This coating comes in a few different types but the key features are the same: -

Summer is just around the corner and if you haven't thought about sunglasses yet then its not too late to start thinking about the pair you will be rocking this year. The only thing is what style? Aviator, Wayfarer, D-frame, 60's, 70's are all now but to add something special add a bit of flash with a mirror finish to the lenses.

If you have a prescription and want to see to be seen then we can do this too! With Essilor's new e-mirror UV coatings you can look good and protect your eyes from harmful UV radiation.

Call us on 01279 757767 for more info or call into the practice and we will be happy to help.

We know that lenses help you achieve exceptionally sharp vision. But annoying reflections from the surface of your lenses can reduce the quality of your vision while also making your lenses appear more conspicuous to others. Distracting surface reflections interfere with vision and serve as “visual noise” that degrades visual clarity, particularly in low-light conditions such as night driving. Uncoated eyeglass lenses are also susceptible to scratching from cleaning or normal wear and tear, which can compromise your vision quality. In fact approximately 8% of light is reflected from the surface, which means 92% of the light is used for critical vision. 

Anti-reflective coating technology was developed to address these issues, and it continues to develop to provide clearer, more durable lens coatings.

However there are many additional layers to an anti-reflective coating which helps it's performance, and it is these invisible layers which make anti-reflection coatings either a nightmare or a dream. I have separated the layers below to allow you to appreciate what is involved in the best anti-reflection coatings, such as Essilor Crizal UV Forte or the Zeiss Purecoat Plus. Cheaper lenses will obviously omit certain layers and it is up to individual lens manufacturer to decide what to compromise on to keep the cost low for the consumer. 

Anti-reflective Technology
Lenses without anti-reflective technology reflect a significant amount of light. Surface reflections from lenses can distract the wearer and even interfere with vision, particularly in low-light conditions like night driving or when performing intensive visual tasks like computer use. The anti-reflective technology helps reduce reflections to less than 1% of the incident light — compared with 7% to 13% for uncoated lenses.

Scratch-resistant Technology
Plastic lenses help make glasses lighter and more comfortable, but they’re much more prone to scratches than glass lenses. The scratch resistant technology varies depending on the lens manufacturer with some lenses easier to scratch than others. This technology helps keep lenses from developing scratches from cleaning and normal wear and tear. Certain coatings ,such as the Crizal UV Forte, now come with a 2 year anti-scratch guarantee.

Anti-static Technology
Dirt and dust can cling to traditional untreated lenses, reducing vision quality and leading to scratches when cleaning. The anti-static element in premium coatings helps repel contaminants like dust and debris.

Hydrophobic and Oleophobic Technology
Grease, water, and oil will more readily slide off the surface of lenses treated with this super-slick coating, so the lenses are easier to clean and stay clean longer.

UV Blocking Technology
We all know UV can damage our skin. But what about our eyes? UV can seriously damage your vision.
Normal UV protection helps shield your eyes from rays that pass through the front of your glasses. Essilor's Crizal UV Forte goes further, protecting your eyes from UV light reflected off the back surface of your lenses too.

If you thought that you could only correct your vision by wearing contact lenses during the day think again.

Orthokeratology allows correction of up to -4.50 diopters of myopia (short-sightedness) by wearing a specially designed contact lens overnight and removing it once awake. Yes you read it right REMOVE the lens on waking. The contact lens temporarily redistributes the outer surface cells of the cornea therefore correcting vision so you to see with total freedom from contact lenses and spectacles.

Orthokeratology is also thought to help reduce myopia progression, so for children it not only gives them freedom from spectacles and contact lenses, it also helps to reduce the rate of deterioration.

If you would like more information on this click on the OrthoK link on our website or call us on 01279 757767. We will be happy to help.

This Christmas when you are planning your meals, or enjoying them, think about how they are affecting your eyes. Don't leave it until New Years Day to start eating healthy because you can be naughty and nice!

We frequently take our eyes for granted, but these are highly specialised organs that require careful maintenance to operate at their optimal capacity. While eye tests and vision correction
products play key roles In this process, the foods we eat can also be greatly beneficial.

Studies around the world have emphasised that a healthy lifestyle combined with healthy eating can reduce the prevalence of cataracts, while carbohydrate-high, vitamin-low diets directly increase this risk.

Similarly, a carefully balanced diet helps to counteract age-related macular degeneration, or AMD. This is the leading cause of registered blindness in the western world, but can be halted and even partly reversed through prompt diagnosis and positive lifestyle choices. Research has established that obesity can double the risk of developing some common causes of blindness, including AMD. Although our retinas naturally weaken over time excess body weight can dramatically speed up the onset of AMD, giving us yet another reason to consider what we eat and how it might affect our bodies.

For many years, the focus on diet and its impact on our vision have concentrated on vitamins A, C and E. Numerous scientific studies and clinical trials have shown that these three ingredients help to maintain healthy cells and tissues in our eyes, even assisting with our tear functions and reducing the symptoms of dry eyes. Should your diet not lend itself to a regular intake of fresh produce, nutritional supplements can top up many missing vitamins and minerals although use of these supplements should ideally be approved by your GP.

So when you have the turkey add lots of vegetables to the mix and start protecting your eyes now!


Merry Christmas

Spectacles are an integral component of daily life for many people. While contact lenses are an increasingly popular and user-friendly alternative, the simplicity and convenience of spectacles ensures they're still the default option for vision correction.

Lens technology has evolved greatly in recent years and it's now easy to buy spectacles that can block UV light, or prevent the build-up of grease and dirt with oil-resistant films. Much of this sophistication involves transparent chemical coatings applied to the lens and performing specialised duties such as preventing reflections. This concept was developed from the late 19th century onwards, with a major breakthrough occurring in the 1930s when scientists began combining thin layers of film that refract light at different angles, virtually eliminating reflectiveness.

The attendant benefits are particularly pertinent today with glare being alleviated from computer screens and mobile devices, while motorists benefit by avoiding dazzle from oncoming vehicles or street lights when travelling at night.

Nowadays, anti-reflective coatings are fairly standard on spectacles, and they are increasingly being augmented by scratch-resistant technology. It is worth noting that lens materials are far more robust nowadays, and the plastic commonly used in their manufacture has intrinsic scratch-resistant properties. Sporting or shatter-proof lenses typically utilise polycarbonate materials, whose softer composition relies on scratch-resistant coatings for durability.

As many spectacle wearers will testify, acute fogging can be caused by rapid changes in temperature or ambient conditions. Using technology pioneered by NASA and now available at Martin Reynolds Opticians, anti-fog systems prevent the build-up of condensation.

You can speak to our Dispensing Team about these coatings following your appointment. Call the practice on 01279 757767 to book an appointment.