Consulting the Right Opticians at the Right time

Just as eyes are the windows to a person’s soul, they are also the windows to the world around you. If they’re not taken care of properly, the dirt would accumulate on them just as it would on any window in your house. The result… your vision gets murky and cloudy. Slowly, the world would start looking darker and darker until you lose your vision. 

Eye diseases such as cataracts and macular degeneration are causing sight loss among millions every day. According to an estimate by RNIB, approximately 2 million people in UK alone are living with sight loss. While sight loss can be related to gender, genetics, over-exposure to sunlight and smoking etc., ageing is the most common cause of sight loss. The risk increases as you grow older but the good news is, it can be treated. Like any other disease, it is the right diagnosis at the right time which may help you to control loss of sight in eyes.

When you’re getting your eyes checked, make sure that you get in touch with the right opticians. Choose those opticians who are not only proficient at testing eye sights but also have the ability to identify any abnormalities or disease symptoms. Specsdirect2u offer you just the right service with an efficient and experienced team of opticians. Our team is equipped with the latest knowledge and instruments to determine the accurate level of your vision and check for any abnormal conditions. Located at multiple locations in Glasgow, we offer free eye testing at your choice of location. If you are uncomfortable or unable to visit one of our offices, we can visit your home and perform an eye test there. Remember that it is Free Of Cost.

Get a prescription from us and browse our wide range of prescription glasses to choose from. We have glasses to suit all ages and genders. You can have designer and budget frames for yourself. Add to that a lens of your choice and you’re ready to go.  If you want to send prescription frames or sunglasses to someone that you care about but aren’t sure of their prescription, why not use our Gift Vouchers scheme?

Our website gives you complete directions for ordering and sending a gift voucher. Go ahead and improve your vision with style using our wide options for different kinds of lens, frame designs and sunglass tints.

Thanks for taking the time to read this blog. We hope you subscribe to this RSS Feed to enjoy all future blogs, and please connect with us using the social media buttons at the top of the screen. The main website is www.specsdirect2u.co.uk where you can see the full range of Designers that we sell.

Child Friendly Opticians in Glasgow

Shopping isn't fun if you have small children and they are less than pleased, going from 1 shop to the next.  Can you relate to this?

Specsdirect2u are an Independent Family Opticians with 4 Practices in Glasgow.  In each of our Practices, we have a Child's Area.  Each area has a small table and chairs with some toys.  It is just enough (hopefully) to keep your little darlings entertained while you get your eyes tested, or look for a new pair of stylish Glasses / Sunglasses.

As far as we know, most Opticians don't cater for children, but we do.  The only thing we don't do, when you come into our practices is babysit. 

We have practices in Alexandra Parade, Cambsulang, Duke Street and Tollcross.  We also have a resident Optometrist, so if you want to get your eyes tested for a health check, just give us a call on 0141 554 8886 and we will give you an appointment, that suits.

Don't be put off by our adverts for Designer Frames, or Designer Sunglasses, we are NHS Friendly and we also have budget frames from as little as £15.

We also have an offer on at the moment, 2 for 1, so buy one frame and get the other frame absolutely free.  There is no catch, come into one of our practices today and see what frames are included in this offer.

Looking for a Home Eye Test, either phone 0141 554 8886 or click here to arrange a suitable date and time.  This applies only to the Glasgow area. 

Thanks for taking the time to read this blog.  We hope you subscribe to this RSS Feed to enjoy all future blogs, and please connect with us using the social media buttons at the top of the screen.  The main website is www.specsdirect2u.co.uk where you can see the full range of Designers that we sell.

Let's Talk About Ray Ban

Specsdirect2u are a UK reseller for Ray Ban Glasses and Sunglasses, over the past year we have been recording some videos focusing on specific brands, or simply to give our customers information.  Today we will focus on some of the videos that Neil Cameron (Director) has recorded, specifically talking about Ray Ban.

We would love it if you would subscribe to our YouTube Channel, or when watching, click like.  If there is a demonstration that you would like to see, please email us.  The email address is blog@specsdirect2u.co.uk

Ray Ban 6196 Designer Glasses

Click on the link

 



Ray Ban Wayfarer 2140 Sunglasses

Click on the link

 

 

 

Did you know we offer FREE HOME EYE TESTS

in the Glasgow Area?

Click here to arrange an appointment.

 

 

Everyone in Scotland can get a FREE EYE TEST, we have 4 Optical Practices in Glasgow. 

Click here for a list of the addresses. 

Make contact with us today.

 

Thank you for taking the time to read this blog.  Please subscribe to receive all future blogs, and connect with us using the social media buttons at the top of the screen.  We are an Independent Family Owned Opticians and our main goal is to look after your eyesight.  

