Sporteyes Blog Posts
Wearing Masks with Glasses
With COVID-19, more people are wearing masks to protect themselves and help control the spread. People are also wearing glasses more because the glasses offer an extra layer of protection against COVID-19 and help limit the touching of the eyes. But masks with glasses often cause fogging issues. So, how do we resolve this? First, you can get some over-the-counter waxes and gels. Just make sure they are safe for eyeglass use. Things like RainX for car windshields should not be used. You may need to try different formulas, as we have found that one that works for one person’s body chemistry may not work as well for another person and vice versa. These are some of the options we have: Hilco Fog Buster Hilco Fog Buster: This comes in spray form or in one-time use disposable towelettes (sold in sets of 10). Hilco Anti-Fog Combo Kit Hilco Anti-Fog Combo Kit: This is a little more of a process to do, but it works a little better and lasts a little longer than the spray or towelettes. Barracuda Defogger Barracuda Defogger: This is more of a gel and tends to work better for swim goggles. It doesn't come with a cloth to clean off, so you'll need to provide your own if you go for this option. Liberty Sport Fog Cleaner Liberty Sport Anti-Fog Lens Cleaner: This is a wax-based product. Rub on and wipe with a cloth. It does not come with a cloth, so you'll need a good microfiber lens cloth to use this one. If making new prescription glasses, you can get a higher-end fog coating applied to the glasses when they are being made. This is good for those who live in cold climates and find that their glasses fog up when going inside/outside, or those who cook over heat and experience fogging while cooking. We have two brands: Optifog, made by Essilor. This includes a heavy-duty scratch coating with a 2-year warranty as well. IC No Fog by Icoat. This coating can be applied to most products, including sunglasses and bifocals, where the Optifog cannot. Both products require the coating to be "activated" every day or so. This is through the included lens cloths or gels. This just gets those molecules in the fog coating activated, but it is an extra step that we like to let people know about. Airflow is also a key to preventing fogging. If you have nose pieces on your glasses, they may be able to be adjusted to sit farther from your face to allow a little more ventilation while wearing the mask. Having a tighter-fitting mask may also make it so there is a gap between the eyewear and the mask again to allow for some air circulation. Note: this may cause those with high prescriptions or progressive lenses to be looking at a different part of the lens, which may cause some distortion. You may have to hold your head differently if you do this. Fogging happens more often with a change of body temperature or air temperature. Thus, you may notice more fogging outside or when walking because more body heat is being generated and there is a bigger difference between air and body temperature. Again, airflow helps, so if you move a little faster and generate a little more "wind", you may also have a better chance of having the glasses defog. There have also been suggestions by medical professionals that regularly wear glasses to tape down the top of the mask or tighten the mask to limit the airflow going up towards the eyeglass lenses. Thank you for helping to flatten the curve by wearing a mask. If you are still having fogging issues after trying the above, please feel free to reach out to us, and we can discuss your individual needs.
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Why Do Healthcare Workers Need Prescription Safety Eyewear
Whether you are a nurse or a doctor, it is undeniable that having the right protective eyewear can save you from infections and much more. Disposable PPE eyewear may not be very effective and this blog will help you learn why.
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The Pros and Cons of Wearing Polarized Lenses in Sport
You’ve probably seen many athletes step out on the field with polarized glasses. Is it a fashion statement or do these lenses actually pose some purpose? Polarized lenses can bring a huge change to your performance. Want to know how? Keep reading!
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9 Reasons To Wear Protective Eyewear Rather Than Contact Lenses During Sporting Activity
Playing sports as a bespectacled athlete can be difficult. Your glasses tend to slip off easily so the only other option you have is wearing contact lenses. However, they tend to bring their own set of disadvantages. This is where sports eyewear steps in. With a better fit, enhanced vision, zero allergic reaction, and much more, these protective glasses are your best defense on the field.
