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Thick Lens Glasses

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Thick Lens Glasses

Why are my glasses lenses so thick? | Do prisms make glasses thicker? | What shape glasses are best for thick lenses?

By Corina Iatisin
Reviewed by Sharlene McKeeman FBDO
Sharlene McKeeman FBDO

Reviewed by

Sharlene McKeeman FBDO
Sharlene is a qualified dispensing optician with over 7 years optical experience, a member of the Association of British Dispensing Opticians and registered with the General Optical Council.
Updated On Mar 09, 2023
Discover the reason behind thick lens glasses and why prescription lenses can vary greatly.

Prescription lenses can vary drastically for each individual, depending on their unique needs. The density of lenses may range from paper-thin to the ‘coke bottle’ effect. But why is this? 

If you have thick glasses, your prescription is likely stronger than most. But what is the purpose of thick lens glasses? Prescription lenses bend the light through curved lenses as it enters your eye. Short-sighted wearers will have lenses that are thicker on the edge and thinner in the middle, while those who are long-sighted will have the opposite.

Why are my glasses lenses so thick?

To understand why you have thick glasses lenses, you need to be aware of your refractive power. The refractive power is the amount that light needs to be bent when entering your eye for you to see clearly. The more light needs to be bent, the higher the refractive power (prescription) will be; therefore, the thicker your lenses will be.


Another point to think about is your glasses’ frame size and pupillary distance. Lens thickness will increase as the frame size increases due to the edge of the lens being utilised to fit the frame. Therefore, the larger the frame, the thicker the lens. A minus RX will be thicker at the edges, while a plus RX will be thicker in the middle.  Your pupillary distance may also change where the thickness occurs if the frame is too large for you.

How thick can glasses get?

How thick the glasses lens will be is determined by a few factors. The material of your lenses contributes to the thickness, as well as your prescription and personal choice. Thanks to new technology, high-index lenses were introduced to help reduce the thickness and weight of the lenses.

 

High-index lenses are made from a plastic material that allows better light refraction in a thin lens. Many people opt for high-index lenses because they have a more sleek look. If you’re asking yourself, “Do I need high index lenses?” you can discover our thin lenses guide to get a better understanding of what they are and whether they are right for you or not. 

DID YOU KNOW?
The article explores the reason behind thick lenses, explaining why prisms make lenses thicker and what are the best frame shapes based on your prescription. 

Do prisms make glasses thicker?

Some eyewear users may experience double vision (diplopia), which requires prism glasses to correct their eyesight. Prism glasses refract the light before entering your lenses rather than when it passes through.

Prism will make the lenses thicker; the higher the prism, the thicker it will be. However, experimenting with various frame styles can help hide the thickness if you feel it is too obvious or bothers you.

Why is one lens thicker than the other?

If you’re noticing that one of your lenses is thicker than the other one, the reason behind that is very simple: different strengths in your prescription. In fact, prescriptions are usually not symmetrical: you may be seeing better in one eye rather than the other. Sometimes the difference can be so slight that it is unnoticeable; other times, if the difference is more drastic, it becomes more noticeable. 

What shape glasses are best for thick lenses?

Getting a pair of new glasses can be confusing, especially for people with strong prescriptions: certain frame types are not advised as they might affect the overall performance of the glasses. To make the process of shopping for new glasses easier, we have put together a brief guide for both myopic (minus) and nearsighted (plus) prescriptions. 

Minus RX Recommendations

Plus RX Recommendations

Now that you have a better understanding of thick-lens glasses and know what frame is best for your prescription, shopping for glasses online won’t be so intimidating or confusing! 

If you want to learn more about trick lenses or lenses in general, visit our Optical Centre. You will find many informative articles on the subject, all thoroughly reviewed by our certified opticians. 

Sunglasses Lens Colour Guide

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Sunglass Lens Colour Guide

Does the colour of sunglass lens matter? | Lens colour recommendation by weather | Lens colour recommendation by activity

By Corina Iatisin
Reviewed by Sharlene McKeeman FBDO
Sharlene McKeeman FBDO

Reviewed by

Sharlene McKeeman FBDO
Sharlene is a qualified dispensing optician with over 7 years optical experience, a member of the Association of British Dispensing Opticians and registered with the General Optical Council.
Updated On Mar 23, 2023
When buying a new pair of sunglasses and choosing the colour of your lenses, remember that different lens colours have different purposes.

