Photochromic Lenses
Seeing 20/20 with prescription glasses is great… until you need to go outside on a sunny day. If you don’t have prescription sunglasses, it can be a real nuisance switching to contact lenses so that you can shield your eyes from the harmful UV light. And if you don’t have contacts, it’s challenging to find sunwear large enough to fit over your regular glasses.
It’s time you learned about the benefits of Photochromic lenses! These lenses, also known as “light-adaptive” or “variable tint” lenses, are clear indoors, but darken outside depending on the level of brightness. In other words, they’re continually changing based on the light. So you can have clear vision inside and 100% UV protection outside, all with seamless transitions between these light and dark environments.
A person’s lifetime exposure to sunlight and UV radiation has been linked to several eye diseases including cataracts. Because UV exposure is cumulative throughout a person’s lifetime, everyone can benefit from UV protection including children. Additionally, nearly any prescription can be added to photochromic lenses, making these an excellent option for everyone.
The photochromic treatment is built into the lens so it cannot scratch off or fade away. The sun’s UV rays activate the molecules in the treatment. Because UV rays penetrate the clouds, the lenses will darken on overcast days as well as sunny days. Most photochromic lenses will not darken within a vehicle because the windshield blocks most UV rays. However, some recent advancements in technology allow lenses to activate with UV and visible light. For more information on these lenses ask our staff.
Besides protecting your eyes from harmful UV rays, photochromic lenses offer an additional benefit of protecting your eyes from harmful blue light. Blue light is a high energy visible light that comes from the sun as well as artificial light sources. Blue light wavelengths flicker more easily than longer wavelengths which can cause eyestrain, headaches, physical and mental fatigue. Prolonged exposure to blue light may increase the risk of macular degeneration and other eye problems later in life. Protect your eyes from blue light emitted by the sun and electronic devices with photochromic lenses.
Want to learn more about photochromic lenses? Give our office a call or ask our staff your photochromic questions at your next appointment. Our staff is prepared to help you choose the right lenses for your lifestyle.