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You may have heard people talking about bifocal and varifocal lenses, and not really understood what they are. Or even fully understood the benefits of having them. But for many people, these types of lenses have a number of different advantages that can help benefit you in your everyday life. That’s why we thought we’d give you a quick guide on what bifocal and varifocal lenses are. As well as the benefits of them over ordinary prescription lenses.

What are BiFocal and VariFocal Lenses?

Both of these lenses aim to reduce the number of glasses you might need during the day. If you struggle with distance as well as close-up vision, having Bifocals would combine the two prescriptions into one lens. The lens itself is then broken up into two sections, with a prescription lens for each. What this means is you can use the same glasses for near vision, for doing things like reading a magazine and then have an intermediate lens combined, that means you can see things a bit further away.

As you might expect, if Bifocal lenses combine two lens prescriptions; Varifocals (used to perhaps be called Trifocal lenses) combine a number of prescriptions into one lens. They are a really superior lens; Varifocals have superseded trifocals because the three zones can be blended seamlessly, offering as close to natural vision and focus as possible. Although trifocals can still have their place for certain patients.

The Benefits of Bifocal and Varifocal Lenses

These lenses become much more useful as you get older. You might find that you’re struggling to read things that are close-up such as your phone screen. Bifocal lenses are a great way of correcting your vision so that you can wear the same glasses throughout the day.

If you struggle with more than one distance of vision, then Varifocals will be a better option for you. By combining all of your prescriptions, you won’t need more than one pair for your daily life.

Bifocals are used by many people and we often recommend these lenses to patients who find that their vision is deteriorating for distance sight. And they are not like they used to be with an obvious line across the different prescription – they are now combined to achieve a seamless look.

We recommend that you book an opticians appointment and we can help discuss whether bifocals are right for you.

Want to Book an Appointment to Discuss Your Lenses?

If you’d like to talk about upgrading your lenses to Bifocals or indeed Varifocals, then please book an appointment with us at Focus Eye Centre. Based in Hailsham, we have patients from Herstmonceux, Horam, Polegate, Bexhill, and Pevensey. If you’d like to book an appointment, please call us on 01323 442062 or download our Mysight booking app.

Opticians this time around have been advised to stay open to continue to offer needs based eyecare. Therefore, Focus Eye Centre can see patients with eye emergencies or problems with their vision or spectacles.

Focus Eye Centre will continue to open normal hours. All appointments need to be booked as we will continue to operate a locked door policy.

Routine Appointments

True routine only patients can come in subject to capacity, but alternatively, you can delay your eye examinations until lockdown is lifted.

Eye Examinations

To reduce the risk of Covid transmission and up close time spent in the consulting room we are using digital imaging on all patients during your eye examinations.

We are very busy and still have a wait for several weeks for an eye examination. However we will always keep some emergency appointments free; typically which would fall into Minor Eye Conditions ( MECS). So please call and we can triage you over the phone.

Contact Lenses and Solutions

Please also get in touch if you need to collect contact lens solutions or your monthly lenses. We need to ensure no more than 4 patients are downstairs in the practice at anyone time so everything and everyone is booked a time slot to avoid bottle necks.

Next steps

If you are not sure if you should come in you are welcome to call our team on  01323 442 062 and we can discuss and triage you. Social distancing, modified ways of working and strict hygiene measures stay in place. Patients are asked to wear a mask and hand sanitise on arrival.

We do hope that we have covered every option for you here. Please call us if you have any other questions.

Over the last year, you may have tried out a new fitness regime to make you fit and healthy. Whether it’s running, cycling, or just simply making sure you get the steps in. There are plenty of ways you can make your body more healthy. But what about eye exercise? Do eye exercises help your eyes and is there any benefit of doing exercise to make your eyes fit and strong?

Many years ago, eye exercises were seen to help cure problems with eyesight. It was thought that carrying out exercises that work out different parts of your eyes could help to improve short-sightedness, long-sightedness, as well as other eye conditions.

But unfortunately, there is little evidence to suggest that carrying out eye exercises can cure any of these eye conditions. However, there might be some benefit for carrying out these exercises, particularly if you’re working from home during lockdown.

