visual field Archives - Heels & Horsepower Magazine

Why You Need UV Protection On Your Sunglasses

vuyi on July 8, 2020

Your eyes are constantly in motion, focusing and refocusing as objects approach
– thembela moyo, founder and owner – fresh vision optometrists

As a driver, you must fulfil many requirements, often simultaneously: you must react quickly, follow the speed limits, and correctly assess the driven distances and distances to hindrances. You rely on your eyes more so than any other sense. Your eyes are constantly in motion, focusing and refocusing as objects approach, and contending with distractions, such as oncoming headlights or the glare of the setting sun.

One of the biggest threats to your eyesight is the harmful effects of Ultraviolet* (UV) rays and nothing causes discomfort when driving quite like bright sunlight reflecting off the tarmac or car windows, sending searing pain directly into your eyes. Not only do UV rays cause sunburn and wrinkles around your eyes they also damage your retina which is why you should only wear sunnies with UV protection.

There are 4 areas that can help you make an excellent sunglass choice.

The Material Of The Lens: Take a look at what the tag says about the composition of the lens, which is the most important aspect of sun protection. Make sure the material blocks the harmful UV rays. This will usually be indicated by a percentage which ideally should be 100 %.

Lens Colour: This is an area where you can surrender yourself to your fashion whims as the colour of the sunglass lens does not affect UV protection. People would tend to think that the darker the colour of the sunglasses the more protection from UV rays they are but this is a myth.
Polarization: Simply put, polarization functions like miniature blinds on your sunnies. The coating blocks out horizontal rays whilst letting in vertical light but these ‘blinds’ do not protect your eyes from the harmful effects of UV rays. Hence, even if you have polarized sunglasses you still need a UV-blocking material or coating for protection.
The Right Frame. When choosing the right frame, look for comfort and as much coverage your face size can support to protect your eyes and the skin around your eyes. Wrap-around styles are especially helpful because they block light from the sides as well as the front.

It is important to point out that certified UV protective sunglasses do not necessarily equate to a pricier tag either and there are several brands on the market that offer stylish sunglasses with the required UV protection at affordable prices. Cheap imitations can be temptingly priced but remember that they often do not have any UV protection at all, therefore you must think twice about prioritizing stylish looks above protective functionality.

The importance of eye health in relation to driving, cannot be emphasized enough and as important as it is to purchase the right type of car for your needs, it is similarly important to purchase the correct type of eyewear for your eyesight and ever changing requirements of our daily driving conditions.

Be kind to your eyes and look after them by choosing wisely because without healthy eyes you compromise your driving safety. Remember, protection is key.

Ultraviolet radiation, a type of energy produced by the sunand some artificial sources*

How Well Can You Really See?

vuyi on March 27, 2020

A woman has the ability to note that the left toe-nail of another woman 10m away is in need of a trim and colour fill but has difficulty seeing the SUV she reversed into in the parking lot. You laugh but you know it’s true.

90% of the information motorists need is received through the eyes, therefore it stands to reason that good vision is a prerequisite for safe driving.

Let’ s face it. If you can’t see properly, you can’t drive safely, it’s simple – Thembela Moyo

There are different types of visual functionality necessary for driving, and should any of these be impaired your level of safety on the road becomes automatically compromised. These are:

COLOUR VISION helps you identify things like traffic signals, different coloured road signs, indicator and brake lights.

DEPTH PERCEPTION is the ability to see things in three dimensions (length, width and depth) and to judge the distance of various objects in relation to where you are.

VISUAL ACUITY gauges how clearly you can see and visual field is how wide of an area your eye can see when you focus on a central point.

VISUAL FIELD is how wide an area your eye can see when you focus on a central point.

PERIPHERAL VISION enables you to see things to your left or right such as the sides of your car, animals, cyclists and pedestrians without the need to glance away from the road.

NEAR VISION is the ability to quickly and effectively adjust your focus from something far away such as the bend in road ahead, to something near such as the information on your dashboard.

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It is incredible that the above (and more) work together almost instantaneously and to a large extent are the determining factors used in making critical driving decisions.

Asides driving distracted or under the influence of drugs or alcohol, other reasons which affect our ability to see properly include:

Normal age-related degeneration
Glaucoma – a disease which damages the eye’s optic nerve leading to the development of blind spots in your central or peripheral vision
Macular Degeneration – a disease in which a part of the retina (called the macula) becomes damaged, causing loss to central vision
Diabetic Retinopathy – a disease in which high blood sugar levels cause damage to blood vessels in the retina, depriving it of both central and peripheral vision
Cataract – a progressive clouding of the lens in the eye, causing halos around lights, blurry vision and difficulty in seeing properly in bad weather conditions, poorly lit environments and at night.

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Nothing signals that we are aging quite like deteriorating eyesight which is one of the leading reasons most people avoid having their eyes tested. There is no shame in admitting that your vision isn’t quite what it used to be and thanks to modern technology, there are many corrective solutions for various eyesight deficiencies – which don’t involve thick unsightly glasses!

Please let me know how about your eyesight and driving experiences by leave a comment below and tagging @freshvisionopt on Instagram and hashtag #heelsandhorsepowermag

About the Author: Thembelo Moyo