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The Impact of Blue Light On Our Eyes and The Sports Glasses That Protect Them
‘Blue light’ has recently stirred significant debate among the public and medical experts alike. Although blue light is nothing new, recent discussion highlights the potentially damaging effects on our eyes and its consequences on our daily life, including sporting activities. This article will clearly explain what blue light is, how it could be affecting your health, and how you can protect yourself, especially during sports participation. What Is Blue Light? In addition to invisible ultraviolet radiation, the sun emits visible light rays made from different colors and shades – including red, orange, yellow, green, and blue. Each color has a different wavelength and amount of energy. Blue light has the shortest wavelength and the highest energy level for visible light rays. The range of the visible spectrum is 380-780 nanometers (nm). Ultraviolet light (UV) lies below this range, and infrared light (IR) also lies below this range. Blue light is included in the range of 400-465 nm; the spectrum of the most dangerous rays is between 415-455 nm. Most interactions with blue light occur naturally. Riding your bike, running through the local field, or playing basketball with friends; your eyes will face blue light and, in moderation, that’s fine. Blue light can keep our focus sharp during sporting activity and is also an integral part of the cycle of sleep-wake. However, the rise in personal technology over the past 20 years has artificially increased our exposure to these high-energy rays. High levels of blue light are emitted by digital devices with screens and LED, CFL, and other lighting equipment. This includes the tablets, smartphones, computers, and LED bulbs we are constantly focused on throughout the day. Furthermore, the growing use of technology in sport could see further exposure even during our leisure activities. How Does Blue Light Affect You? Blue light is the major contributor to digital eye strain. Any sportsperson who has experienced eye strain will rightly bemoan the irritation and discomfort that it causes, leading to watery or dry eyes and a lack of focus. Prolonged exposure to blue light causes discomfort to the retina because the rays make contact with your eyes in a scattered’ nature to their short and high-energy wavelengths. Certain wavelengths of blue light also reportedly lead to the development of age-related macular degeneration. Furthermore, recent studies suggest blue light directly affects our circadian rhythm, which controls when we sleep and wake up. Our body’s natural mechanism uses blue light to recognize that we should be awake during the daytime and asleep once it gets dark. Throughout daylight hours, blue wavelengths help keep us alert, increasing focus, improving mood, and reaction time. However, during the night, blue light wavelengths can stop us from sleeping by inhibiting melatonin. This is the natural hormone that encourages the body to sleep. Damaging effects of blue light on the eyes Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) Excessive blue light exposure is not good for our eyes, potentially leading to a gradual, lifelong loss of vision. Some health experts suggest that blue light exposure also contributes to age-related macular degeneration, the permanent damage to the eye. This leads to the destruction of the cells in the center of the retina, which ultimately leads to vision loss. This condition is common in people over 60. However, some studies suggest it can also happen sooner with increased exposure to blue light. Sleep deprivation According to various research studies, blue light has a short wavelength that restricts the production of melatonin because the body is more sensitive to blue light. Some other research studies explain that blue wavelengths suppress the brainwaves delta that induce sleep and increase the alpha wavelengths that create alertness. Unfortunately, less sleep inhibits athletic performance, according to the Sleep Foundation, by increasing feelings of fatigue, low energy, and the chance of injury. Eyestrain Too much exposure to blue light is the most common culprit for digital eye strain. Mostly it happens when you watch too long at a monitor. Blurred vision, nausea, dry eyes, neck, and back pain, with bloodshot eyes, can cause eye strain. Eye strain is an uncomfortable feeling that stops you from working or having fun. Suddenly, catching a football or using a tennis racket can become 10x harder, as you cannot help but rub your eyes to stop the discomfort. Depression Largely due to the onset of sleep deprivation, blue light can also lead to problems related to mental health, such as depression is caused by many factors. Some competitive and recreational sports competitors, who have experienced depression, report feeling a lack of motivation, focus, and enjoyment for their favorite sporting activity. Stephen Lockley, a Harvard sleep researcher, claims prolonged exposure to blue light at night – from using phones and laptops in bed - is part of the reason so many people don't get enough sleep. He and other researchers link short sleep to increased risk for depression, as well as diabetes and cardiovascular problems. Protection of Eyes from Blue Light The following are the ways and methods you can use to reduce exposure to blue light. Screen time: Make a habit of taking frequent breaks during work just to decrease the amount of time you spend in front of the screen. Screen Filters: You can use screen filters to protect your eyes from smartphones, computers, and tablets. These dark screen covers reduce the amount of blue light emitted from these devices that could reach our eyes ' retina. Anti-reflective lenses: These lenses increase the contrast and reduce the glare, and also restrict the blue light from digital devices and blue light. Blue light filter glasses: A Sight for Sport Eyes has blue light coatings that can be added to most lenses or lenses. Also, transitions and brown-based lenses like polarized brown or brown tint have blue light protection built directly into the lenses. Blue light filter glasses are prepared from a special combination of lens material, and a distinctive coating is applied to the lenses. These lenses reflect part of the blue light away from the eyes. Blue light filter glasses are sunglasses or eyeglasses that can absorb a large amount of blue light. Blue light blocking glasses can relieve digital eye strain, decrease macular degeneration risk, decrease glare, and increase visual clarity. Just be sure that your blinding glasses with blue light do not block useful blue-turquoise light. Buy your blue light-blocking sports eyewear from A Sight for Sport Eyes.