Depending on weather conditions or the activities that are part of your daily routine, the colour of your lenses can enhance the overall performance of your glasses. Most people choose lens colours based on aesthetics, but did you know that different lens colours serve different purposes? In this article, we will guide you through the different colour options, explain the difference between each lens colour and help you understand how to choose the best one to suit your needs.

In this article, we will guide you through the different color options, explain the difference between each lens color and help you understand how to choose the best one to suit your needs.

Does the colour of sunglass lens matter?

Yes, colour has a noticeable effect on the sunglasses. Depending on your lifestyle, lens colour also affects your eye health during certain activities. This makes it essential for you to find a suitable lens compatible with your daily activities and needs.

What about mirrored lenses?

Mirrored sunglasses are the perfect stylish option to protect your eyes against UV rays. The fully reflective coating used for the lenses gives the mirrored look everyone loves these days. Combined with polarised lenses, they offer maximum protection against UV rays and increase clarity. Both polarised and mirrored lenses, either separate or combined, come in different colours. Below, we will be listing the most popular colours and what is the advantage of choosing each lens colour.

Lens colour guide

Gray and black lenses

Gray and black lenses are the best option if you’re looking for a neutral lens tint. These lenses are perfect for all weather conditions and are the top choice if you want to perceive colours in their purest form, even when wearing sunglasses.

Grey lenses are great at reducing the brightest glare and are perfect for outdoor activities and sports such as surfing, cycling, golfing and driving. If you’re looking for the everyday use type of tint, this is the one.

Amber and brown lenses

Amber and brown tints are extremely popular as they provide excellent depth perception. These lenses have a warm, reddish tone and are perfect for reducing glare, enhancing contrast, and helping maintain visual acuity. Amber and brown lens sunglasses are perfect for sunny days and outdoor activities such as fishing, shooting, tennis, or baseball.

Green lenses

Green Lenses are one of the trendiest when it comes to polarized or mirrored sunglasses. They are perfect for sunny days but also in low light conditions. Whether sunny, cloudy, or anything in between, green lenses will work amazingly well, giving you excellent vision and reducing glare.

Green lens sunglasses are one of the most popular ones for outdoor activities: no matter what sport you have on your agenda, these lenses will increase contrast and visual sharpness and enhance shadow.

Yellow lenses

Yellow lenses are more efficient in low-light environments like cloudy or rainy days. One of the benefits of using yellow lenses is that when playing sports, these lenses are great for focusing on moving objects. Another advantage is that when navigating, they are perfect in hazy or low-light conditions. Yellow lenses are also very popular amongst gamers as they filter blue light from computer screens and other screen devices.

DID YOU KNOW
Black lenses are perfect if you're looking for a neutral lens tint while brown lenses provide excellent depth perception. Blue lenses are suited for all water sports. For rainy days, yellow lenses are a must!

Blue lenses

Blue lenses are not only very trendy but also well-known for enhancing clarity and defining contours. These lenses improve colour perception and do wonders in low-light conditions. They’re suited well for all water sports, snow sports, and golf.

Red/pink lenses

Red and pink tints increase contrast by blocking blue light and enhancing depth perception. They are also soothing for the eyes and more comfortable than others for longer wear times. Pink and red lenses perform their best on extremely sunny days and snowy conditions.

Lens colour recommendation by weather

Lens colour recommendation by activity

Benefits of lens colours and tint

Now that you’ve read the guide to coloured lenses for sunglasses, choosing the next pair won’t be so daunting. Whether you need the perfect pair for your winter sports or the bright sunlight of summer, you’ll have the right tinted sunglasses to suit all your vision needs.

Sunglass Lens Colour Guide

Does the colour of sunglass lens matter? | Lens colour recommendation by weather | Lens colour recommendation by activity

By Corina Iatisin
Reviewed by Sharlene McKeeman FBDO
Sharlene McKeeman FBDO

Reviewed by

Sharlene McKeeman FBDO
Sharlene is a qualified dispensing optician with over 7 years optical experience, a member of the Association of British Dispensing Opticians and registered with the General Optical Council.
Updated On Mar 23, 2023
When buying a new pair of sunglasses and choosing the colour of your lenses, remember that different lens colours have different purposes.

