Do endless options at the opticians leave you feeling confused?

There is some interesting information to be had here but I do really think these Advice sections should be dated and even up-dated to confirm that the information has been checked for validity x years on.

I am a little dismayed to find that the Advice section on glasses is undated and given a reference to Dollond and Aitchison being taken over in 2009 by Boots very probably old.This link does not work.
Your search – which.co.uk/media/popup/table-popup-laser-eye-surgery-375902.html – did not match any documents.

The four sections on laser eye surgery seem a little bland on the problems people have faced following surgery. Given the Conversations on the subject I feel that this points to a mismatch between Guide and Conversation both hosted by Which?. I am very happy to believe that percentages of success are to a degree trustworthy but in the interests of understanding what can go wrong and the effects it can have on your life then surely real life experience is helpful to people considering it.

On the spectacles side I understand that until recently that the anti-reflection coating was nowhere near as tough as glass and the cleaning could result in this being visibly damaged as a sort of film spreethed across the lense. I understand a new super-hard version is now being touted. Can you ask your tame optician if the coatings are liable to damage by sub-optimal use of handkerchiefs, tissues etc.

Lighting is important – as we age the lens yellows so reducing the amount of light reaching the retina – hence higher light levels needed for the elderly. Must also be careful with the light position, as glare causes the light to diffuse when entering the eye due to slight cloudiness, and puts a “veil” or “fog” over the image. This can be particularly difficult when facing oncoming headlights at night. It is a pity we leave cataract operations until they are quite advanced, giving people unnecessarily poor eyesight for far too long. Perhaps some of the NHS’s fringe activities and life-style-choice remedies could be sacrificed to help those with such debilitating problems.

You will be pleased to note a BBC programme “Trust me I’m a Doctor” actually covers this degeneration and what foodstuffs can help!.

You can watch it tonight at 8 pm on BBC 2

Indeed diesel, there is authoritative published information on the relationship between visual acuity and illuminance (amount of light) with age. Most lighting is designed for the mid-age group. For domestic situations general lighting may be fine for general ambience and easy tasks but I use local lights (reading lamps, table lamps etc,) that you can get closer to – increasing the illuminance – to improve your ability to read smaller print and study detail. Magnifying (reading) glasses also help.

Although there’s a small incremental cost in using new frames, I’d recommend that, as in my experience by the ime I need to change the lenses the frames have also had a fair bit of wear, having been bent slightly through use, the screws are starting the become loose, etc. Worth the extra to be sure of a continued good fit and lenses not falling out when the screw loosens unexpectedly.

Mike- I think they probably mean the centre line of each pupil is at the centre line of each side of the frame that holds the lens so that the lenses are accurately positioned with their centre in line with the frame centre so that there is no vision distortion through the lenses. I agree that there is a variety of varifocal types , I chose the most expensive type as I found the cheaper versions limited peripheral vision . I also agree with you about the “Chinese ” style glasses , useless for me , I opted for larger lenses like you as they dont cramp my vision nor allowed a reduction in vision range due too the narrowness of them . They still look good because they are frame-less and dont detract from my facial features-IE- blend in.

Duncan, I understand what you’re saying but the lenses *should* be cut taking into account the shape/size of the frame and the distance between pupils so the size of the frame shouldn’t make any difference.

I remember when varifocal lenses appeared on the market and at that time shallow frames were not recommended because if you have a shallow frame the intermediate section becomes compressed so the transition from distance to read more resembles a bi-focal. A deep frame allows for a larger intermediate area and therefore a smoother and longer transition.

I have used Zeiss and Freeform lenses (both ends of the price band) and the expensive lenses do provide better peripheral vision but is it worth the price. This is where Which could do more in testing and evaluating varifocal performance verses price.