Blue Light May Cost You Your Sight

What you may know about age-related macular degeneration (AMD):

A common eye condition that's the leading cause of vision loss for people age 50 and above. It's a disease that damages the macula, a small spot near the centre of your retina - the fragile tissue needed for central, sharp vision and for seeing objects straight ahead. Research has found that smoking and genetics are high contributing risk factors and now, there is a new focus on blue light and its correlation to AMD.

What is blue light?

Light enters our eyes in various wavelengths along the visible spectrum, containing many colours such as red, green and blue.

Where does blue light come from?

Blue light is everywhere! Sunlight emanates 25 to 30% of it, and the rest comes from items we interact with throughout the day such as TV and computer screens, digital devices (smartphone and tablet screens) and fluorescent LED lighting.

What happens when blue light meets your eyes?

The high frequency wavelength of blue light means it reaches deeper into our eyes, cumulatively damaging the retina over time as our eyes' melanin - natural filters - aren't enough protection against it. That eye strain, blurry vision, dry and irritated eyes and headaches you feel after working on your computer or smartphone for long stretches? That's Computer Vision Syndrome, which has now overtaken Carpal Tunnel Syndrome as the number one computer-related complaint. As we grow older, we lose melanin and usually by age 65, half the protection is gone, which leaves us even more vulnerable to AMD caused by blue light.

Some blue light is good!

Only certain wavelengths of blue light have detrimental effects on the eye - blue-turquoise light is essential for vision and pupillary reflexes. It's also beneficial to general body health and it helps regular our biological clock (circadian rhythm) which controls certain hormonal releases and our sleep cycle.

How do we protect our eyes from blue light?

Our easiest and most comfortable way blue light defense is to wear lenses with special coating that filters out these harmful wavelengths, preventing a great amount from reaching the eyes. The option to add on this anti-blue light coating is available for all ophthalmic lenses from good lens companies, such as Essilor's Crizal Prevencia coating or Hoya's BlueControl. Even if you do not need vision correction, plano (no prescription) lenses with anti-blue light coating can be dispensed by a licensed optician or optometrist with a frame of your choice or simply buy off-the-shelf frames with anti-blue light coating lenses.

Highlight your interest in such lenses to your eye health professional so they can further educate you on the product and may have a demo set for you to try. While the subject of the best protection for your eyes is on your mind, you may also consider getting UV protection coating on ophthalmic lenses, together with the anti-blue light coating.

During AMD Awareness Week from September 5-12, get an AMD screening for just $5 at any of our locations, including our boutique The Eye Site (Parkway Parade #B1-99/100). The screening includes a Visual Acuity test, Amsler Chart reading to detect aberrations in central vision, subjective refraction, and referral to ophthalmologist if necessary. Click for more details!

Through September 30, 2015, we're offering free BlueControl coating with all our free upgrades to premium Hoya LifeStyle progressive lenses. Click for more details!

Written by:

Dr. Dion Koh - Bachelor of Medicine/Bachelor of Surgery, Monash University; Diploma in Optometry, Singapore Polytechnic

Willing Hearts, Shining Eyes

Can you believe that one man single-handedly manages the cooking of almost 5,000 meals a day, which are then distributed all over the country to needy Singaporeans?

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His name is Tony Tan, and since 2005, his Willing Hearts organisation has served 90,000+ meals a month and other support services to the underprivileged and marginalised members of society. Now, in the soup kitchen's new premises in Eunos, Tony is opening up a medical hub providing basic and important health services to all who can't afford these on their own, with clinics for dentistry, traditional Chinese medicine and yes... primary eye care!

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We are so honoured to be running the eye care department of Willing Hearts' medical hub, and proud of our fantastic team of optometrists and opticians who give their time to help us help others. Not only will we provide vision tests (visual acuity and subjective refraction) and eye examinations where necessary, we'll also donate glasses for those who require them. We kicked off our contributions on October 17 with seven patients who urgently needed their eyes checked. 

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And none too soon! Optometrist Shawn Loh detected a congenital ptosis (drooping eyelid) on this nine-year-old patient, whose school sent her to us because she had extreme difficulty seeing in school. After several tests, Shawn diagnosed amblyopia (lazy eye) in both eyes, a rare condition, caused by extremely high dioptre ("high degree," in Singaporean layman terms) and high astigmatism. She has been referred to the Singapore National Eyecare Centre to be treated with visual therapy to improve her visual acuity. We are hoping very hard that this will work as she has already passed the critical age of seven. Another reason why it's imperative for kids to go for eye examinations every year.

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We're continuing to ramp up our eye care community service operations at Willing Hearts, and whole-heartedly thank Tony for letting us be a part of his very deserving organisation. And thanks to all of you for supporting us, which in turn allows us to give back to the community. Stay tuned for more news and if you'd like to find out how you can help, please contact Desiree Koh at desireekoh@thelensmen.com.

