Amblyopia is a problem of brain development and not an organic neurological disorder of the eye (although organic problems can lead to amblyopia which may remain even after the problem has been treated). The area of the brain that receives images from the eye is not stimulated properly and does not develop full visual ability, a fact that has been confirmed through direct brain examination.
The retina is a membrane that covers the back part of the eye. It is responsible for converting the visual signal into an electrical signal, which is then processed by the brain so that it is transformed into an image.
Although spectacle lenses are transparent, they reflect light from the sun and from any light source just like any glass surface, both from their outer and inner surface. The anti-reflective coating protects your eyes from reflected light, which harms the clarity of your vision. In addition, it makes your eyes clearly visible by eliminating reflections on the front surface of the lenses.
Astigmatism is a common visual condition that leads to blurred vision (and, if not corrected, sometimes causes headaches). It occurs when the curvature of your cornea has a slightly irregular shape, which prevents light from focusing properly on the back of the eye. This keeps you from seeing with perfect clarity.
The axis is the number on your prescription that defines the direction (degrees) of the correction of your astigmatism. Cylinder and axis always go together – you cannot have one without the other.
Acetate, or more specifically cellulose acetate, is the caviar of plastics. It is one of the first synthetic fibres and is based on cellulose pulp from cotton. It is durable, hypoallergenic and capable of taking on extremely rich colours, which makes it an ideal material for eyewear.
Office glasses are a fusion of several lens powers, offering the wearer the advantage of a very wide field of vision required by modern work in office positions, cashiers and many other jobs. They meet visual needs at distances from reading to the computer screen and also to the distance at which a person sits opposite you at a desk.
The refractive index is the degree of change in the speed of light as it passes through the material of an object. In this case, in an ophthalmic lens, the higher the refractive index, the thinner the lens and therefore the more aesthetically pleasing the result.
This is a device used to determine which level of vision correction is suitable for you. Simply put, it shines light into your eye and measures how the light changes. A refractometer helps provide a very accurate initial prescription from which ophthalmologists or optometrists can start.
Your pupillary distance is, as the word suggests, the distance between the pupils of your eyes! It is a measurement that helps align the prescription lenses with your pupils. This is a very important part of making glasses in order to achieve the greatest possible success for your vision.
Normally your doctor should include it every time in your prescription, but unfortunately not all doctors do. If your doctor forgets, you can always use one of the methods we provide to obtain your measurement.
A diopter is a unit of measurement, just like a gram, for example. Instead of measuring weight, however, it measures the refractive power of a lens – in other words, it measures optical power.
Injection glasses are so called because they are manufactured by injecting liquefied plastic into a mould. They are highly durable materials since they have a polycarbonate base.
This information appears on your prescription. It refers to the lens power required to correct astigmatism. Cylinder and axis always go together.
Lotus effect film is the final coating on the lens surface that makes it oleophobic and hydrophobic. The result is that the lenses remain clean, as they get dirty very slowly since it does not allow dirt to adhere to the surface.
Myopia is the refractive error in which one can see clearly at near distances but vision at far or even intermediate distance is blurred. It is a deformation of the eyeball that does not allow the light rays to coincide on the retina.
Optyl® is a trademark that designates a plastic used exclusively by Safilo. It is an extremely lightweight and comfortable material because it adapts to the wearer’s face. Optyl® is also hypoallergenic and is treated with a special surface coating that protects it from corrosion caused by sweat and cosmetics.
Progressive lenses are a fusion of multiple lens powers, offering several visual corrections all in the same lens (distance correction at the top, intermediate in the middle and near correction at the bottom). This means that you can regain your full visual field without having to switch between different pairs of glasses for each distance.
Transitions® technology offers the most advanced photochromic properties for ophthalmic lenses. It adapts the lens to every changing light condition and provides 100% protection from harmful UV radiation as well as blue light. Today’s lenses have remarkable performance compared with earlier photochromic lenses. The lenses become darker than ever in an extremely short time.
Blue light is a subset of light within the visible light spectrum. It is naturally emitted by the sun and, along with other factors, regulates the circadian rhythm and keeps us alert. Blue light, however, is also emitted by screens on computers, phones and other electronic devices and is therefore often blamed for causing insomnia. These lenses have the property of filtering blue light.
Photochromic lenses begin to darken when exposed to ultraviolet rays (both in direct and indirect light) and then return to their original clarity indoors. The technology is embedded in the material of the lenses and is not just an additional coating. It is a particularly useful technology that can make our daily lives a little easier.
Hyperopia is the refractive error in which one can see distant objects clearly but has difficulty focusing on objects that are close. As people with hyperopia get older, they struggle to see even at far distances. Hyperopia occurs when the length of the eye is short and does not allow the light rays to coincide on the retina.