 

A Focus on Women and Eye Health

This week we are focusing on eye health for women. It may surprise you to know that around two all blindness and vision impairment are found in women. Therefore April has been designated Women’s Eye Health and Safety Month in order to promote eye care and health knowledge, particularly for women.

There are a lot of different things that can affect your eye health, some of which are genetic, putting you at a higher risk, some are linked to longevity, however many are linked to lifestyle.

While there isn’t a great deal you can do about the onset of some eye diseases, the one thing that you can do it to make sure that you get a regular check-up at Specsdirect2u. We do not just check that you can still see clearly, although that is a primary task, we also carry out various checks and tests in order to pick up early stages of any eye disease. Here at Specsdirect2u we have four local branches where you can pop in and book an appointment, or you can give us a call. We have very friendly expert opticians who will carry out your eye examination. Don’t forget that eye tests in Scotland are free so there is no excuse not to have an eye test at least once every two years.

Outside of regular eye checks there are a number of things that you can do in order to help reduce the likelihood of you developing an eye disease or condition that may lead to you losing your sight later in life.

Sunglasses

It may seem like sunglasses are a handy fashion accessory on a sunny day. In fact sunglasses do a lot more than stop you from squinting on a bright day. If your sunglasses have good UV protection you will reduce the amount of damage that UV rays can do to your eye. UV rays of various wavelengths are absorbed by different structures within the eye and if you do not protect your eyes you could be putting yourself at risk of developing cataracts, macular degeneration and causing other general damage to the eye that can lead to sight loss.

If you don’t have any sunglasses we recommend that you get some now that spring and brighter days are on the way. If you don’t know where to start then why not check out our range of sunglasses that we offer here at Specsdirect2u. We offer everything from budget frames through to the latest Ray Bans and there are both prescription and non-prescription options for them all.

Diet

Mum’s are very fond of telling kids to eat their carrots so that they will be able to see in the dark. Although not strictly true, you do need to make sure that you are getting the right nutrients in order for your eyes to stay healthy. So let’s start with the carrots. Carrots are a good source of beta-carotene, as are sweet potatoes, spinach and kale, which may slow the progression of macular degeneration.

Other key nutrients you should try to eat plenty of are omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E and zinc. It may sound like you will have to eat a hundred and one different foods to make sure that you can cram all of these is, but actually you can get most of them from berries, dark green leafy vegetables, orange vegetables, oily fish, poultry and dairy products.

So in short, don’t take your eye health for granted and if you do nothing else, make sure that you take advantage of an eye examination here at Specsdirect2u.  We also offer free home eye test visits, if you cannot make it into one of our optical practices.  We are in Alexandra Parade, Cambuslang, Duke Street in Dennistoun and Tollcross.  

Thank you for taking the time to read this blog.  Please subscribe to receive all future blogs, and connect with us using the social media buttons at the top of the screen.  We are an Independent Family Owned Opticians and our main goal is to look after your eyesight.  

Why Choosing and Fitting a Pair of Frames Isn’t As Easy As You Might Think

So, you’ve had your eye test and now have a new prescription in your hand. The next bit is the fun part where you get to choose your new frames.

The question is; do you stick with the same sort of design as you’ve already got, or do you try something new? If these are your first glasses you might be wondering where on earth to start in order to narrow down your options.

Clearly the look of the frames is going to be the dominant factor, but there are also a few considerations that you might want to be aware of, so that you can ensure that you pick the best frames.  This is where our Optical Assistants at Specsdirect2u come in - to help you.

Let’s start with the important bit; how the frames will look on you. This is a particularly important factor for anyone who is short-sighted as you will have to wear your glasses most of the time.  The question is how do you know which ones to choose?

If you come to Specsdirect2u, you can easily browse through a huge range of styles. You can try on any number of frames to see what they look like, whether they are the latest Tom Ford designer frames or our vast collection of budget frames.  Going into one of our Optical Practices is ideal if you live in Glasgow, but remember you can order your frames online, and if they don’t suit, you can return them. 

The Specsdirect2u website offers great discounts, but we are also available to speak to you, if you have any questions before processing your online purchase.  Our goal is to ensure that you feel you are receiving the best possible customer service, and making a cost saving at the same time.   The website shows designers by brand, so if you are specifically looking for a set of frames from Gucci, Prada, Ray Ban or Police, you can go straight to the range that you want.  We also have a search facility to show frames within a specific price range. 

So, what else is there to think about?  Well, another very important fact can be the thickness of the actual lenses.  At Specsdirect2u, we advise you how thick your lenses will be at the edge; this ensures that you can get an idea of what your glasses will look like from the side.  More importantly you don’t want to spend money on glasses and then be disappointed because the lenses are too thick, whereas if you had spent a little more money they would look and feel better.  

