BLOGS

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What is farsightedness?

Hyperopia often referred to as farsightedness, is one of the common refractive errors associated with vision problems. It’s the inability to see objects up close but objects at a distance are clear (hence the name - farsighted). 

This type of refractive error may go unnoticed as a child but symptoms start to appear as they get older. People may also experience hyperopia differently. In severe cases, vision might be blurry at all distances. 

What causes farsightedness?

Hyperopia is the result of improper focusing caused by an irregularly shaped eyeball. It happens when the eyeball is too short and the light entering the eye is focused behind the retina. Blurriness in your vision is caused by the light focusing behind the retina instead of directly on top. Hyperopia can also be caused by an abnormally shaped cornea and/or lens.

Symptoms

• Difficulty seeing objects up close
• Squinting trying to read small print
• Eyestrain
• Headaches

Treatments

Eyeglasses

Eyeglasses are the easiest and safest way to correct farsightedness. A comprehensive eye exam with an Eye Care Professional (Optometrist or Ophthalmologist) will identify the refractive error and prescribe the corrective lenses needed to address the problem. 

Contact Lenses

Contact lenses are a thin, plastic lens that rests directly on the eye to correct vision deficiencies. They have the added benefits of a wider field of view, moving freely without worrying about damaged glasses, and no obstructions to the face.

Proper care and attention are required to ensure the safety of the eyes. They may not be the best option for everyone and there are certain restrictions that could prevent the use of contact lenses. It’s always best to consult with an Eye Care Professional to outline the best course of action. 

Refractive Surgery

Nowadays refractive surgery is a safe and viable method to correct vision problems. Refractive surgeries are potentially a permanent solution to deficiencies in vision by reshaping the cornea. 

In most cases, this will eliminate the need for eyeglasses or contact lenses. There are a variety of refractive surgeries available. Booking a consultation with an Eye Care Professional will outline the best option and the next steps to move forward.

Common Refractive Errors

• Myopia (Nearsightedness)
• Astigmatism
• Presbyopia

Est. Reading Time: 5 mins

What is nearsightedness?

Myopia, often referred to as nearsightedness, is one of the common refractive errors associated with vision problems. It’s the inability to see objects at a distance but objects up close are clear (hence the name - nearsighted). 

What causes nearsightedness?

Myopia is the result of improper focusing caused by an irregularly shaped eyeball. It happens when the eyeball is too long and the light entering the eye is not focused directly on the retina. Blurriness in your vision is caused by the light focusing before it reaches the retina. Myopia can also be caused by an abnormally shaped cornea and/or lens.

Symptoms 

• Difficulty seeing distant objects
• Constantly squinting to see up ahead
• Eyestrain
• Headaches

Treatments

Eyeglasses

Eyeglasses are the easiest and safest way to correct nearsightedness. A comprehensive eye exam with an Eye Care Professional (Optometrist or Ophthalmologist) will identify the refractive error and prescribe the corrective lenses needed to address the problem. 

Contact Lenses

Contact lenses are a thin, plastic lens that rests directly on the eye to correct vision deficiencies. They have the added benefits of a wider field of view, moving freely without worrying about damaged glasses, and no obstructions to the face.

Proper care and attention are required to ensure the safety of the eyes. They may not be the best option for everyone and there are certain restrictions that could prevent the use of contact lenses. It’s always best to consult with an Eye Care Professional to outline the best course of action.

Refractive Surgery

Nowadays refractive surgery is a safe and viable method to correct vision problems. Refractive surgeries are potentially a permanent solution to deficiencies in vision by reshaping the cornea.

In most cases, this will eliminate the need for eyeglasses or contact lenses. There are a variety of refractive surgeries available. Booking a consultation with an Eye Care Professional will outline the best option and the next steps to move forward.

Common Refractive Errors

• Hyperopia (Farsightedness)
• Astigmatism
• Presbyopia

sale

Treat Yourself With Huge Savings Just In Time For The Holidays

Get 50% OFF on the top designer brands in eyeglasses & sunglasses until Christmas!

Start the holiday season off the right way with Sol Optix. We are featuring a designer brand each day throughout the 12 Days of Christmas and taking 50% off the retail price. 

Need a new prescription? We have 50% off ALL lenses until the new year! No frame purchase required. Direct billing available. 

