These days you can find cheap glasses online for tempting prices. But the prices are lower for a reason: those cheap knockoffs will not give you the benefits of quality eyeglasses. Online sources often sell "knock-offs" of designer frames that have no warranty. Getting glasses at your eye doctor is the best way to make sure that your glasses will be made specifically for your eyes, with the correct measurements, and that you will get a superior, more durable product, with the manufacturer's warranty.
Pupillary Distance
Prescription needs can vary greatly from person to person, and everyone's eyes are unique. Similarly, the pupillary distance (PD), or the distance from one pupil to the other, differs from person to person; this measurement is a critical factor for making effective glasses.
Eyeglass lenses—as well as lenses for other applications, such as telescopes and cameras—have an optical center. In eyeglasses, a lens is designed to put the image in focus for an eye centered directly on that point. To center the lenses on your eyes correctly, your eye doctor measures your PD and cuts the lenses precisely.
Online offers for eyeglasses ask you to measure your own PD and report it. This measurement is taken in millimeters and must be extremely accurate; you are unlikely to be as precise in measuring your own PD at home as an eye doctor can be with professional equipment. Incorrectly measuring your PD will make your glasses less effective and possibly uncomfortable to use, especially if you have a high prescription or multifocal lenses.
Quality Eyeglasses Are More Durable
In addition to ensuring accurate measurements, getting your eyeglasses at the doctor will result in higher quality, more durable glasses. Professional eye clinics use ultra-light Trivex lenses for most patients. The Essilor lenses Woodhams uses are inherently imapct-resistant and offer full UV protection. They're also resistant to scratching and may not require an additional coating.
Cheap lenses purchased online may not have any of these benefits of quality eyeglasses. Cheap coatings can wear off quickly, and lenses made from low-quality materials are more likely to break than lenses made from Trivex.
An Added Health Benefit
Getting your glasses from a licensed eye doctor has another benefit: early detection of diseases. In addition to vision problems, your eye doctor can detect diseases like diabetes and certain types of skin cancer through an eye exam.
Next time you need a pair of eyeglasses, don't be fooled by cheap deals on the Internet. You get what you pay for, and you won't get the benefits of quality eyeglasses from a cheap Internet vendor.
For questions or comments, contact Woodhams Eye Clinic.
