A Warning to Our Patients of the Dangers of Purchasing Eyeglasses on the Internet

We have investigated the current state of online eyeglasses sales. While websites may offer frames and lenses to online customers, the reality of the situation is that eyeglasses have to be accurately adjusted and precisely measured on the patient's face before and order is sent to the fabricating laboratory to insure that the prescription power, as measured by the doctor during the eye examination, is in the correct place on the lens and the lens is in the exact place on your face.

Eyeglasses ordered online are being produced by unregulated companies who do not have to follow the prescription as given by your doctor. Many of these companies also do not follow safety standards for lenses as they are produced in countries without such regulations. This means the lenses may have less impact resistance than what is required for safety in Canada.

What Can Go Wrong?

Eyeglasses have so many variables that it is virtually impossible to be sure that the prescription will work properly when ordered from a website. Even under optimal conditions in a doctor's office, a small percentage of eyeglasses will not perform as prescribed. Imagine the likelihood of eyeglasses not working when the frame is not correctly adjusted to your face and the measurements, usually taken to within 0.5mm, are simply guessed at.

The stronger your prescription, whether you are farsighted, nearsighted, have astigmatism and especially if you need progressive lenses, the more likely the eyeglasses will not work as prescribed and your vision will be compromised.

What Would I Notice if the Eyeglasses Are Not Working Properly?

Some of the lens fabrication and frame misadjustment errors will make you feel a pulling sensation the longer you wear the eyeglasses. After a day of wearing incorrect lenses, it is not unusual to have eyestrain, a little dizziness or a headache located behind your eyes. Reading with incorrect lenses may be tiring and you may lose your place often. Some computer users will find that the monitor is not in focus and the width of the reading area is narrow. All these symptoms can be eliminated if the eyeglasses are made correctly, the prescription is verified by your doctor's office and the frame is precisely adjusted to fit your face.

Unfortunately, because the tolerances are so critical, if the lenses are fabricated to the wrong measurements, there is no amount of frame adjusting that will fix the problem and alleviate the symptoms.

What Would I Notice if I am Simply Adapting to a New Prescription?

With a new prescription, even when it is made correctly, some people have to adapt to the prescription change, especially with astigmatism. When you are adapting to a prescription you may feel that images swim when you turn your head, walls may look tilted, or you may feel queasy in the stomach. The symptoms of adapting get better in a few days. The symptoms of adapting are also less if you put the new glasses on as soon as you wake-up in the morning for the first few days.

Why Should I Purchase My Eyeglasses at Spectrum Optometry?

Probably the best reason to get your eyeglasses from Spectrum Optometry is the peace of mind of knowing that the product you end up with is what your doctor recommended and it is specifically tailored to your prescription and lifestyle.

Our lenses, which are the most critical part of your eyeglasses, are from the top laboratories in the world and they also guarantee the precision and optical quality of the lenses. We stand behind our products and will work with you to achieve the best possible vision.

All of our frame lines come with 2-year guarantees, which means that if there is a quality problem with your frame, you get a new replacement at no charge for two years from when you purchased the frame. Online websites do not offer that protection. Most optical stores will only offer a guarantee for 3 to 12 months or may charge you half price for a replacement.

Spectrum Optometry offers a one-stop solution for eyeglasses. Our doctors, our prescriptions, our products, our guarantees; your peace of mind and the knowledge that you will be able to see clearly out of your eyeglasses and the comfort of knowing that we will always be here to help should you ever need us.