What Are Bifocals and How Do They Work?

OK...you'r over 40 years old and you can't read things up close. Maybe you have to take your glasses off and you can read. Maybe you need those $3.00 cheapo glasses from the pharmacy, even putting them on over your contact lenses. But you're starting to get cranky because of all the on-and-off with the glasses stuff. What to do? It's time to talk about bifocals.

Bifocals are glasses that have both a correction for your distance vision on the top of the lens, and a correction to help you read on the bottom. The first bifocal was actually invented by Benjamin Franklin. Yup...the same guy who did the whole kite and key thing to discover electricity! Ol' Ben just glued the top half of one lens to the bottom half of another and created what we now call an "Executive" bifocal.





This very simple type of lens has evolved into into more modern bifocal lenses. The most direct descendant of the Franklin lens is the Flat-top bifocal. These lenses have a very large area devoted to your distance vision, with a smallish insert or segment that allows you to focus on objects up close. The working distance, how far away you can hold something and still be in focus, is fixed with this type of bifocal.

What about seeing things a little further away, say a computer screen? And by the way, I think those bifocals where I can see the lines make me look older. Isn't there some kind of newer lens?




Absolutely! The most modern bifocal lenses are called "No-line" or "Progressive" lenses. These lenses have a smooth change in focus from the topo of the lens (distance), through the middle (arm's length), to the bottom of the lens (reading distance). We say that there's a "column of clarity", a sweet spot for each working distance for our vision. This column is usually shaped somewhat like an hourglass.

Our favorite Progressive lenses at Skyvision are Varilux products like the Varilux Comfort or the Varilux Physio. We always try to match the strengths of a particular lens to your special visual needs. Our doctors and opticians are experts on making this match. If you are having trouble with reading come on in and learn all about bifocals!

I Have Pinkeye...Can I Wear My Makeup?

Can I wear makeup if I have Pink Eye? Do I have to throw out my old makeup? And HEY, just what IS pinkeye, anyway?

Pink Eye, or Conjunctivitis, is one of the most frequent caused of emergency visits at Skyvision Centers. Dr. White, Dr. Schlegel, and Dr. Kaye are all experts in treating all of the causes of conjunctivitis. True Pink Eye is an infection caused by either a bacteria or a virus. A majority of Pink Eye in young children is caused by bacteria, but as we get older most of it is actually from viruses. You catch viral Pink Eye like you catch a cold through coughing, sneezing, or coming in contact with tears. Bacterial Pink Eye is usually from contact with tears. Both are VERY contagious.

What to do about your makeup if you have Pink Eye? Well, there's actually not a whole lot of very good research here so our advice is good, solid, Cleveland medical common sense! Don't wear makeup until your eyes look and feel better, and YES, you should throw away your mascara and your eyeliner.

And don't forget, your cousin's or your neighbor's or your BFF's eyedrops for THEIR Pink Eye may not be right for YOU. Come see us at Skyvision for your diagnosis and treatment!

A PHARMACY IN THE OFFICE?

Have you ever received a prescription from your doctor and had a pharmacist ask you to change to a generic when you went to fill the prescription?  Or how about this experience:  you have been receiving a branded drug from a mail order pharmacy for many years and all of a sudden your co-pay goes up by a factor of 5 or even 10, but a generic is less expensive.  What do you do?

Even more importantly, what if your doctor has told you that there truly is a difference between the generic version of a medicine, or medicine that a pharmacy wants to substitute, and the very specific medicine your doctor has prescribed?  How can you get the medicine your doctor wants you to have?

The doctors at Skyvision, indeed all of the staff at Skyvision Centers deal with this question every single day.  A recent example is patients who have been on a branded glaucoma medication who are switched to the generic of an older medicine in the same class who then go on to have a very serious complication in their retina, one that is a well-known complication of the older medicine, but generally not seen with the branded medicine. 

One interesting option has been presented to Skyvision Centers.  There is a company that will set up an in-office mini-pharmacy to dispense the medication that your doctors want you to take.  What is interesting about this particular service is that they make sure that any discounts, coupons, or co-pay assistance is factored into the price of the medicine.  In other words, any and all discount programs available would be applied to your price.  There might still be a less expensive generic version of your prescription, or a generic version of a similar prescription, but in those instances where your doctor felt the branded medicine was a better choice for you it would be made available with no “hassle factor”. 

What are your feelings about doctors dispensing medicine in the office?  Would you find this more convenient?  What kinds of concerns might you have?  We would love to hear your thoughts.  