It is also worth being aware of the pantoscopic tilt of frames. You may well be wondering what on earth that is; it is the slope angle from the top of the lens in towards the face. The higher your prescription, the greater the effect of this angle.  If you feel like something just isn’t quite right then it is likely that this angle is slightly off from the ideal angle for your face. This is where Specsdirect2u can offer more than other online suppliers because all of the glasses that you buy online from us are made by qualified Optical Technicians. 

 

Thank you for taking the time to read this blog.  Please subscribe to ensure you receive future blogs, direct into your email inbox.  We are active on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and LinkedIn, so if you use these sites, we would like to connect with you. Our main website is http://www.specsdirect2u.co.uk

Day in life of an Optometrist - Lights, Charts and Machines

So, you’re off to the opticians for an eye test. If it’s your first test for a while you might be a little bit nervous about what will happen and the process that you will be going through. In a modern eye test there are many different charts and tests that you will see as part of your eye test, but they all had to be invented by someone, so this blog is to give you some background information about what the tests are, but also a little bit about where they all came from.

The Eye Test Chart

You are probably familiar with the standard Snellen Eye Chart, but what you probably didn’t know is that the first eye charts as we know them were designed in 1843 by Heinrich Kuechler in typical German efficiency in order to make the first attempt to standardise the charts to be used. There was an update to these first charts in 1854, but it was the Dutch ophthalmologist Herman Snellen who, in 1862, invented the test chart that is so familiar today. You might be wondering what was different about Snellen’s chart. It was all about the font, Snellen chose a square font so that letters had the same height and width, which reduced variations in performance.

The Ophthalmoscope

The ophthalmoscope is the small hand held device that an optician uses to shine a light into your eye to look at the back of your eye and also at the lens. In order to do this a beam of light is shone into the eye so that the optician can see the various structures. By changing the angle that they look at your eye your optician can spot abnormalities or any signs of disease. The very first ophthalmoscope was actually invented by Charles Babbage in 1847, who is rather better known for inventing the first mechanical computer. Although his ophthalmoscope was perfectly good, his sales skills failed him and his invention was forgotten. Only 4 years later Herman von Helmholtz, another renowned scientist and physician of the day, invented his own version of the ophthalmoscope and clearly made a much better job of marketing his device as it was used as part of eye tests until around 1920.

Glaucoma Tests

Intraocular pressure, or the pressure within the eyeball, is an important parameter to measure to monitor as a sign of glaucoma presence. Intraocular pressure has been highlighted since Sir William Bowman’s presentation to the British Medical Association in 1826. At this stage though the measurement was literally made by hand with the optician making their assessment of the pressure by palpating the eyeball with their fingers! Fortunately technology has come a long way since then through contact tonometry, where a mechanical device pressed onto the eyeball to measure the pressure, to the current practice of non-contact tonometry that makes the measurement by using a puff of air blown onto the eyeball. There are also other tests that are carried out to make more definite diagnoses of glaucoma as it is not a simple disease.

 

So, now you know more about eye tests and where the practices have come from why not head down to your local branch of Specsdirect2u to make your free eye test appointment to make sure that your eyes are in tip top health.  We also offer free home eye tests if you live in the Glasgow area, call us today on 0141 554 8886 to make an enquiry.

 

Thank you for taking the time to read this blog.  Please subscribe to ensure you receive future blogs, direct into your email inbox.  We are active on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and LinkedIn, so if you use these sites, we would like to connect with you. Our main website is http://www.specsdirect2u.co.uk

 

Is Pinterest Cool?

Research states that Pinterest has grown by 4000% in the past 6 months.  So, with this startling fact in mind we at Specsdirect2u set-up Pinterest boards.  Some promote our Designer Frames, others promote stylish fashionista's.

But, we need friends on Pinterest - if you haven't followed our boards, please check them out here.

Pinterest is great for fun, promotion and sharing fashion styles, tips & mishaps. 

Here are a few of our boards:

http://pinterest.com/specsdirect2u/tom-ford-designer-glasses/

 

http://pinterest.com/specsdirect2u/prada-designer-frames/

http://pinterest.com/specsdirect2u/just-for-fun/

 

 

Sure you will agree our prices are fantastic, all frame prices include single vision lenses.  If you live in Scotland, please remember you can get your eyes tested for free. 

 

Thanks for taking the time to read this blog.  Don't forget to subscribe to this blog, and also to connect with us using the social media icons on this blog.  If you have any questions, we would love to hear from you so come into any of our 4 Glasgow Optical Practices, or pick up the phone.  Our main website is http://www.specsdirect2u.co.uk