LOCATIONS

Sol Optix 17 Ave

628B 17 Ave SW
Calgary, AB
P: (403) 452-8463

Sol Optix Boutique - Macleod Trail

7112 Macleod Trail SE
Calgary, AB
P: (403) 764-6161

Hours of Operation

Mon-Fri: 11:00am - 7:00pm

Sat: 11:00am - 6:00pm

Sun: 12:00pm - 5:00pm

DATES & BRANDS AVAILABLE:

 1st Day: Dec. 13 - 50% Off Coach

2nd Day: Dec. 14 - 50% Off Chloe

3rd Day: Dec. 15 - 50% Off Miu Miu

4th Day: Dec. 16 - 50% Off Salvatore Ferragamo

5th Day: Dec. 17 - 50% Off Jimmy Choo

6th Day: Dec. 18 - 50% Off Dior

7th Day: Dec. 19 - 50% Off Valentino

8th Day: Dec. 20 - 50% Off Tiffany & Co. 

9th Day: Dec. 21 - 50% Off Yves Saint Laurent

10th Day: Dec. 22 - 50% Off Bottega Veneta

11th Day: Dec. 23 - 50% Off BVLGARI

12th Day: Dec. 24 - 50% Off Tom Ford

Terms

• Offer valid on in-stock merchandise only. No special orders.
• Cannot be combined with other discounts and promotions on frames
• Cannot be combined with Groupon voucher
• No extensions on select brands. Offer only applies to the specified date and brand. No exceptions.
• Discount applies for sunglasses and eyeglasses

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Changes in your vision happen all the time. There are instances where the changes can pass and are treated simply with a little bit of rest. If you’ve ever stayed up late and felt your eyes having trouble focusing you can attest to this momentary poor vision. 

Lack of sleep, stress or eye strain caused by visual fatigue (picture long days on a computer) can temporarily affect how well you’re seeing. This makes it difficult to determine if your vision problems are a case of tired eyes or if it may be time to book an appointment with your Eye Care Professional.

Luckily, there are some early warning signs to look out for that could be directly related to changes in vision.  Although the sudden loss of vision is possible, the changes are usually gradual and you may not even notice right away. If you’re constantly experiencing any of these symptoms, it may be a good indicator that it’s time to contact your Eye Care Professional. They can give you greater insight into the health of your eyes and may recommend an adjustment in your prescription.  

1. Blurred Vision

Right off the bat, if you experience unexpected blurriness in vision when you’re already wearing glasses; there’s a good chance your vision has changed. Your glasses are designed to correct your deficiencies in seeing clearly and if they’re not working you may need to adjust the lens power.

Booking a comprehensive eye exam is strongly recommended when symptoms of blurriness in vision occurs. A comprehensive eye exam will not only help you in getting the appropriate lens correction but it may identify any underlying eye health issues at the earliest stage. 

2. Squinting

Squinting is a natural way of improving focus and clarity in your vision. You may not realize how often you’re actually squinting mostly because it happens automatically as you need more clarity. 

However, excessive squinting can be an indicator that your vision has changed. If you find yourself squinting every time you’re trying to read a road sign, use a computer/laptop or reading a book then a change may be necessary for your eyeglass prescription

Excessive squinting means you’re constantly straining your eyes. This eyestrain will worsen over time and could cause your clarity in vision to decline. It may require a stronger prescription to correct your vision problem in the future. 

3. Eyestrain

Eye strain or the feeling of your eyes hurting/being tired can be attributed to multiple factors like the amount of sleep you get or even seasonal allergies. However, in cases where eyestrain is persistent; it could signal a change in eyewear is required. Either with a new prescription or a different type of prescription lens altogether.

If you feel your eyes are hurting or tired when you have glasses on but then it subsides when you take your glasses off, consult with an Eye Care Professional as soon as possible. This is a clear indicator you need an adjustment in your prescribed power. 

4. Headaches

Many people may not experience noticeable changes in their vision but they will report an increase in headaches. Headaches are usually one of the first signs of needing an updated eyeglass prescription.

 People who are nearsighted (myopia) tend to experience headaches at the front of the head or right above the brow line. Meanwhile, those who are farsighted (hyperopia) will get headaches when reading or looking at things up close for extended periods. 