School's Out! Play, But Beware Of UV Rays

It's one of your kids' most favourite times of the year - school holidays! That means more outdoor activities and maybe even a holiday, and while the extended time away from books and homework is a great respite for their vision, it's important to make sure that their precious eyes are well taken care of when exposed to dangerous UV rays prevalent in the atmosphere.

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Courtesy of the American Optometric Association - thanks for the cool and very useful infographic!

UV rays are harmful components of sunlight - just as they can cause skin cancer, they also damage the retina, cornea and other parts of the eyes. Over time, this can lead to cataracts or macular degeneration, an irreversible ailment that leads to eventual blindness. New research has shown that the lenses of children's eyes allow as much as 70% more UV rays to enter as compared to an adult, which makes it even more necessary to ensure they have the proper protection.

Our optometrists share tips on how to take better care of your kids' eyes while they're having fun in the sun (adults should take note of these tips and use them, too!).

Allain: "The easiest way is to wear proper sunglasses with 100% UV protection - caps and umbrellas will help, but sunglasses are still the most effective way to keep harmful rays out of your kids' eyes." Just because it's a cloudy day doesn't mean UV rays aren't present.

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Kids love our Smarty sunglasses, which come in fun colours, look cool and are comfortable and lightweight. Parents will appreciate the polarised lenses, which provide the best and most complete UV protection for their children's eyes, plus helps cut out glare from the piercing sun.

Shawn: "Go outdoors as research shows that natural light can reduce the progression of myopia (shortsightedness). If your kids wear glasses, consider getting them Transitions lenses which will automatically darken according to the intensity of UV rays in the atmosphere."

Shahirah: "If your child is into sports, get him or her to wear protective goggles to prevent any risk of eye injury. Goggles are also recommended for the pool to prevent chlorine from stinging the eyes, and polarised lenses will cut out significant glare. Also, make sure they avoid touching the eyes after getting their hands dirty while playing with sand or in a field, for example, which can cause infections. Help them make it a habit to wash their hands with soap before touching their eyes, which can be very sensitive."

Hui Qi: "Being outdoors more often playing and perspiring can fog up and smudge lenses and get glasses dirty easily. Remind your kids to wash their spectacles with soap and water every night and wipe it clean with a lens cloth to better maintain them and ensure clear vision when wearing them."

Farah: "For the occasions that your children will spend time indoors reading, watching TV or playing computer games, help them remember to take vision breaks in between to relax the eye from strain."

Hope everyone enjoys the rest of their school holidays, and if new glasses are needed, our in-house Moonlight frames are a great affordable option for school kids, who will appreciate how lightweight and flexible they are! They're 30% off during the Great Singapore Sale, with an additional $50 off lenses.

See In C-Zone

Do you believe in serendipity? We sure do! Last September as we were visiting Silmo, the world's most important optical fair, we ran into our old friends Rob Maas and Jeroen Manders, whom we hadn't seen in more than five years. What were the chances of that in an event sprawling across two massive exhibition halls, and that we were looking for fun, vibrant eyewear to bring home so our customers can always stand out from the crowd? Most importantly, we wanted to be the only ones carrying such a line, so all of you would always be the most unique specs wearers out there. It turned out that Rob and Jeroen are now designing their own line, presenting innovative combinations of materials and colours in beautiful shapes every season!

Introducing C-Zone, an affordable eyewear brand that's all about the three Cs of Cool, Colour and Comfort. If you're familiar with Dutch creativity, you'll know how much they love bright hues and ingenious design. You'll find all of these in every C-Zone frame: think intriguing hinges that fit faces of all shapes and sizes seamlessly, the use of Ultem resins that offer maximum flexibility and durability, and paint from Berlac - the same Swiss company that paint BMWs. No wonder Rob and Jeroen call their collection fusion eye fashion.

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C-Zone designer and co-founder Rob Maas and their new collection visiting our Parkway Parade flagship in April hours after touching down from Amsterdam!

We had the great pleasure of hosting Rob when he visited us last month, and we learned so much more about C-Zone, especially the inspirations behind the newest frames, which will debut during our Great Singapore Sale:

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C-Zone's wood laminate-on-metal combo is their current bestseller, featuring thinner stainless steel for a lighter, more comfy fit.

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C-Zone's wood-metal combo is such a hit that they've now incorporated silk into acetate temples for version 2!

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Rob and Jeroen love playing with tiny details, such as little arrow motif on the temples, and a different hue on the inside. These aren't loud decorations, but there's always something unique that catches the eye from all angles, inspiring a second look.

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Laser-cut engraving is a prominent feature in C-Zone's latest collection, a subtle yet classy and quirky addition to the frame.

One of the things we love best about C-Zone is that every frame is designed for someone in mind, whether a teenager's first pair of glasses, a petite fashionista or a corporate executive who wants to add savvy to his or her suit. For the entire Great Singapore Sale, we'll be offering 30% off every C-Zone frame, PLUS an additional $50 off lenses! That's one more great reason to come take a look and in the meantime, here are our favourites from the newest collection for your virtual viewing pleasure.

C-Zone Summer 2014 For Men

C-Zone Summer 2014 For Women