Our guide to best choice glasses and contact lenses
Advances in optometry mean adults, children and seniors now have more choices than ever before when it comes to glasses and contact lenses.
Not so long ago, all spectacle lenses were made of glass – and optional features were scarce. Today, most lenses are plastic or polycarbonate, and they are thinner, lighter, more durable and significantly more impact-resistant. There’s also a choice of scratch-resistant, UV-blocking and anti-reflection coatings.
Excitingly, at Ian Donald Optometrist, we also have contact and spectacle lenses available to help with certain lifestyle issues – too much screen time perhaps – and for certain eye health conditions. An awareness of lens types and their benefits will help you understand your best options for lifestyle and overall eye care.
“Today’s lenses are thinner, lighter, and smarter — protecting your eyes from UV, glare, and even screen fatigue.”
A surgery alternative with Ortho-K
Ortho-K (Orthokeratology) is a revolutionary, painless, reversible and non-surgical treatment for vision correction. Ortho-K is an advanced contact lens that you wear overnight to help with common issues including myopia (short-sightedness), astigmatism, hyperopia (far-sightedness) and presbyopia (blurred near vision). The process is also known as vision shaping, corneal reshaping or corneal refractive therapy.
After wearing Ortho-K lenses at night, you wake up to clear and sharp vision, which may last for up to three days. While Ortho-K provides a great temporary vision solution, we’ve also seen results in correcting or slowing myopia for many of our child and teen patients.
Ortho-K is also an option for adults and seniors with myopia and some other eye conditions who prefer not to wear glasses or who are not candidates for surgery. And as the effect is temporary, you can stop wearing the lenses at any time.
Blue lens technology for eye protection
Adults and children rely heavily on technology these days – and it isn’t good for our eyes. Digital screens, LED lighting and even the sun emit a harmful blue-violet light (usually just called blue light) and two hours in front of a screen daily is enough to potentially cause both short and long-term eye damage.
Blue light is a short-wavelength, high energy light that suppresses your melatonin production and alters your circadian rhythms. In addition to causing irregular sleep or insomnia, regular exposure may also contribute to eye strain, headaches and visual fatigue.
Lens manufacturers have responded to blue light dangers by developing blue filter lenses. While some lenses have the blue filter as a coating on top of the lens, our Smart Blue Filter lenses have an embedded filter in the lens itself, they’re perfectly clear, and they provide up to three times more protection than standard prescription glasses.
Another great option is the Prizm Gaming lenses, developed exclusively to help you play screen games for longer. They maximise blue light blocking and have anti-reflective and anti-glare coatings to give you a much clearer image. While they are designed for gamers, they’re also a good option for anyone who spends hours in front of a screen for work or study.
“From Ortho-K to MiSight daily lenses, we offer advanced solutions tailored for both adults and children.”
Transition lenses for changing light conditions
Transition lenses work by seamlessly adapting to variations in light, indoors and outdoors, to give your eyes greater protection in bright light. While transition glasses lenses have been around for a while, ACUVUE OASYS are the first contact lenses with inbuilt Transitions Light Intelligent Technology.
ACUVUE OASYS with Transitions quickly and seamlessly balance the amount of indoor and outdoor light entering the eye, including filtering blue light and blocking harmful UV rays. They darken when activated by UV and/or HEV light, quickly adjust to suit changing light conditions, and they fade to clear up to five seconds faster than standard transitions technology.
ACUVUE OASYS with Transitions were recognised by TIME as one of their Best Inventions of 2018 and they’re useful all-round lenses for any age group for screen work, driving or leisure.
Myopia control with MiSight
MiSight 1 Day is the world’s first daily disposable soft lens specifically developed for myopia control, and it is explicitly designed to slow myopia progression in children and teenagers with a myopia prescription from -0.25 to 6.00D.
It’s a unique dual-focus lens, meaning it has alternating distance correction and treatment zones. It works by altering the peripheral optics at the front of the eye, thereby affecting the focusing of light in the peripheral parts of the retina and modulating the growth of the eyeball.
Over the long term, it reduces eyeball elongation, which minimises the chance of developing high levels of myopia (-6.00D or more). And it may also lower the incidence of associated eye diseases including retinal detachment, glaucoma and cataracts.
MiSight lenses are designed for children’s ease of use and as they are daily disposable lenses, there’s no hassle with cleaning, disinfection or lost contacts. While they can take a little while to get used to, we’ve had great responses from parents and children who have been extremely happy with overall effectiveness, ease of use and all-day comfort.
Excellence in eye care
At Ian Donald Optometrist, we’ve been looking after the Manly community for decades. Our team of optometrists and optical dispensers know all there is to know about glasses and contact lenses. So, we can help you every step of the way, from your initial eye examination to optical dispensary and long-term health.
We have the expertise to help you find the lenses that best suit your eyes, your lifestyle… and even your style.
Contact us to book in your eye examination and discuss all of your glasses and contact lens options.
Meet the Author
Ian Donald
Optometrist
Ian Donald had a vision.
He was going to become a dentist. It seemed like a good plan, until his careers adviser gave him a brochure on optometry. It opened up a whole new world. The eye intrigued him. It fascinated him. Optometry captivated him. And so his whole focus changed.
Ian went on to do work experience in the very office he owns today. While studying Optometry at the prestigious UNSW, he spent hours working in that same office, doing all the things no one else wanted to do. Filing. Filing. Filing.
Learning, learning, learning. It’s part of who he is.
Even today he is constantly training and retraining, studying and staying up to date with the latest technology in eye health.
So what else energises Ian?
‘Riding my bike, being part of the community, and helping people see. It gives me the best feeling possible. We take it for granted, because we do it all day, every day. It’s such a gift to be able to give people peace of mind.’ Read More
FAQs
What modern lens options are available for glasses?
Glasses lens technology now includes thinner, lighter, impact-resistant materials, plus scratch-resistant coatings, UV filters, and anti-reflection finishes.
What is Ortho-K and when is it a good alternative to glasses or surgery?
Ortho-K lenses are worn overnight to gently reshape the cornea, providing clear daytime vision without glasses or surgery.
How can lenses help protect my eyes from screen fatigue or blue light?
Blue-light filtering lenses reduce digital eye strain by blocking harmful screen emissions, making them ideal for heavy computer or device users.
Are there contact lenses that adapt to changing light conditions?
Yes — Transitions and ACUVUE OASYS contact lenses adjust automatically to UV and HEV light, offering comfort in bright or variable lighting.
What are daily disposable options for contact lens wearers, especially children?
The MiSight 1 Day lens is a soft daily disposable contact lens that helps slow myopia progression in children while offering easy, hygienic wear.
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Shop 2, 37-39 The Corso,
Manly NSW 2095
Monday to Friday - 8.30am to 5.30pm
Saturday - 8.30am to 4.00pm
Ian Donald Optometrist is a private billing practice. Please contact reception for our consultation fee schedule. Medicare and private health insurance rebates apply.
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