Clear answers to the questions our patients ask about vision, glasses, contact lenses and eye health.
Farsightedness is a focusing problem, not an eye disease. How to recognize it in children and adults, how it differs from presbyopia and how it is corrected.
Astigmatism is common and can usually be corrected well. Here's how to recognize it, why lights look streaky at night, and how to read the CYL and AXIS on your prescription.
Myopia makes distant objects look blurry. Here is what causes it, why it tends to increase during childhood, what research says about screens and outdoor time, and when to see an optometrist.
What changes the price of glasses, where spending more is worth it, what you can skip, and what RAMQ and insurance cover.
Sunglasses can be made for nearly any prescription. Polarized lenses, tints, mirrors, progressives, wraparound frames and UV: what to know before you choose.
Each lens tint colour changes light in its own way, but none of them tells you whether your glasses block UV. Here is what each tint does, its limits behind the wheel and when to see an optometrist.
How long it takes to adjust to progressive lenses, and how to tell a fitting problem from a normal learning curve.
Transition lenses darken in the sun and clear up indoors. Here is what they do well, where they fall short in the car and in the cold, and how to tell if they suit you.
Blue light glasses are sold everywhere, but research has not shown that they reduce eye strain from screens. Here is what the studies and eye care organizations say, and what can help your eyes.
Daily lenses are worn for one day and thrown away; monthly lenses are cleaned and stored every night. Safety, care, overnight wear, switching types and who each one suits.
Glasses and contact lenses correct the same vision problems. What each one does well, the care contacts need, sports, wearing both, and the options after 40.
Daily wear lenses come out before you sleep, even for a nap. What extended wear lenses are, what to do if you fell asleep in your contacts, and the signs that mean you should call.
How a toric lens stays oriented on your eye to correct astigmatism, when regular contacts are enough, what to expect at a fitting and what happens when a soft toric lens is not enough.
How to put in and take out your first contact lenses, how long it takes to get used to them, and which signs mean you should get your eyes checked right away.
Rub, rinse, use fresh solution every time, keep water away and take your lenses out before sleep: the contact lens care habits that lower your risk of infection, by lens type.
An online eye test estimates your lens power, but it does not check the health of your eyes. What it can do, what it misses, and the rules in Québec.
At 65 and over, RAMQ covers a complete eye exam once a year. Here's what's included, what isn't, and what your optometrist checks for cataracts, glaucoma and AMD.
When to have your child's eyes checked, how the exam works before they can read, and what the RAMQ covers for children under 18 in Québec.
Seeing clearly doesn't always mean your eyes are healthy. Here is what a comprehensive eye exam can find, often before any symptoms, and when to book one.
Burning, grittiness or blurry vision: dry eye is often chronic, and drops alone don't always fix it. Here is why, and what the research supports.
Screen light can delay sleep, but blue light is only part of the story: brightness, timing and content matter too. A few simple habits for your evenings at home.
Do yellow night driving glasses work? What a simulator study found, why tinted lenses do not belong on the road at night, what anti-reflective coating does, why you see halos around headlights, and when night vision needs an eye exam.
How to clean your glasses without scratching them: water, a drop of mild soap and a microfibre cloth. What to avoid, how to wash the cloth and the frame, how to store glasses, heat, and whether a scratched lens can be repaired.
Drugstore reading glasses do not damage your eyes, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, but they are made for presbyopia only. When they fall short, how to choose the strength, and why they do not replace an eye exam.
Glasses do not make your eyes weaker, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Why vision seems worse without them, why prescriptions change with age, and what the research says about weak glasses for children.
Computer glasses are prescription glasses set for the distance of your screen. How single vision screen lenses, office lenses and progressives compare, why blue light glasses are something else, and what else eases screen eye strain.
A frame that suits your face first has to fit: level, stable, no red marks. How to judge size, bridge and temples, what face shape and your prescription change, and when buying online is not advised.
Anti-reflective coating reduces glare and reflections on your lenses. Who notices it most, how it differs from anti-scratch and UV coatings, and how to clean and protect coated lenses.
Standard plastic, polycarbonate, Trivex and high-index lenses compared: impact resistance, thickness, weight and clarity, what the index numbers mean, and which material suits children and strong prescriptions.
A mild headache, a fishbowl effect or blurry edges are common with new glasses. What is normal, how long adjusting takes, what helps, and when to have the prescription or the fit checked.
Single vision lenses correct one distance, bifocals two with a visible line, trifocals three, and progressives every distance with no line. How they differ day to day, who needs them, computer glasses and how long adapting takes.
How to read a glasses prescription line by line: OD and OS, sphere (SPH) for nearsightedness or farsightedness, cylinder and axis for astigmatism, ADD for reading, prism and pupillary distance, with a worked example.
What eye vitamins really do: the AREDS2 formula slows intermediate macular degeneration, but no supplement prevents AMD or cataracts in healthy eyes, and omega-3 did no better than placebo for dry eye. Food, risks and when to ask your optometrist.
Seven signs you may need new glasses: blur with your glasses on, squinting, headaches, holding text farther away, halos, double or hazy vision and trouble focusing on screens. What is urgent, how often to get checked, and drugstore readers.
Yes, you can play sports and travel with contact lenses. Why lenses don't protect your eyes, which protection each sport needs, water sports, what to pack, planes, hotels and what to do if an eye acts up while you're away.
Yes, many children can wear contact lenses. What age, how safe they are, whether a child can handle them, changing prescriptions, daily lenses, sports, hygiene and when to call.
Try not to rub your eyes with contacts in, and no, a lens cannot get lost behind your eye. Answers to eight everyday questions: stuck or inside-out lenses, a dropped lens, eye drops, saliva and water, lenses forgotten in the case, and when to call.
Yes, you can wear makeup with contact lenses. The right order, sprays, clean hands, mascara, sharing, products for the eye area, false lashes and tints, and what to do if makeup irritates your eye.
If your eye turns red with contact lenses, take them out and don't put them back in. The common causes, the signs that mean calling right away, how long to wait, what to do with the lenses and when to wear them again.
You can often keep wearing contact lenses with dry eyes once the cause is found. Why lenses dry the eyes, the signs, which drops work with lenses, red-eye drops, daily habits and what your optometrist can change.
Keeping contact lenses past their replacement date raises the risk of discomfort and complications. What the date means, dailies worn twice, what to do now, the signs that need a call, the case and an expired prescription.
In Québec, one prescription covers glasses and contact lenses. What OD, SPH, CYL, AXIS, ADD, BC and DIA mean, why contact lens numbers differ from glasses, how a fitting works and how long a prescription is valid.
There is no single number of hours: you wear contacts for the time your optometrist prescribes. Daily and extended wear, nights, getting used to them, end-of-day dryness and when to take them out.
Take your contact lenses out before a shower, a swim or a hot tub. What the AAO, the CDC and the FDA say about water, Acanthamoeba and tap water, and the signs that mean you should call.
Costume contact lenses bought without a prescription can scratch the cornea or cause an infection. What Health Canada and the AAO say, and how to wear coloured lenses safely.
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