In our last blog post about how working from home can affect your eyesight, we briefly mentioned an exercise to help prevent eye strain whilst working at a computer. Whilst eye exercises don’t heal eye conditions; they can certainly help your eyes feel better if you’re at the computer for long periods of time. That’s why we thought we’d do a round-up of some of the eye exercises you can do whilst you’re working from home. These might also be useful when you return to the office as well. If you work these exercises into your daily routine; you’ll make sure your eyes get enough rest during the working day.

The 20-20-20 Rule

We mentioned this exercise in our last blog post and is a well-known exercise that is recommended if you’re working a lot at a screen. The 20-20-20 rule helps to make sure your eyes get a regular break from the screen throughout the day. The exercise is to make sure that every 20 minutes you look at something 20 feet away, for 20 seconds. For perspective, 20 feet is about as tall as a telegraph pole, so try and find something a similar distance away.

If you have a window by your desk, look out and try and focus on something 20 feet away. If you’d like to try and implement this rule efficiently; you might want to first try setting a timer for 20 minutes to remind you to keep up with the exercise.

Changing Focus

This is an exercise to make sure your eyes can still change focus easily. To do this exercise, hold your finger a few inches away from your eye and focus on it. Then slowly move your finger away from you whilst maintaining your focus.

You can then try and focus on something further away and refocus on your finger, just to give your eye a challenge.

Figure of Eight

This exercise involves focusing on a blank object such as a wall or the floor. You then make a figure of eight with your eyes and without moving your head. This exercise is really simple to do and helps to maintain the flexibility of your eye muscles whilst you’re working. Then, sitting still, also try looking as far to the left, hold for a few seconds, then to the right, then up as well as down. This also helps to strengthen the eye muscles.

Don’t Forget to Rest!

Like any exercise you’re doing, your eyes need a break too. That’s why making sure you get enough sleep is just as important for your eyes as it is the rest of your body.

Suffering from Constant Eye Irritation?

If you’re working at a computer screen a lot you might suffer from regular irritation from your eyes. Why not book an appointment with Focus Eye Centre and get a professional eye examination.

As an award-winning local optician based in Hailsham, East Sussex; we’ll make sure you get the right treatment for your eyes. At the moment we’re only open for appointments that have been booked and essential treatment, so make sure you get in touch with us first before coming to see us

To book an appointment with us, click here, or call us on 01323 442 062.

As the country is once again in a national lockdown; people are again setting up desks in their kitchens, dining rooms, or living rooms and working from home. Whilst this kind of lifestyle might be beneficial for some people, it can be a real headache for others. Along with having a negative effect on your neck, spine, and shoulders, there’s evidence to suggest that working from home can have a negative effect on your eyesight.

When you work in an office, it’s likely that your desk, chair, computer screen, keyboard and even the lighting has been specifically designed to be ergonomic and suitable for working. This means that you can work for long periods and remain comfortable. There is, in fact, a guide for workplaces on how to make sure your office is ergonomic for your workers.

If you’re working from home at the moment, it’s likely you may have set up a temporary desk on the dining room table, or maybe even on the sofa. These workspaces are not designed for sitting and concentrating for long periods. Additionally, the soft lighting that is used in homes means that there isn’t sufficient light on specific areas.  This kind of lighting from lamps and low-energy bulbs whilst you’re at a screen means you could be causing long-term damage to your eyes. And may be one reason why you’re struggling to focus on your work more. Your eyes could be getting slightly more irritated than usual.

Why This Happens

The BBC recently reported that people’s screen time during the spring lockdown was up by almost a third compared to pre-lockdown. This is bad news for our eyes! This increased screen time can lead to a form of eye strain called Computer Vision Syndrome.

When you’re looking at a computer, you might notice that you’re blinking less than you normally would. As a result, the protective film over your eyes dries out and becomes irritable. If you often get this kind of irritation, read one of our previous blog posts on how to prevent eyestrain from computers.

This eye strain caused by increased use in screen time carries symptoms such as; headaches, blurred vision, dry eyes, and occasionally struggling to focus.

Make Sure Your Work From Home Setup is Kind to your Eyes

Unfortunately, we don’t just mean making sure your desk is instagram-worthy, clean and tidy. (so many work from home images online this year!) In order to make your home desk a nice place for your eyes, make sure there’s as much natural light as possible. Avoid dark and dingy corners where the light from the computer screen is glaring into your eyes. Whilst natural light is good; you don’t want too much of it. Ideally, you want to find somewhere that means you’re not squinting to look at the screen.