Depending on weather conditions or the activities that are part of your daily routine, the colour of your lenses can enhance the overall performance of your glasses. Most people choose lens colours based on aesthetics, but did you know that different lens colours serve different purposes? In this article, we will guide you through the different colour options, explain the difference between each lens colour and help you understand how to choose the best one to suit your needs.

Does the colour of sunglass lens matter?

Yes, colour has a noticeable effect on the sunglasses. Depending on your lifestyle, lens colour also affects your eye health during certain activities. This makes it essential for you to find a suitable lens compatible with your daily activities and needs.

What about mirrored lenses?

Mirrored sunglasses are the perfect stylish option to protect your eyes against UV rays. The fully reflective coating used for the lenses gives the mirrored look everyone loves these days. Combined with polarised lenses, they offer maximum protection against UV rays and increase clarity. Both polarised and mirrored lenses, either separate or combined, come in different colours. Below, we will be listing the most popular colours and what is the advantage of choosing each lens colour.

Lens color guide

Gray and black lenses

Gray and black lenses are the best option if you’re looking for a neutral lens tint. These lenses are perfect for all weather conditions and are the top choice if you want to perceive colours in their purest form, even when wearing sunglasses.

Grey lenses are great at reducing the brightest glare and are perfect for outdoor activities and sports such as surfing, cycling, golfing and driving. If you’re looking for the everyday use type of tint, this is the one.

Amber and brown lenses

Amber and brown tints are extremely popular as they provide excellent depth perception. These lenses have a warm, reddish tone and are perfect for reducing glare, enhancing contrast, and helping maintain visual acuity. Amber and brown lens sunglasses are perfect for sunny days and outdoor activities such as fishing, shooting, tennis, or baseball.

Green lenses

Green Lenses are one of the trendiest when it comes to polarized or mirrored sunglasses. They are perfect for sunny days but also in low light conditions. Whether sunny, cloudy, or anything in between, green lenses will work amazingly well, giving you excellent vision and reducing glare.

Green lens sunglasses are one of the most popular ones for outdoor activities: no matter what sport you have on your agenda, these lenses will increase contrast and visual sharpness and enhance shadow.

Yellow lenses

Yellow lenses are more efficient in low-light environments like cloudy or rainy days. One of the benefits of using yellow lenses is that when playing sports, these lenses are great for focusing on moving objects. Another advantage is that when navigating, they are perfect in hazy or low-light conditions. Yellow lenses are also very popular amongst gamers as they filter blue light from computer screens and other screen devices.

DID YOU KNOW
Black lenses are perfect if you're looking for a neutral lens tint while brown lenses provide excellent depth perception. Blue lenses are suited for all water sports. For rainy days, yellow lenses are a must!

Blue lenses

Blue lenses are not only very trendy but also well-known for enhancing clarity and defining contours. These lenses improve colour perception and do wonders in low-light conditions. They’re suited well for all water sports, snow sports, and golf.

Red/pink lenses

Red and pink tints increase contrast by blocking blue light and enhancing depth perception. They are also soothing for the eyes and more comfortable than others for longer wear times. Pink and red lenses perform their best on extremely sunny days and snowy conditions.

Lens color recommendation by weather

Lens color recommendation by activity

Benefits of lens colors and tint

Now that you’ve read the guide to coloured lenses for sunglasses, choosing the next pair won’t be so daunting. Whether you need the perfect pair for your winter sports or the bright sunlight of summer, you’ll have the right tinted sunglasses to suit all your vision needs.

What Is Anisometropia?

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Ask the Optician

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What Is Anisometropia?

What are the types of Anisometropia? | Is Antimetropia rare? | Symptoms of Anisometropia | What causes Anisometropia? |Treatment | Can Anisometropia be corrected with glasses?| Does Anisometropia get worse?

By Emma Moletto
Reviewed by Caitlyn Gibiault
Caitlyn Gibiault

Reviewed by

Caitlyn Gibiault
Aurora is a Digital Marketing Specialist for SmartBuyGlasses. She’s enthusiastic about supporting the marketing.
Updated On Mar 23, 2023
Anisometropia is a condition where the refractive error differs between two eyes. Read on to learn more about what anisometropia is.