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Polycarbonate & Trivex Lenses: What is Best For Sports Glasses?
Polycarbonate and trivex lenses are amongst the most common lens materials opted for when it comes to buying sports glasses. While one option is more impact-resistant, the other offers better UV protection. Know which option is better in all aspects of sports glasses and make the right choice for your eyes by reading this comprehensive blog.
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How To Pick The Right Sports Glasses Frames for Your Face Shape
Choosing the right sports glasses is not an easy task. While quality of protection is the top consideration, you still want sports eyewear that looks good and fits you well. However, face shape is vital in determining which type of glasses is suitable for you. How often have glasses looked attractive on the display, but as soon as you've put them on, you dislike how they look? Exactly. Long story short, you can’t play Russian roulette while choosing your pair of sports glasses. If you can customize lenses to fit your vision perfectly, the frames should be of equal priority. Keep reading this blog to know which frame would be the best fit for your face based on its shape. Does The Right Eyewear Frame Matter in Sports? When you are talking about sports eyewear, everything rests on two pillars: clear vision and comfortable fit. Having a wide, wrap-around lens will give you clear vision in all directions. But when you come to the latter, choosing any random frame means risking an uncomfortable fit that is either too loose, too tight, or simply not sitting right. It's crucial to wear sports eyewear that complements your face shape for both physical and psychological benefits. Choosing stylish eyeglasses that fit well not only enhances your appearance but also boosts comfort and confidence. Many athletes find that wearing trendy eyewear provides an additional motivation to push themselves harder in their favorite sports. When you select eyewear, you’ve got to choose something that complements your face shape and personality. In fact, the style of your glasses has a psychological impact too. For example, snug-fitting, stylish eyeglasses that aesthetically improve your appearance will make you feel more comfortable and confident; whereas wearing cool eyewear gives many sportspeople the extra jolt to push harder at their favorite pursuit. Keep in mind that safety comes first, so after comparing glasses to your face shape or size, you must ensure that the glasses are safe and provide protection from UV, debris, or sunlight. A Sight for Sport Eyes offers the latest range of sports eyewear to hit the market, no matter the sport, and is passionate about providing glasses and goggles that you feel proud to wear. Also, you can try out our eyewear to ensure it has the right look, style, and fit for you. Determining Your Face Shape In the end, it depends on the shape of your face and where the frames of your eyewear will sit. Sports eyewear is not a “one size fits all”. The first step to choosing the right frames for yourself is understanding what the shape of your face is. Once that is done, you can easily narrow down your choices, ensuring a perfect fit. To determine which frame suits you best, look directly into the mirror with your hair pulled back and/or clear from your face. Look closely at the contours of your head and face to get an idea of your shape. Oval face shape Notable for having higher and slightly wider cheekbones, this shape provides the most accurate and balanced proportions. Hence, it is considered ideal to choose a variety of sports glasses. Choose sports frames wider than the broadest part of your face to maintain the natural balance of the oval face shape. An excellent choice for the oval-shaped face is walnut-shaped frames that are not too deep or narrow. Heart-shaped face A heart-shaped face has a narrow bottom and a wide top. In such cases, select frames that are wider at the bottom, which minimizes the apparent width of the top of the face. Light-colored and thin frames are an excellent choice for you. Square face shape Square face shape: The square face shape has almost the same proportions- a broad forehead and a strong jaw, and the length and width of the face are almost the same. The most