It’s also important to make sure you’re far enough away from the screen, and your screen is at the right height for your eyes. It’s advised that you keep your screens at arm’s length from your eyes. (How many of you just checked that?) You should also make sure that the top of the screen is level with your eyes whilst you’re sitting at the desk.

In addition to this guidance, it’s recommended that you take regular breaks, and don’t forget to blink! It’s suggested that every 20 minutes of looking at the screen, move your focus away from the screen to something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. It’s also a good idea to get up and walk around regularly as well. Whilst you’re taking these breaks, remember to catch up on some much-needed blinking to give your eyes some moisture!

Perhaps also invest in some comfort drops, that will give you a bit of relief after a long day, adding a temporary amount of moisture for your sore eyes.

Contact lenses can also dry your eyes out more, so perhaps have the odd day when you wear your glasses instead.

Regularly Having Trouble with your eyes?

If you’re regularly having trouble with your eyes throughout the day; why not book an appointment with Focus Eye Centre and get a professional eye examination. If you’ve noticed a change in the sharpness of your vision recently, you might need glasses or an update to your current glasses prescription.

We are an award-winning local opticians based in Hailsham, East Sussex. So if you’re in the area and want an eye test, or have any questions about the health of your eyes; please call in and see us!

If you’d like to book an appointment with us, click here, or call us on 01323 442 062.

Colour blindness is a common deficiency that affects around 4.5% of the UK population. Because it’s such a common issue, you may know someone who is colour blind, and you, therefore, might have some understanding of all the different types of colour blindness. In the majority of cases, colour blindness is a genetic condition. However, you can also become colour blind as a result of other diseases such as diabetes and multiple sclerosis. But did you know that there are in fact different types of colour blindness, and each one affects your vision in different ways?

A common misconception about being colour blind is that it simply means that you can’t see colour. Whilst there is a form of colour blindness that does result in vision being ‘black and white’, there are plenty of other types of colour blindness that affects the way people are able to pick out colours.

Red-Green Colour Blindness

This type of colour blindness means that it might be hard for you to tell the difference between red and green. This is also the most common type.

There are different terms depending on how severe the case of colour blindness is. For example, deuteranomaly is a less serious case of red-green colour blindness and makes green look redder. On the other hand, Protanomaly makes red look more green. In more severe cases, protanopia and deuteranopia both refer to when you are unable to tell the difference between red and green at all.

Blue-Yellow Colour Blindness

Being blue-yellow colour blind is a lot less common and there are two types of blue-yellow colour blindness. Tritanomaly means that you might find it difficult to tell the difference between blue and green, and yellow and red. Tritanopia makes it impossible for you to tell the difference between blue and green, purple and red, and yellow and pink.

Total Colour Blindness

Of course, it is possible to have vision completely void of colour and this is also called monochromacy. Depending on the severity of the case, you may also find that you have trouble seeing clearly and are more sensitive to light than most people.

Do you think you might be Colour Blind?

This really is a common problem that affects around 1 in 12 men. It is far less prevalent however and only affects 1 in 200 women.

Colour deficiency can also preclude you from certain careers where colour matching is important; such as the police force, some divisions of the armed services and being an electrician. At Focus Eye Centre, we can test the colour vision of children and teenagers so we can advise about the impact of future career choices.

If you think you’re having problems with your vision and picking out colours, why not come and see us at Focus Eye Centre. We’re based in Hailsham, and have patients all over East Sussex, including Heathfield, Horam, Herstmonceux, Polegate, Bexhill, and Pevensey. We can go through with you some colour blind tests to help understand if you are colour blind. Get in touch with us and book an appointment today on 01323 442 062, or downloading our app.

A question that seems to have popped up a lot recently is whether your prescription glasses should hurt your eyes. The simple answer is no, they shouldn’t. However, you might need to have a think about what you are doing to cause your eyes to hurt; this might help you understand more about why they are causing you trouble.

The wrong prescription

Well this is the most obvious cause to your eyes hurting. One or both eyes may have changed prescription. This may happen over a short period of time or may be over a longer spaced out period of time. Children’s and teenage eyes can change prescription in a shorter period of time. Then as you age, the lenses in your eyes grow harder which lead to you becoming more long sighted. During your forties and early fifties this is often more apparent. Which can be a weird phenomena when you are short sighted to start with – why would you be short and long sighted at the same time? Perhaps you need a longer prescription for distance sight but a reading option as well. Or you may find having a type of varifocal will ease the strain on your eyes. If your prescription of your glasses isn’t correct then this could hurt your eyes.