If you are wondering, ‘what is Anisometropia?’ then you have come to the right place. The definition of anisometropia, more commonly known as vision imbalance, is a condition where your eyes have varying refractive power – i.e. your ability to focus is different in each eye. Anisometropia means you have a different prescription for each eye. 

Typically caused by unevenly sized or shaped eyes, anisometropia symptoms include asymmetric longsightedness or asymmetric shortsightedness. Anisometropia can result in an induced differential prism between the eyes as they move away from the centre of the correcting lens. Several studies show that only around 6% of young people have this refractive error, which generally occurs more frequently as they age.

What are the types of anisometropia?

1) Simple anisometropia

Simple anisometropia occurs when one eye has regular vision, but the other affected eye is short-sighted (myopia) or long-sighted (hyperopia). If you have one normal eye and one nearsighted eye, you have simple myopic anisometropia i.e. blurrier image in one eye.

2) Hyperopic anisometropia

Hyperopic anisometropia, also known as compound anisometropia, occurs when both eyes have the same refraction problem, but one eye is worse. If your pair of eyes are nearsighted, but one has a higher prescription than the other, you have compound myopic anisometropia. 

This can cause the eyes to be unable to work together and fuse the image into one, causing double vision. Double vision, also known as diplopia, causes people to see two of the same image.

3) Simple astigmatic anisometropia

Astigmatism is when the curvature of your eye’s cornea or lens is shaped like a football, which means your vision is blurred at all distances. The shape of your eye causes light to refract unevenly, which means the light changes direction when it enters your eye at an angle.

4) Compound astigmatic anisometropia

This refractive error means you have astigmatism in both eyes, but one eye requires much more correction. For compound astigmatic anisometropia, both eyes are either farsighted or nearsighted and require refraction correction.

5) Mixed astigmatic anisometropia

If you have this type of anisometropia, you have astigmatism in both eyes. However, one eye is farsighted, and the other is nearsighted.

6) Antimetropia

Another kind of anisometropia is a rare refractive condition called antimetropia, also known as mixed anisometropia. This condition is when one eye is myopic and the other is hyperopic, which means there is a significant difference in vision between the two eyes.

Is antimetropia rare?

Antimetropia is rare, but in most cases that it occurs is in post-cataract refractive surgery patients.

Symptoms of anisometropia

‘How do I know if I have anisometropia?’ You may be asking at this point. Anisometropia has a number of noticeable symptoms. These can include:

  • Amblyopia (also called lazy eye)
  • Frequent blurred vision
  • Diplopia (double vision) and dizziness
  • Strabismus (crossed eyes) 
  • Headaches
  • Difficulty with 3D vision, poor depth perception and loss of balance
  • Lack of coordination

If you suffer from any of these or other mild vision problems, you should ask your doctor for a comprehensive eye exam and diagnosis. An eye exam will generally include various tests to check the health of your eye and distinguish any diseases or conditions. Even if you do not have any symptoms, an eye screening is recommended for adults at the age of 40 to identify vision change and any signs of various sight impairments.

What causes anisometropia?

Most people with ‘normal vision’ can experience up to a 5% difference in the refractive power of each eye. However, those with a larger difference in refractive power (5-20%) will experience uneven vision, which can cause a lack of coordination.

There is no definitive answer as to what causes refractive errors that lead to developing anisometropia. There are likely genetic and environmental risk factors for this, such as defects in the eye at birth or an uneven size of the two eyes. Other potential causes can include injury to the eye, eye trauma and refractive surgery.

DID YOU KNOW?
Anisometromia means having a large difference in refractive power of each eye, between 5 and 20%. This causes uneven vision, which leads to lack of coordination.

Anisometropia after cataract surgery

Cataract surgery is when the natural lens of an eye is replaced with an artificial one to help improve visual stimulation without wearing glasses or stopping cataract development. The majority of people will copy very well following cataract surgery. However, some people will experience symptoms of anisometropia in more severe cases.

Anisometropia in children

Anisometropia can result in anisometropic amblyopia (lazy eye) in young children. Amblyopia can occur in children because the brain tells the eyes to focus the same amount in each eye. However, if the eyes don’t have the same refractive power, one eye will produce a blurry image compared to the other eye. 

