Studies show that half the glasses sold online are junk. What kind of problems might I experience?

A research study from Pacific University has proven what most eye doctors have already been told by their patients, that half the eyeglasses sold online are junk and can cause lots of problems. 

But how might substandard eyeglasses affect you and what problems might you experience if you were the unfortunate owner of a pair of substandard eyeglasses? 

Dr. M.K. Randhawa, of Vision Source Vancouver optometrists, talks about this problem in this video:



Here is a link to the study from Pacific University:   http://optometrists.bc.ca/upload/documents/Speak_Out/Safety_and_compliance_of_prescription_spectacles_ordered_by_the_public_via_the_Internet.pdf

Incidentally, studies have also found that half of ready-made reading glasses are junk. 

Reading glasses are not just for people over 40 anymore

Reading glasses aren’t just for people over 40 anymore, reports a CBS affiliate in Chicago.

All our texting, ebook-reading, ipad use and other small screen viewing is messing with our vision.
Dr. Valerie Kattouf, chief of pediatric optometry at the Illinois Eye Institute, says more of her young patients need reading glasses.“I see it in school-age kids. I see it in older school-age kids – the teenagers – and I see it a lot in young adults of working age, you know, 20s and 30s,” Kattouf said.Kattouf says it is not just the fault of small cell phone screens and tablet computers. That on top of homework and reading – whether print or online – can lead to focus problems.
“The intensity of the near work without any kind of breaks or attention to what that does to you,” she said.She says young people have always had vision problems, but she thinks the increase in the amount of time they spend doing what she calls “close work” is leading to more problems with far-sightedness.Kattouf suggests limiting screen time and taking frequent breaks to look off in the distance in order to rest your eyes.
That's good advice.  An easy way  to remember is to think of the 20/20 rule: if you want to maintain your 20/20 vision, make sure that every twenty minutes, you take a break and look into the distance for at least 20 seconds. 

The impact of the digital revolution on our vision is becomming more prevalent as more people join the digital device generation and, not surprisingly, it is getting more attention in the media.  The New York Times had an article on Computer Vision Syndrome recently.  To learn more about Computer Vision Syndrom and visual fatigue and what you can do about it, click here.

Technology-related vision problems are fast becomming a major segment of the vision disorders that the Vision Source Vancouver optometrists deal with every day.  We have solutions to prevent the problem, to fight visual fatigue and discomfort and to make vision the best that it can be when interacting with digital screens.

And a note on reading glasses.  If you read my previous post, you will note that if you need reading glasses, it's better to stay away from the ready-made readers that you get from a drug store or book store because, more likely than not, they don't measure up to optical standards.

Study shows that most ready-made reading glasses are junk

A new study published in the the journal Optometry & Vision Science shows that most ready-made reading glasses - the kind you see in bookstores and drug stores are junk.  They fail tests to see if they lived up to international optical standards.  

The study's authors set out to determine determine whether the optical quality of near-vision (which is the type of vision used when reading) of ready-made spectacles  reaches the quality assurance levels required by a published international standard.

The researchers examined a total of 322 randomly selected near-vision ready-made reading glasses of powers +2.50, +3.00, and +3.50  taken from stores in North East England.

Assessments of the optical quality of the glasses were made, and the results were compared against the industry standard and also the more lenient standards used to assess reading glasses in low-resource countries.

Forty-eight percent of the 322 near-vision ready-made reading glasses failed to provide the optical quality required by international standards, with 62% of the +3.50 spectacles failing the requirements. This was principally due to a high prevalence of induced horizontal (60%) and vertical prism (32%) beyond the tolerance levels stipulated industry standard. The figures were similar when the more lenient standards used to assess ready-made reading glasses in low-resource countries were used.

From the study results, we can conclude that for eyeglasses that are up to optical standards, a custom made pair is best and ready-made reading glasses are probably not worth the money spent on them. Glasses that don't measure up to optical standards are undesirable because they tend to cause discomfort like visual fatigue, eye strain, headaches and many other problems.  They are also unlikely to fit properly, which can be both annoying and painful.

In a related study, it was found that most the of the glasses sold online are also junk!  It seems that newer methods of dispensing eye-glasses such as "ready-made" or "online" have serious flaws and quality issues.  The best way to get glasses is actually the traditional way.  The reason is that numerous unique and personal factors, from visual behaviour patterns, pupil and eye positions, eye anatomy, the style of the frame, the type of lens and its material all interact in a complex way to determine whether the glasses will work for you.  It is just not possible account for this complexity in "ready made" or "online" products.