A NEW STEROID EYE DROP FORMULATION

Steroid eye drops were first introduced in eye care in the 1970’s and 1980’s.  They were truly revolutionary!  For people with chronic inflammation of any type the creation of steroid eye drops was truly a sight-saving development.

With this benefit came some side effects and complications, however.  The original steroid, prednisolone, has been shown to cause an elevation in eye pressure in as many as 30% of people who take it.  In addition, long-term use often leads to the development of cataracts.  All of the steroid eye drops to date have been suspensions; you had to shake them vigorously in order to make sure you got the right amount of steroid in your eye. 

Bausch & Lomb recently introduced a new gel formulation of the steroid Loteprednol which has been provided under the brand name Lotemax.  The physics behind this gel are truly extraordinary!  Shaking it just once permanently suspends the steroid medicine.  There is no settling of the medicine in the bottle!  The other very cool thing about this new drop is that the gel is re-liquified within one or two blinks after inserting the medicine.  Not only do you get the exact amount of steroids that is desired from a single drop, but this nearly instant liquefaction means less discomfort and less blurriness. 

Lotemax was found in its FDA trial to be effective in reducing the inflammation following cataract surgery.  In addition, Lotemax has been known to cause a much less frequent rise in pressure than other steroid eye drops.  For these reasons the doctors at Skyvision Centers are very excited to have this new steroid eye drop as an option to treat you.  

DemandForce is alive and well at SkyVision! Thank You to our patients for our 5 Star reviews!

"What does that mean, you ask?  As you know, the global online community becomes more robust with each passing day. It’s hard to imagine life without cell phones and computers because communicating has become so easy, efficient, and effective."    source:   DemandForce Dish Newsletter, August 2012. 

SkyVision  adopted the new online system about one year ago to help improve the quality and timeliness of communication to its patients.   The staff and patients have responded to it very well.   On a daily basis Demandforce notifies patients of upcoming appointments and patients can confirm via their cell phone or computer.  After a patient visits they also receive a thank you for visiting and are asked to complete an online review if they wish.   In addition, they can also submit a survey where their opinions are polled.

Our patients have responded with such enthusiasm to this that we have received well over 450 reviews in less than a year.  In addition, we have received over 475 surveys.   For our reviews, we have achieved the highest overall rating of 5 Star  ***** over the long haul.   We have received many comments, opinions, suggestions, etc through the surveys.    We appreciate the patients taking the time to respond to either the surveys and reviews and they can be done anonymously or with their names.    

SkyVision not only is at the top of its class in its practice of the very best eye care by highly experienced doctors and staff, it is also committed to the advancement of communication with the patient and by keeping pace with the latest in current trends and lifestyles.

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Do I Need Prescription Sunglasses?

Do you need prescription sunglasses? It depends on your prescription, of course, but it also depends in part on what you are doing while you are wearing your sunglasses. If you wear contact lenses you are set--the contacts cover your distance vision, and all you have to do is get the perfect sunglass lens for your activity. But if you wear glasses on a daily basis you might consider putting a prescription into a high-quality pair of sunglasses.

At Skyvision Centers we make it a point to carry sunwear that can be "Rx'ed". Our Maui Jim, Kaenon, Nike, and Oakley lines can all be made with your regular prescription. Even your bifocal prescription! There are some other options, too. We have the entire spectrum of Transitions lenses available, including the revolutionary "Drivewear" lens that changes color in the car! On top of all that, you can add a magnetic clip-on to many of our highest high fashion frames when it gets sunny.

Whether its' golf, biking, tennis, or just reading this summer's blockbuster on the beach, we can outfit you with a pair of high-quality, hi-def sunglasses with YOUR prescription to maximize your vision outdoors. It's just one more way that we are changing the face of vision care. Vision Redesigned!

Kaenon Sunglasses Go To The Movies!

The movie "Monte Carlo" has been out about a year and it stars Kaenon Sunglasses! Well, not really, but the actresses starring in the movie wear some of the coolest Kaenon fashions you've ever seen.

The movie stars are Selena Gomez and Katie Cassidy. Selena wears the Kaenon DELITE as she plays a wealthy, fashion conscious heiress. Co-star Katie is seen romping on Monte Carlo's beaches in the Kaenon GEORGIA.

The Kaenon high-fashion sunwear has the same super high-quality optics with polarization and anti-glare in every pair. Come visit our optical and take a look at them in person in our flagship office in Westlake, Ohio, just across the street from Crocker Park!