Furthermore, if your child does not have a wandering or crossing eye (strabismus), it can be difficult to determine the condition. Young children often do not present outward signs of issues, as they function well using one eye, so it is more difficult to notice. 

However, older children are likely to complain. We recommend booking your child an eye test to diagnose the condition and to be treated.

Treatment

There are different methods of treatment for anisometropia, which vary from person to person. It is important to consult your eye doctor to understand and seek treatment. Treatments you may be offered include:

  • Corrective lenses (wear glasses or contact lenses) can be worn to improve overall vision and produce a clear image.
  • Special filters in glasses help train the brain to use the weaker eye.
  • Covering the dominant eye with an eye patch (the same treatment for a lazy eye), also known as patching, helps the brain use the neglected eye.
  • Eye drops can blur the vision in the dominant eye, which helps force the brain to use the neglected eye.
  • LASIK is a common corrective surgery for treating anisometropia, depending on your prescription.

Can anisometropia be corrected with glasses?

If you’re asking, ‘can anisometropia be corrected?’, you’ll be pleased to hear that there are treatment options. One kind of treatment for anisometropia is corrective lenses. While you are correcting short-sightedness in both eyes using prescription glasses that are the same over each eye, anisometropia requires a different kind of lens to correct it.

When deciding which route to take when it comes to eyewear, consider the wide range of options available:

  1. Prescription glasses with bifocal or progressive addition lenses (PALs) are a common option for treating anisometropia symptoms and are often the first step. You can get an up-to-date spectacle prescription from your optician or use our Lens Scanner to reveal your current prescription.
  2. Bifocal lenses are glasses constructed with two points of focus, which simultaneously correct refractive errors for both distance and near vision.
  3. Progressive lenses are similar to bifocal lenses but offer a gradual transition between the two prescription lenses, so there is no visible line on your prescription spectacles.
  4. Reading glasses are another option for anisometropia symptoms. You can have these glasses fitted with your unique prescription so you can wear these glasses while you read or work. There are also non-prescription reading glasses that you can typically try out and purchase in high-street shops.

Severe Anisometropia

A patient with severe anisometropia is not generally not recommended to wear glasses. Glasses have a magnification effect that can cause a large difference in the image size seen by each eye. Therefore, wearing glasses with severe anisometropia can prevent exceptional binocular vision. Therefore, those with severe anisometropia are generally advised to wear contact lenses instead, as they ensure optimal vision in both eyes.

Anisometropia treatment: contact lenses

Additionally, there is a range of contact lenses available to treat anisometropia symptoms. Multifocal are available in both gas-permeable and soft lens material, depending on your preference.  Another possibility is monovision contact lenses, where you use a distance vision lens for one eye and a different contact lens for close-up usage in the other. The type a patient chooses depends on the type of anisometropia and the spectacle prescription.

How serious is anisometropia?

The severity of anisometropia varies in adults and children. It is essential to treat anisometropia as soon as it is diagnosed and not ignore it. If anisometropia is left untreated, the brain can select the better eye that presents a clearer image, thus ignoring the other eye. This can then lead to dependence on the stronger eye over exam time.

Eventually, the weaker eye will progressively worsen, so it’s important to get an appointment with your ophthalmologist before the refractive error becomes acute. At your appointment, your eye doctor will recommend the best eye treatment going forward.

Does anisometropia get worse?

In some cases, anisometropia can worsen. Anisometropia shows an exponential increase in prevalence with increasing age in life. Furthermore, if you do not treat your anisometropia, this can worsen the condition. Therefore, it’s important to ensure that you seek the correct treatment from your eye doctor before the condition can develop or lead to complications.

What Is Anisometropia?

What are the types of Anisometropia? | Is Antimetropia rare? | Symptoms of Anisometropia | What causes Anisometropia? |Treatment | Can Anisometropia be corrected with glasses?| Does Anisometropia get worse?

By Caitlin Biwer
Reviewed by Beck Jinette
Beck Jinette

Reviewed by

Beck Jinette
Beck has over 17 years of experience in eye care, holding her Certificate IV in Dispensing in Australia.
Updated On Mar 23, 2023
Anisometropia is a condition where the refractive error differs between two eyes. Read on to learn more about what Anisometropia is.