suitable frames are those with more width than depth and narrow ovals. Round face shape The round face has a short and wider forehead, curved lines, a rounded chin, full cheeks, and a softer jawline. Angular and round frames would be the best for such a face type. However, choose frames that complement your soft features. Rectangle faces Rectangular faces generally have a longer nose, a stronger jaw, a deeper forehead, and a stronger jawline. Square-shaped glasses with a strong brow line are most suitable for this face. Base-down triangle A base-down triangle face shape has a broad chin and cheek area with a narrow forehead. The need is to emphasize the narrow upper part of the face. Hence, choose frames that are heavily accented with color to increase the width of the face. Types of Sports Eyewear Frames Based on Your Face Shape Now that you have figured out the shape of your face, you can refine your choices to these four types of frames that are suitable for different faces. Curved Sports Glasses: If you have a round or oval-shaped face, these glasses are for you. They are versatile and can complement various face shapes. The curved design often suits round and oval faces, providing a sleek and sporty look while offering ample coverage to shield the eyes. Sports Glasses with Wrap-around Straps: Perfect for fast-paced sports, these glasses include straps that keep them securely in place on your face. They're great for round faces or faces with sharp jawlines, providing stability and preventing slippage during intense activities. Sports Glasses with Inner Clips: These nifty glasses offer flexibility for different face shapes. By allowing interchangeable lenses or additional clips, they adapt to various sporting needs and facial contours. They're fantastic for those with square faces, as the adjustable features can enhance both style and functionality. Prescription Spectacles with Deep Wrap: Tailored for those needing prescription glasses during sports, these deep wrap frames cater to various face shapes. They're excellent for rectangular faces or faces with angular features, providing the necessary prescription while ensuring a secure fit and enhanced peripheral vision. Things To Keep In Mind While Choosing a Frame For Your Eyewear Now that we have addressed the elephant in the room, it is time to look at other features of the eyewear frames to ensure that they give you a snug fit. Keep the following tips in mind while choosing a frame based on the shape of your face. The frame must be secure, pleasant, and comfortable to wear for the shape of your face. A soft nose bridge is essential. Earpieces should match the sport and be adjustable. It enables you to get the best fit and grip for your face. Therefore, when your earpieces fall out of alignment, you don’t have to take them to an optical shop. These are best for most ball sports and jogging. For cycling and skating, straight earpieces are suggested as they easily fit under a helmet. Temples should also have non-slip rubber that grips the head when you sweat. An elastic sports band at the back of the head provides maximum protection for a better fit. Always choose impact-resistant polycarbonate or Trivex lenses. Select anti-fog and anti-glare lenses, which protect during outdoor sports and provide UV blocking. Regular glasses do not provide effective results for sports, motion, and athletic activities. Regular glasses are not meant for these purposes. Special sports glasses are necessary for such purposes that offer protection and ease of wearing, with a better focus on the activity. Moreover, they increase your performance and comfort level. Get Frames That Fit Like Second Skin Whether it is curved sunglasses, straps that wrap around, frames with inner clips, or prescription spectacles with deep wraps, there's a perfect sports eyewear match waiting for you. The goal? Not just to protect your eyes but also to amplify your performance and confidence in the game. Now, who's ready to take on the field, court, or track in style? The best part is that you are one click away from choosing the right frame for your face, which will fit you like a second skin. Trust us, you won’t even know it is there (yup, our frames are THAT comfortable).SportEyes boasts a wide range of frames, and you will find a pair you’ll fall in love with!
