Lakeside Eye Care
Monday, October 3, 2011
Buying Glasses Online
Over the last hundred years, the customary way of receiving glasses has been through a licensed and trained optical professional. However, the convenience of the internet has led many people in recent years to order their glasses online, and receive them by home delivery. Although this may seem simple and easy, studies have shown that significantly more errors are made, and safety requirements are not met.Studies of glasses provided by online vendors have been conducted from 1999 through 2011 by multiple universities, optical labs, and vision committees. The investigations tested prescription eyeglasses ordered from online vendors for compliance with prescription accuracy and impact resistance requirements in the U.S. Researchers first analyzed the spectacles to verify that the prescription was correct, and that specified lens treatments were present such as scratch coatings, anti-reflective coatings, and transitional properties. The glasses were then tested for impact resistance in regards to safety regulations.
Of all the glasses ordered online that were evaluated, 28.6% failed prescription accuracy in at least one of the lenses and 22.7% failed impact testing. Of all children's spectacles, 25% were not made with polycarbonate lenses. Polycarbonate is an impact resistant material that is mandatory for anyone under the age of 18 for safety reasons. In short, over half of the inspected pairs of glasses were not made correctly.
As stated in the Journal of the American Optometric Association, “Many patients likely do not realize that... spectacle lenses that provide refractive correction are classified in the United States by the FDA as Class I Medical Devices. A valid prescription from a licensed doctor is required, optical tolerances should be maintained, and physical requirements, including impact resistance, must be met.” If these parameters are not met, problems such as eyestrain, blur, double vision, and headaches can develop.
Despite cost, glasses received without the physical dispensing process comes with the risk of significant prescription and safety errors. In addition, a professional optician brings a lot more to the table, such as style tips, cleaning and care advice, and the ability to adjust the frames to fit comfortably. Plus, when shopping online, it becomes more difficult to truly know how colors will look and how the shape of the glasses will look on the individual. It just might be worth a little extra money to have glasses dispensed by a professional, (IN PERSON), to ensure quality, accuracy, and safety of the eye wear.