5. Difficulty seeing at night

People may have a “clear” vision in the daytime but begin to face challenges as it gets darker in the evening. This is due to the fact that there is more available light during the day. Your pupils are smaller and provide a greater depth of field in the daytime.

At night, however, your pupils begin to dilate to take in more light. This makes blurriness caused by vision deficiencies (hyperopia, myopia, astigmatism, and presbyopia) become more apparent. 

The bottom line

Although experiencing one or more of these symptoms may not always translate into a problem in your vision, It’s always recommended to schedule regular eye exams. Your optometrist or ophthalmologist can monitor the health of your eyes. They will determine if your current prescription still works as well as screen diseases or eye conditions.

sale

Get a head start to the holiday season with amazing eyewear deals! Save up to 70% off on designer frames for eyeglasses and sunglasses.

Black Friday starts Nov. 29, 2019, and ends Dec. 1, 2019. All Black Friday offers are only available at the Sol Optix 17 Ave location - so make sure you head downtown this coming weekend and check out the huge savings on eyewear. 

Need a complete set? No problem, all of our prescription lenses are 50% off. No frame purchase is required for this offer!

DEALS:

• 70% OFF red tag items
• 60% OFF yellow tag items
• 50% OFF blue tag items
• 40% OFF green tag items
• 50% OFF all prescription lenses

DESIGNER BRANDS FEATURED:
Coach, Prada Tom Ford, Valentino, Balenciaga, Tory Burch, Michael Kors, Givenchy, Guess, Ralph Lauren, Hugo Boss

Est. Reading Time: 5 mins | infographic

Contact lenses have become so common that some people opt out of wearing glasses and wear contact lenses as an alternative. 

Contacts give you the freedom from worrying about glasses staying on your face and they remove the distraction that glasses can have on your facial features.

Although contact lenses are convenient and relatively safe, special care and attention are needed to ensure that your eyes are safe from hazards or infection. 

Cleaning contact lenses and best practices for putting them on are fairly straightforward but it can be easy to miss a step or forget the importance of proper hygiene to lower the risk of eye infections. 

Unfortunately, cutting corners when it comes to your contact lens routine can lead to irritating eye infections or the risk of damaging your eyes. All of which may prevent you from wearing contact lenses for an extended period. 

Let's take a look at 5 Simple Steps to Properly Take Care of Your Contact Lenses. 

1. WASH YOUR HANDS

• Wash, rinse and dry your hands thoroughly before handling the contact lens
• Avoid using soaps that contain scent, oil, or lotions
• Dry hands with a lint-free towel

2. TAKE YOUR CONTACT LENSES OUT

• Use your fingertips to handle your contact lenses
• Do not use your fingernails or sharp objects to take your contact lens out

3. INSPECT FOR DAMAGE

• Take a good look at your contact lenses and check if they are in good condition
• Look out for stretching, tears, or folds in the lens 

4. RUB & RINSE

• Place the contact lenses on the palm of your clean hand
• Apply a generous amount of contact lens solution and begin to rub your lenses together to loosen any debris on the lens. 
• Rinse the lens thoroughly with contact lens solution
• Avoid applying excessive pressure on the contact lens

5. PLACE IN CONTACT LENS CASE/CONTAINER

• Use a clean contact lens case
• Always use fresh contact lens solution
• Do not top off old solution or re-use the solution
• Never use water or homemade saline solutions
• Replace the container with a new one every 30 days 

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Millions of Canadians leave extended health benefits unclaimed. We all know (or at least we should) that these health benefits expire and renew in a given period. 

Whether you’re getting health benefits through work or a personal insurance plan, you’re paying for your coverage regardless if you make a claim or not. 

As we all know, they don’t reimburse you for these unclaimed benefits so these are essentially hundreds of dollars wasted never to be seen again.  

The best way to maximize your insurance benefits is to know exactly what they cover and their limitations. This article will go over the basics of understanding your policy and some tips and tricks of potentially getting a little bit more out of your vision plan. 

Know your coverage and frequency rates

First thing is to contact your vision care provider and ask what you’re covered for and the parameters for your coverage. Information like copays, allowance, lens enhancements and the total amount covered are important to know so you’re aware of any limitations to your plan. 