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Everything You Need To Know About Your Eye Exam
Before spending $100+ of your hard-earned cash on prescription sports eyewear, it’s smart to have an eye checkup to ensure you get the right glasses and that your health is in check. The Snellen Chart test is a key part of regular eye exams For most of us, going to the eye doctor can seem like a chore, especially if it’s not an emergency. But just as we need to visit our general doctor and dentist as part of a healthy routine, seeing our eye doctor – or ophthalmologist or optometrist – ensures our eyes are as sharp as possible, so that we can dominate on the sporting field. Regular eye examinations are necessary to keep your vision strong, and if you like to enjoy recreational sports, such as cycling or running, then you will be amazed to know your vision plays an important role in your sports performance. Cycling sunglasses can give athletes the visual edge to win races From hand-eye coordination to spatial awareness to concentration, our vision centers our sporting experiences and decisions, often making the split difference between finishing 1st, 2ndor last place. During the eye examination process, you are required to pass a series of tests that aid in checking for eye diseases and evaluating your vision. With each test, a unique aspect of your eye health is analyzed. How Often Should You Have An Eye Examination? Well, there is no one-size-fits-all number. The frequency of eye exams can depend on age and medical history. For example, if you are an elderly person who has suffered several eye issues in the past 5 years, you will likely need to attend an eye exam more often than a sprightly and healthy teenager with no known eye issues. Nonetheless, medical professionals typically advise all people to get their eyes tested at least once every two years. Importance of Eye Examination Regular eye examinations are essential to detect any vision changes as early as possible and prevent any negative impacts on your day-to-day activities. Additionally, a comprehensive eye examination with pupil dilation enables you to identify other serious eye diseases before their symptoms start showing their existence. These include: Macular Degeneration: It is an eye disease that causes irreversible loss of vision by damaging the retina. Glaucoma: A progressive, chronic eye condition that causes severe damage to the optic nerve of the eye. Cataracts: These are cloudy areas in your eye’s lens that lead to blindness. What To Expect At An Eye Exam? When you go for an eye examination, there are many things you can expect before, during, and afterwards. Pre-exam, your doctor may ask questions related to your vision history and existing issues. This is a good point in the process for you to mention any worrying differences in your eyesight during play, on the field, track, or court. After this, a few tests are performed to examine the function of all parts of your eyes and to check your vision. Finally, your doctor will inform you regarding the results of the eye exam, the potential risk of eye disease, and also reveal several preventive measures that are important to protect your eyes. The Different Eye Exam Tests 1. Testing Visual Field Manually Visual field is defined as the extent to which your eyes can see sideways without eye movement. This is also known as peripheral vision. Using a visual field screener (also known as an auto-perimeter), your ophthalmologist will ask you to focus your eyes straight ahead at a light spot. Meanwhile, another light spot flashes on either side of your eyes to test how they respond to peripheral objects. As well as being a crucial examination for detecting glaucoma, the results of your visual field test may have consequences for your sports performance. A strong ability to evaluate objects moving freely beside and behind you is a competitive advantage. It allows you to quickly spot other teammates or opponents on the field in football, basketball, and soccer etc, making it easier to apply your skills under pressure. In football, spatial awareness is crucial to fending off opponents and scoring touchdowns 2. Test of Visual Acuity This tactic determines the clarity of your vision. This is where you will be confronted by the famous Snellen chart – a white board consisting of different-sized black letters arranged across several rows and columns. Here, you are asked to recognize and read out loud the alphabet visible on the Snellen chart, from at least 14 yards away, with one of your eyes covered. Both eyes are tested individually, and this test is finished when the patient is unable to distinguish any more letters (usually the smallest ones). Following the same process, your doctor can test your near vision as well with the help of a sheet with the alphabet, which is held inches away from your face. 3. Eye Muscle Test Doctors recommend this test to evaluate the movement of the eyes through the strength of eye muscles, their control, and coordination. Often sitting up straight, your eye doctor will monitor you carefully as your eyes are fixed on a clear object close-up, typically a pen or a