If you’ve ever been out to dinner with someone over 40 and they look like their forehead is about to pop a vein while trying to read the menu, then you know what Presbyopia looks like. Simply put, Presbyopia is a normal change that takes place to the muscle in our eyes responsible for focusing. As we age, the muscle weakens in a slow and predictable way leading to worsening vision while reading and engaging in other near point activities.

As we move along the ladder of time, our “number” goes up. It starts around +1.00 in our early 40’s and caps out around +2.50 for most people in our mid 60’s. To correct Presbyopia we have several options. The most common is for people who never wore eyeglasses before to simply wear “drugstore readers” that match to their age. If someone already wears glasses for distance, then they have the option of prescription reading glasses, bifocals, or progressive “no-line” bifocals. These three options will take into consideration the pre-existing distance prescription. Of these three, the most popular option is a progressive lens. These lenses have no line and allow the person to see clearly at every distance. In fact, the word progressive derives from the fact that the prescription changes in a “progression” from top to bottom of the lens. These lenses come in many designs depending on the needs of the consumer. One very popular option is to add anti-glare (also referred to as anti-reflective) coating. Depending on the brand, this coating has a green or blue hue and reduces reflections from the lens. It greatly improves the cosmetic appearance of lenses as well as sharpening vision while driving at night. These coatings are all similar with some brands promoting additional features, such as hydrophobic or oleophobic, which improve the surface smoothness and reduce smudging.

Over the last few years, a new area has evolved in eye care aimed at promoting the dangers of blue spectrum light on eye health and vision. Many of the leading lens manufacturers have seized on this with the promotion of lenses and lens coatings to specifically block the blue spectrum of light. Some manufacturers have developed lens materials that contain blue-blocking elements within them. More popular are anti-glare coatings with blue-blocking elements that are added to the lenses; Blue495 is such a lens. The Blue495 coating can be added to a vast array of lenses including 1.67 high index, polycarbonate, Transitions, HD Progressives, and many more.

The unique properties of Blue495 allow it to help protect against the development of macular degeneration, reduce eye fatigue caused by exposure to digital screens, and improve headaches induced by LED lights. These are just some of the benefits of Blue495. As research continues, we expect more exciting reasons to add Blue495 to every pair of glasses!