Eye strain

One of the most common reasons why your eyes could be causing you trouble is through eye strain. If your eyes are straining too much, it can lead to headaches and blurred vision, which definitely should be avoided. If this is caused by wearing your prescription glasses, it usually means they are not suitable or the right prescription for your eyes. But this may not be the main cause of why your eyes are straining. Some people have problems with eye strain when they are doing a specific task for long periods at a time.

Are you looking at a screen for too long?

If you spend too long in front of a computer or other sort of screen, you might find that your eyes begin to hurt. Even when you’re wearing your prescription glasses. This is because your eyes are straining too much and focusing too much on a single object. If you feel like you are spending too much time in front of a screen; why not read one of our previous blog posts about how to prevent eye strain whilst using a computer.

Do you drive long distances?

If you’re driving for long periods during the day; you might find that you’re eyes begin to get tired and cause irritation. Similarly to looking at a computer screen, driving long distances requires you to focus at the same distance for an extended period of time. In order to combat this, you should take regular breaks on the road to make sure it gives you and your eyes a rest.

Driving at night

Driving at night can also hurt your eyes. Many people as they get older choose to abstain from night driving. The glare from other headlights as well as street lights and wet roads can all go towards hurting your eyes. Our Crizal lenses are great for this though and will reduce glare, making your eyes far more comfortable.

Health problems with your eyes

You may also find that it could be a medical condition that causes your eyes to hurt, so always get that checked out with us if you think this may be the case.

Need help with your Prescription Glasses?

If your eyes are causing you constant irritation when you’re wearing your prescription glasses, book an appointment with us, and we’ll have a look at your prescription. We have patients all around Hailsham including Horam, Polegate, Heathfield and Herstmonceux. We’ll be happy to help you adjust your prescription if necessary to prevent your eyes from hurting.

Although the Summer might nearly be over; it doesn’t mean there won’t be any autumn and winter sunshine in the coming months. It also definitely doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be looking to buy a pair of fantastic designer sunglasses. Sunglasses can be just as important and useful to wear throughout the year. When the days get shorter and the sun gets lower in the sky, wearing sunglasses can help stop you from having to squint, particularly if you’re driving. Also, if you’re planning on hitting the ski slopes during the winter, you’ll know that sunglasses are an essential accessory!

If you’re looking to buy a pair of stylish designer sunglasses; we have a great range available from a variety of different designer brands. If you come and visit our opticians in Hailsham, you’ll be able to see for yourself the selection of designer sunglasses you can buy. We’ll also supply and fit lenses that match your prescription. Your sunglasses will give you better vision and still look fabulous!

Designer Sunglasses at Focus Eye Centre

We stock popular designer brands including Ray-Ban, Maui Jim, and Cocoa Mint. All of these brands carry a slightly different style of sunglasses, so you’ll undoubtedly find the perfect pair for you. If you’re unsure of what brand to go for, we can always give you a little helping hand. Here’s a bit about each of these brands to help you decide;

• Ray-Ban – This brand is synonymous with sunglasses, and will always be a popular choice. Some of the most popular sunglasses in this line are the Wayfarer or Aviator glasses, that are always a top-selling style.
• Maui Jim – A Hawaiian Sunglasses company that was founded to provide protection against the intense Hawaiian sun. This brand has over 125 styles of sunglasses, so you’re spoilt for choice if you opt for this brand
• Cocoa Mint – There is an unrivalled, chic sophistication that comes with Cocoa Mint Designer sunglasses. This British company have a selection of beautifully-balanced styles that you’ll fall in love with.

Need Help Choosing your Sunglasses?

If you’re still not sure what pair of sunglasses you’re after, we can help. Don’t forget, it’s not just designer brands we stock – there are so many more to choose from!

Due to Coronavirus guidelines, we are currently only allowing customers with pre-booked appointments to come and see us. So if you’re in Hailsham, Horam, Heathfield, Polegate, or Herstmonceux, and would like to book an appointment to come and see us click here. We’re also available by phone or email if you have any questions about any of the sunglasses lines we stock.