Not all vision care plans are similar and can have varying rates or features. For the most part, they will cover an eye exam and a pair of glasses (frames and lenses). Rates of coverage can vary from plan to plan. Below are key points to consider to get the most out of your insurance plan.

Things to consider:

Copay

A fixed amount that you pay regardless of what the optical retailer charges you.

Allowance:

The vision care for your insurance plan will pay a percentage of your glasses up to a specified amount.

For example, your plan could cover 80% up to $250.00 of your eyeglasses. This means your vision care plan will pay for 80% of the cost of your glasses up to a maximum of $250. You will be responsible for the difference in coverage either 20% of the cost or anything over $250. 

Lens Enhancements

lens upgrades like photochromic/transition lenses, high index lenses, anti-glare coating, etc. are considered electives and may not be covered by your plan or have a separate allowance. 

Contact Lenses Exams and Contact Lenses

Contact lens exams and contact lenses are also classified as electives. Coverage rates may change or for some plans, they may not even be covered at all. 

Dates of Renewal

It’s also a good thing to know when the renewal dates are for your vision coverage. Insurance claims are based on the date of service regardless of when you receive your eyewear or if there have been any changes to your prescription. 

This means that if your coverage renews every two years (like most plans), and you purchase glasses with your coverage on December 31, 2019; you won’t be able to submit a claim until December 31, 2021. 

Sunglasses

Most plans will cover prescription sunglasses, but only some will allow you to claim non-prescription sunglasses. This may come in handy if you don’t need glasses or your existing pair does not need to be replaced. 

Your plan can also have a separate Health Spending Account (HSA) or Flex Spending Account for coverage on a broad range of medical products and that could include non-prescription sunglasses. 

Look into preferred optical retailer rates

Insurance Providers can have partnerships or agreements with specific optical retailers and optometry practices. These preferred retailers, or in-network providers, can have special promotions or discounts exclusive to people under your benefits plan. 

Find out if there are any in-network providers and simply ask the retailer what the terms of the discounts are. They can assist you with all of the details associated with preferred rates and promotions. This can help you be aware of added discounts for your eyewear and get the most out of your vision care benefit plan.

Typically these discounts and promotions are constant. They will be available to you regardless if you’re making a claim or not. This may be useful for making eyewear purchases before your coverage has renewed. 

Don’t forget about Health/Flex Spending Accounts

There are a number of insurance plans that include a Health Spending Account (HSA) or Flex Spending Account (FSA) along with vision care benefits. These accounts can be used for any products or services outlined by the Health Spending Account. 

It’s good to be aware of what is eligible to claim under these accounts as they can be quite comprehensive. Some will allow you to bill for gym memberships or even sporting goods. 

Most importantly you can use these accounts to cover your eyewear expenses. If you’re under an allowance based program you can bill the difference that you paid for complete coverage on your purchase. 

Some plans may even let you claim non-prescription sunglasses under the HSA. These accounts expire and will renew after a given period. This means you can potentially take advantage of any remaining balance of your HSA to purchase a pair of non-prescription sunglasses or another pair of prescription eyewear. 

Take advantage of extra promotions

Optical retailers often have discounts for purchasing a second pair of glasses. If you wear glasses on a daily basis this could be a good time to purchase a set of prescription sunglasses or a second pair of eyeglasses. 

Typically optical retailers will offer at least 20% off on the second pair you purchase. Careful planning can make purchasing two pairs of glasses quite affordable. It could also maximize the number of glasses you can get depending on your insurance coverage. 

[Source: https://www.opsm.com.au/special-offers/50-percent-off-second-pair]

Use It or Lose It

You may be wondering why you would go through the hassle of using all of your benefits if it’s not needed. This rationale could be considered as ‘only using what you need’ but simply put you’ve already paid for these benefits. 

Get the most out of your insurance benefits and actually use them. Book your annual eye exam and get a new pair of glasses when your coverage renews. Routine eye exams are a great way to monitor the health of your eyes, and a new pair of glasses can be an excellent fashion accessory.

infographic

A comparative analysis of the differences between Standard and Computer Progressive Lenses.

infographic

An infographic that helps you understand Blue UV Light: What it is, where it comes from, and how it affects your eye health.