If you are wondering, ‘what is Anisometropia?’ then you have come to the right place. The definition of anisometropia, more commonly known as vision imbalance, is a condition where your eyes have varying refractive power – i.e. your ability to focus is different in each eye.

Anisometropia means you have a different prescription for each eye. 

Typically caused by unevenly sized or shaped eyes, anisometropia symptoms include asymmetric longsightedness or asymmetric shortsightedness.

Anisometropia can result in an induced differential prism between the eyes as they move away from the centre of the correcting lens. Several studies show that only around 6% of young people have this refractive error, which generally occurs more frequently as they age.

What are the types of anisometropia?

There are different types of anisometropia, with patients being affected differently by each of them. However, most types of anisometropia share the same symptoms.

1) Simple anisometropia

Simple anisometropia occurs when one eye has regular vision, but the other affected eye is short-sighted (myopia) or long-sighted (hyperopia).

If you have one normal eye and one nearsighted eye, you have simple myopic anisometropia i.e. blurrier image in one eye.

2) Hyperopic anisometropia

Hyperopic anisometropia, also known as compound anisometropia, occurs when both eyes have the same refraction problem, but one eye is worse.

If your pair of eyes are nearsighted, but one has a higher prescription than the other, you have compound myopic anisometropia.

This can cause the eyes to be unable to work together and fuse the image into one, causing double vision. Double vision, also known as diplopia, causes people to see two of the same image.

4) Simple astigmatic anisometropia

Astigmatism is when the curvature of your eye’s cornea or lens is shaped like a football, which means your vision is blurred at all distances.

The shape of your eye causes light to refract unevenly, which means the light changes direction when it enters your eye at an angle.

5) Compound astigmatic anisometropia

This refractive error means you have astigmatism in both eyes, but one eye requires much more correction. For compound astigmatic anisometropia, both eyes are either farsighted or nearsighted and require refraction correction.

6) Mixed astigmatic anisometropia

If you have this type of anisometropia, you have astigmatism in both eyes. However, one eye is farsighted, and the other is nearsighted.

7) Antimetropia

Another kind of anisometropia is a rare refractive condition called antimetropia, also known as mixed anisometropia.

This condition is when one eye is myopic and the other is hyperopic, which means there is a significant difference in vision between the two eyes.

Is antimetropia rare?

Antimetropia is rare, but in most cases that it occurs is in post-cataract refractive surgery patients.

Symptoms of anisometropia

‘How do I know if I have anisometropia?’ You may be asking at this point. Anisometropia has a number of noticeable symptoms. These can include: 

  • Amblyopia (also called lazy eye)
  • Frequent blurred vision
  • Diplopia (double vision) and dizziness
  • Strabismus (crossed eyes) 
  • Headaches
  • Difficulty with 3D vision, poor depth perception and loss of balance
  • Lack of coordination

 

If you suffer from any of these or other mild vision problems, you should ask your doctor for a comprehensive eye exam and diagnosis. An eye exam will generally include various tests to check the health of your eye and distinguish any diseases or conditions. Even if you do not have any symptoms, an eye screening is recommended for adults at the age of 40 to identify vision change and any signs of various sight impairments.

What causes anisometropia?

Most people with ‘normal vision’ can experience up to a 5% difference in the refractive power of each eye.

However, those with a larger difference in refractive power (5-20%) will experience uneven vision, which can cause a lack of coordination.

There is no definitive answer as to what causes refractive errors that lead to developing anisometropia. There are likely genetic and environmental risk factors for this, such as defects in the eye at birth or an uneven size of the two eyes.

Other potential causes can include injury to the eye, eye trauma and refractive surgery.

DID YOU KNOW?
Anisometromia means having a large difference in refractive power of each eye, between 5 and 20%. This causes uneven vision, which leads to lack of coordination.

Anisometropia after cataract surgery

Cataract surgery is when the natural lens of an eye is replaced with an artificial one to help improve visual stimulation without wearing glasses or stopping cataract development.

The majority of people will copy very well following cataract surgery. However, some people will experience symptoms of anisometropia in more severe cases.