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woman holding prescription sunglasses

How to Choose the Right Pair of Sunglasses

Need a pair of prescription sunglasses? Discover 6 things you need to consider as you select the right pair of sunglasses for you & your family.

How to Choose the Right Pair of Sunglasses

Sunglasses are essential year-around, regardless of where you live. Even on overcast days, your eyes need protected. That’s why effective sunglasses are so much more than style, color, and brand. To get the most out of a pair of sunglasses, they must provide an excellent barrier between your eyes and harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays.

So, if you’re in the market for new shades this summer, be sure to consider these six things before making your final decision. We suggest narrowing your selection starting with eye safety features, and then working your way through more fashionable features (because, we agree, those matter, too).

6 Things to Consider When Searching for the Right Pair of Shades for You

1. Can you get these as prescription sunglasses?

If you only wear eye glasses, or you don’t consistently wear contact lenses, it’s worth considering a pair of prescription sunglasses.

Shifting from artificial light to sunlight requires your eyes to readjust, and throwing on a pair of sunglasses that are not tailored to your precise vision needs can make everything seem out of focus.

Perhaps you forego sunglasses altogether, requiring excessive squinting. Or, maybe you’ve tried the old trick of putting on a pair of sunglasses over your standard eyeglasses.

Why put yourself through all of this? First on your list of sunglass must-haves should be to find a pair that can accommodate your exact prescription.

2. What’s the UV rating on those shades?

Next up in critical sunglass eye care is UV protection. The sun delivers some beautiful days, but never skimps on the amount of harmful UV rays it sends our way to make that beauty happen.

Not all sunglasses protect against UV rays, so it’s crucial you ensure the pair you want blocks 100 percent of UV rays.

UV rays can cause:

  • Macular Degeneration, the leading cause of irreversible vision loss in individuals over age 60. The disease occurs when a small portion of the retina, known as the macula, deteriorates.
  • Cataracts, a clouding of the normally clear lens of your eye.
  • Pterygium, a growth on the white of the eye, involving the cornea, causing vision loss.
  • Skin Cancer around the eyelids.
  • Corneal Sunburn caused by high short-term exposure to UV-B rays that is very painful and can lead to temporary blindness.
  • Wrinkles around the eyes, as a result of constant squinting.

3. What’s your ideal sunglass shape?

Are you trying to find the best pair of sunglasses that suit your face shape? We get it. Keep in mind, though, that bigger sunglasses offer the most protection for your eyes and surrounding skin.

Wraparound-style and oversized sunglasses block more harmful sun rays and help keep out light and rays that could enter from the side of your face.

4. How dark of a lens do you prefer?

The shade of lens is absolute personal preference. You may like a lighter shade or need a darker tone. You may even be in search for pink or green hued lenses. Several sources say brown, orange and yellow tints provide the best UV protection. But, it’s important to know that darker lenses don’t necessarily block more UV rays, and one color of lens isn’t always better than another.

Different colors and shades of lenses simply offer different light contrasts. Just be sure the lenses offer 100 percent UV ray protection.

5. Are you being realistic with comfort and durability?

Some sunglasses can be very stylish but lack in comfort and performance. It’s important to try on sunglasses before you commit them as your eye protection. Some may be too tight around your face. Others may be too loose, giving you a constant battle of keeping them from slipping down your nose or falling off your face.

Understand where you’ll be wearing your sunglasses and how sturdy you need them to be. Will you be very active while wearing them? Will you use them for walks or commuting?

Your optometrist can help fit you to the pair of sunglasses that will match your level of activity.

6. How much are you willing to spend?

While you may be in search for the perfect pair of Ray Ban prescription glasses, Oakley prescription glasses, or any other coveted brand-name shade, you don’t have to shell out a lot of money to offer your eyes the protection they need.

Of course, Ray Ban, Wiley X and Oakley offer fashionable options, but you can always find other stylish options that fit your face shape and genuinely make you feel confident and protected for less money.

7. Can’t find the right color and darkness that feels good?

With summer knocking at the door, let the eye experts at iCare Vision help you find your perfect pair of sunglasses. Come see our in-house collection consisting of high-end brand names, like Ray Ban prescription glasses and Oakley prescription glasses, and other stylish and durable options that allow you to save.

We’ll help match you, your vision and your personality to the right pair of sunglasses. You can also have our licensed opticians modify the tint in prescription lenses to get more darkening or less darkening effect.

We can also help you select a pair of transitions or photochromic lenses – lenses that change depending on brightness.

iCare Vision offers shades for the entire family and for a wide array of lifestyles, such as daily wear, reading, sports, driving, and more.

Give your eyes the protection they need this summer and year-round.

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stye on lower lid

All About Styes: What Are They & How to Treat Them

What causes a stye, sty or hordeolum? Learn all about styes & stye treatment – including a stye inside the eyelid – from the eye experts at iCare Vision.