light. Held inches from your face, the object will be moved up and down, left and right, as the doctor assesses how well your eye muscles react to moving entities. The eye muscle test is also important for ball sports, especially tennis and other racket sports. In tennis, even amateur players are forced to react quickly to 50mph+ serves from opponents, and healthy eye muscles ensure they can respond with perfectly timed shots. Table tennis, also known as Ping-Pong, is similar. With the balls traveling at high speeds and reaction times essential, even a millisecond delay can lead your bat to skew the ball well wide of your target. Table Tennis Bat and Ball – A Sport Requiring High-Level Hand-Eye Coordination 4. Refraction Assessment Refractive error occurs when light waves entering through your cornea and lenses fail to focus properly behind your eye. Refractive error indicates that your eyes require some assistance, like contact lenses, glasses, or a refractive operation, so you can see everything clearly and comfortably. Precise vision will affect your reaction time. With fast-moving balls, every fraction of a second counts. If you have perfect vision, you’ll be able to see a ball a fraction of a second earlier, which will improve your overall reaction time on the ball. A computerized refractor is often used for estimating the prescription for your contact lenses or glasses. Another technique used for this purpose is retinoscopy. 5. Slit-Lamp Test The physical structure of the eye is under the spotlight in this test. You will be asked to look at a slit lamp, whilst your chin and forehead are resting on the support. Meanwhile, your doctor will be looking deeply at eyelids, cornea, lashes, lens, iris, and the fluid chamber surrounded by your iris and cornea to spot any abnormalities. If the doctor is struggling to see into the eye, he or she may apply a small drop of a safe dye called fluorescein to dilate your pupil for further examination. The rough-and-tumble associated with any contact or fast-paced sport often leads to competitors clashing, with consequential bumps and bruises to the eyes very common. The Slit-Lamp is, therefore, helps doctors see if, beneath the cosmetic damage, there are any deeper, severe eye problems. Adult Man’s Eye: Assessing its physical condition 6. Color Vision Testing Patients who find difficulty in differentiating various colors undergo a color vision test where numerous multicolored dotted patterns are shown. If the patient has no color deficiency, he/she choose shapes and numbers easily from the dotted patterns. Color blindness is more common than many think. Internationally, 8% of men and 1 in 200 women are reportedly diagnosed as color blind. The impact on sporting performance cannot be underestimated. Those who play sports regularly often find difficulty seeing certain balls because they are color-deficient. Likewise, the contrast sensitivity of a ball moving through the surrounding background - from grass to clay - can seem blurry, making it harder for a color blind individual to properly track the ball. In some sports, such as soccer and cricket, organizers have made greater efforts to support those with color vision issues by using distinctively designed balls and avoiding choosing team kits with colors and styles that clash. If you like to play sports in your leisure time, then it is crucial to make sure that your vision is at its absolute best. This is because perfect vision is very important for good sports performance. If you lack vision skills, sports glasses help in correcting your vision. A Sight for Sport Eyes can help by providing you with the best protective prescription eyewear in sports. Some of the major visual skills that can impact your sports performance include depth perception, eye focusing, eye tracking, Peripheral vision, and Dynamic visual acuity. Marathon Runners – Competing in Glasses The Importance Of Wearing Sports Glasses According to Prevent Blindness America, every year, more than 40,000 eye injuries occur in the US due to sports. Therefore, it is necessary to protect your eyes against all dangerous factors during sports. A Sight for Sport Eyes offers sports eyewear, such as swimming and skiing goggles or cycling and running glasses, which provide great protection against sport-related eye injuries, as well as help in improving sports performance. If you are looking for the best sports glasses, then visit our website, sporteyes.com, now. You can also sign up for email newsletters to get the latest updates. We love speaking with people. So feel free to contact us with any questions or your thoughts in the comments below, on Facebook, Twitter Instagram. Image Credit: Pexels and Unsplash
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5 Effective Ways to Stop Your Glasses and Goggles from Fogging
Humid days, alpine winds, and rainy days - do you know what they have in common? They are every bespectacled person’s nightmare. Fogging can be a pain and not every DIY trick works. So, here are some actual solutions that may help you stop your glasses and goggles from fogging. Read now.
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