Winter is Coming

So we’ve turned back time and welcomed the dark evenings back into our lives.  Its time for cosy PJ’s, comfort food and watching a favourite box set in front of the fire.  This time of year is lovely, with all the beautiful colours, misty mornings and crunchy leaves underfoot, there is a sense of excitement as we look forward to bonfire night and the run up to Christmas.  With the darker evenings though, many people begin to notice visual problems not always noticeable in lighter conditions.   We see many people who struggle when driving at night,  the glare from headlights can dazzle and affect vision especially to those with cataracts.  People who are mildly short-sighted may notice the effects of their distance vision being blurry more in the dark therefore driving home from work will become more problematic.  We often get complaints of watery eyes and irritable eyes as people notice the symptoms of Dry Eye more as the central heating comes on.

The pressures of modern life can also create visual problems as we now see more and more people with the symptoms of Digital Fatigue which is the ocular discomfort felt after 2 or more hours in front of a digital screen.  Symptoms include dry eyes, irritated eyes and tired eyes.  Many people are looking at their phones or devices for hours during the day and often at night.  To help eyes whilst looking at screens especially in the dark or at night its is recommended the night-shift mode is switched on which makes the screen less bright.  As these problems are increasing many Optical suppliers are looking at innovative products to help combat the symptoms of Digital Fatigue.  Last month we visited Budapest to attend the Coopervision product launch of their new contact lens which is designed to help people with  this condition.  We are now able to offer our patients this new and exciting product.

This time of year also heralds the start of ‘party season’ with many events in the social calendar coming up there is a lot of focus on perfecting the party look.  A great pair of glasses is a fantastic way of achieving this and a beautiful frame can really give the WOW factor.  Spectacles can transform your look and it is important to choose the right pair as it is often the first thing people notice about you.  Stylish frames really say a lot about you and your personality.  Bold, pretty, sparkly, delicate, subtle, colourful, funky, fun, fashionable.  Frames can speak volumes about who you are.  We love helping people choose glasses,  really getting to know someone and understanding their taste and sense of style in order to perfect their look.  A large part of it is ensuring their personality shines through their glasses.

Rachel Valli