All About Styes: What Are They & How to Treat Them

They’re a little painful, often tender, appear red and swollen, and are contagious. Yes, by all accounts, styes are not a sight for sore eyes.

The good news is they usually don’t cause vision issues and they typically heal on their own.

If you, a loved one, or your child is contending with a stye inside or outside the eyelid, keep reading to find everything you need to know about the causes, prevention, and treatment of styes.

What is a stye, exactly?

A stye, also known as a hordeolum, looks like a pimple – a small, red, swollen lump – that forms at the base of (outside) or under (inside) the eyelid.

They are a localized infection caused by bacteria that builds around an eyelash or within a small oil gland inside the eyelid.

The signs and symptoms of styes can sometimes mirror those of pink eye.

It’s a stye if:

  • The eye has a red, swollen, tender, pimple-like lump on or inside the eyelid.
  • The eye sometimes feels like there is grit inside and is sensitive to light.

It’s pink eye if:

  • The eye has a gooey green or yellow discharge expelling from it and the eye is red, itchy, and crusted shut in the morning. [Bacterial]
  • The eye is watery, swollen, and sensitive to light and is sometimes accompanied by a fever, sore throat and/or cough. [Viral]

What Causes a Stye?

Billions of beneficial bacteria call our bodies home. Our skin hosts a wide array of harmless bacteria, but once in a while, when the environment is right, this bacterium (typically staphylococcal bacteria) gets caught with dead skin cells in the oil glands of the eyelids. The result is a painful bump that often appears red and swollen.

Staphylococcal bacteria live in abundance on the nose. A very common way this bacterium finds its way to the eyelids in the first place is from rubbing the nose and then rubbing the eyes. Transferring mucus from the nose to the eyes via rubbing can also create the perfect storm, allowing styes to form.

Styes can also form when excess dust from construction, dirt piles, or even pollen becomes “plugged” within a lid gland.
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Stye Treatment

While styes are not endearing, they are low risk and usually don’t require medical attention. With a little patience and following the right steps, styes usually resolve on their own within a few days (on average, between 3-7 days).

To help alleviate any pain associated with a stye, and to help promote the healing process, apply a warm compress to the infected area.

  • Take a clean, soft washcloth and soak it in hot water for one minute.
  • Ring out excess water and apply the warm washcloth to the infected eye for 10-15 minutes at a time, for a total of 3-5 times a day.
  • Apply a gentle massage upward for lower lid styes and down for upper lid styes.
  • As the washcloth chills, resoak it in hot water before reapplying.

It is imperative that you do NOT squeeze or pop a stye!!

Squeezing, popping or touching the stye can significantly increase the chance of the infection spreading into the eyelid. Additionally, as the stye heals, it’s helpful to not wear makeup or contact lenses.

Multiple styes over several years may eventually lead to severe dry eye since the glands that are getting infected are damaged and may stop producing valuable tears for your eyes.

You Should See Your Eye Doctor About Your Stye If…

While it’s not common, a stye can occasionally call for medical attention. As your stye is healing, be mindful of how your eye is looking and feeling. If you experience any of the following issues, it’s important to see your eye doctor right away:

  • Severe or atypical pain in the infected eye
  • Vision impairment, flashes of light, or floaters in the infected eye
  • Increased swelling of the infected eyelid
  • The stye begins to bleed
  • The stye grows in size
  • Redness that extends onto the cheek
  • Recurrent styes
  • A stye’s appearance hasn’t improved in a few days or lasts for longer than a few weeks
  • Your child’s stye is pushing on their eye

* A child’s vision continues to develop until they’re about eight to ten years old. If the stye is pushing on their eye, it’s important an eye doctor examines their eye to ensure the necessary steps are taken.

Depending on your unique situation, an optometrist may prescribe oral antibiotics or antibiotic drops. In rare, severe cases where the stye affects vision and does not subside, the stye may need to be drained. This can be done with a local anesthesia in the doctor’s office.

How to Prevent Styes in the Future

Stye prevention revolves around keeping the eye area clean, and only exposing eyes to clean, safe products. If you have a stye and want to prevent a future one from occurring, or you simply want to adopt a better eye care routine, utilize these tips:

  • Try to avoid unnecessary rubbing of your eye.
  • While it’s impossible to not rub your eyes once in a while (especially during allergy season), regularly wash your hands to ensure clean contact.
  • Remove all makeup before bedtime so eye follicles do not clog overnight.
  • Replace eye makeup every six months to avoid bacterial growth.
  • Wash your hands before placing or removing contact lenses.

When It’s Time to Seek Medical Advice, Contact iCare Vision

If you feel your stye is not healing properly, don’t hesitate to contact the eye experts at iCare Vision. A stye examination is a quick and painless process, and we’ll help your eyes get back to feeling free and clear again.

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