All About Eyes

Helpful eye care applications for your cell phone that inform and entertain.

It seems as though there is an app for everything nowadays―talking hamster apps, sing-a-long apps, even an app where you pop fake bubble wrap. While there are lots of strange cell phone apps out there, there are actually quite a few interesting, and even helpful, cell phone apps that have to do with eye care.

Here are some of our favorite eye care cell phone apps that are out right now (However, please remember that the tests and diagnosis’s made by these apps should not substitute for an examination by a qualified eye care professional):

Vision Test:

This vision accuracy test was rated the number one medical app in 2010, and for good reason. This application not only tests your visual perception, your far field vision, and evaluates your color accuracy, but it will also locate the nearest optician in your area.

The Vision Test app also features an eye quiz which tests your knowledge about eyesight and gives you advice and facts about your eyes.

Price: Free

Requirements: iPhone / iPod / iPad

(There are similar applications available for Android phones.)

Eye Care – Save Your Vision:

Studies have shown that prolonged use of electronic devices such as laptops, cell phones and tablets can lead to problems such as eye strain, blurred vision and dry eyes. In order to prevent these problems, they suggest that tech users follow the “20-20-20″ rule: Every 20 minutes that you are using an electronic device, take a 20-second break and look at something 20 feet away.

The EyeCare – Save Your Vision app was designed to help alert you when it’s time to give your eyes a technology break. Named one of the top 10 new and noteworthy medical apps in the US, the app runs in the background of your phone and sends you an alert when it’s time to take your 20-20-20 break.

Price: .99

Requirements: iPhone / iPod / iPad

Disposable Contacts Schedule:

Are you a wearer of contact lenses? This cell phone application helps you keep track of your contact replacement schedule and alerts you when you should change your disposable contact lenses. If you’re not someone who replaces their contact lenses daily, the app also includes a widget which shows the number of days left until you should switch out your contacts so you can easily keep track of your contact replacement schedule.

Price: Free

Requirements: Android phone

All About LASIK:

LASIK eye surgery is one of the most popular alternatives to wearing glasses and contacts . Through a simple procedure using laser technology, LASIK surgery can help to correct nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism.

If you’re thinking about finally ditching your glasses or contacts and getting LASIK surgery, the All About LASIK app is the perfect resource for all of your LASIK questions. It answers popular questions such as who is a candidate for LASIK surgery and how to select a LASIK surgeon. It also covers other topics such the costs of the procedure and eye care after LASIK.

Price: $1.38

Requirements: Android phone

iMag Magnifying Glass:

Are you the type of person that needs glasses when you’re reading restaurant menus or small newspaper fonts? This could be a sign that you are farsighted. Farsightedness, or hyperopia, is a refractive error that can cause objects that are near to appear blurry.  I use this app all the time in resturants, and if I am out of the office and need to look into someone’s eye for an “emergency visit” away from the office!

The iMag app is designed for people who are farsighted and want a pair of “back up glasses” in case they’ve left theirs at home. This app features a 4x and 6x zoom function that allows you to zoom in on objects or details that are hard to read. It also is equipped with a viewing light to make close objects even easier to see.  While it’s not a recommended alternative to corrective lenses, it could help in a situation when your glasses aren’t around.

Price: Free

Requirements: iPhone / iPod/ iPad

Getting a new pair of glasses can be really exciting for most people: you get to pick out new frames, you get an updated, accurate prescription, and, hopefully, you’re looking forward to seeing your favorite eye doctor again!

However, while the process of picking out your new frames may seem simple enough, all of the extra add-ons that come along with new glasses can be overwhelming, especially if you don’t understand all of the different options and features.

What Are The Coatings And Lenses In My Eyeglasses?

Polycarbonate Lenses

First developed in the 1970s for aerospace applications (used for astronaut visors and space shuttle windshields), this specific type of lens is designed to be extremely lightweight and impact-resistant. They also block 100 percent of the sun’s UV rays which eliminates the need for special UV coating.

Because Polycarbonate lenses are scratch and shatter-resistant, they are the perfect lens choice for people who participate in sports and physical activities, and for children who wear glasses.

Polarized Lenses

Polarized lenses are perfect for just about any outdoor activity―fishing, biking, jogging, boating, etc. They help to reduce glare as well as provide high-contrast vision with 100 percent UV protection. They are also very helpful when driving during the day time, as they can reduce the sun’s glare that reflects off of the road’s surface.

Photochromic/Transition Lenses:

Photochromic lenses, commonly referred to as Transition Lenses after their manufacturer, Transitions Optical, are great for people with prescription lenses who frequently have to switch between eyeglasses and sunglasses when they move from indoors to outdoors. These lenses automatically darken to respond to outdoor UV light. They also protect your eyes from the sun’s harmful rays.

Photochromic lenses are useful for adults and children who spend a lot of time outdoors. They are also a great option  for people who may have light sensitivity and do not want to switch back and forth between two types of frames.

When choosing features and add-ons for your prescription lenses, be sure to ask your eye doctor about any options that you may not understand. The most important thing to do when picking out a pair of glasses is to choose a pair that you are comfortable with.

Outdoor enthusiasts are typically the people who benefit the most from polarized lenses. However, they can also be worn indoors by people whose eyes are sensitive to light, such as post-cataract surgery patients and post-LASIK patients.

Anti-Reflective Coating

This optical coating can be added to the back of most prescription lenses in order to help prevent distracting reflections and lens glare when the sun is behind you. It also allows more light to pass through the lens, increasing contrast and visual perception. Many people who opt for this coating find that their eyes are less strained throughout the day, due to the decreased glare.

Anti-reflective coating is beneficial to nearly anyone who wears prescription lenses. Research has shown that wearing anti-reflective coated lenses can help improve your vision while driving at night, working on the computer, and reading throughout the day.

When choosing features and add-ons for your prescription lenses, be sure to ask your eye doctor about any options that you may not understand. The most important thing to do when picking out a pair of glasses is to choose a pair that you are comfortable with.

ARLINGTON, Texas — Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton went out for batting practice wearing contact lenses designed to cut down on the amount of light coming into his eyes to help him see the ball during the day.

Under the sun this season, Hamilton’s numbers are dim. He is batting .122 (6-for-49) with no home runs, four RBIs and eight walks. He also has 17 strikeouts and a .429 OPS.

At night, it’s a different story. Hamilton is hitting .374 (41-for-109) with six home runs, 28 RBIs, seven walks and a 1.076 OPS. And he only has 14 strikeouts while playing under the lights.

During his 2010 MVP season, the blue-eyed Hamilton hit a respectable .286 during the day and .384 at night.

Hamilton said Wednesday that he has a tougher time seeing the ball because he has blue eyes. An optometrist who talked to ESPNDallas.com on Thursday supports Hamilton’s theory and explained why.

“Because of the lack of pigment in lighter color eyes — like blue or green eyes as opposed to brown — you get a lot more unwanted light and that can create glare problems,” said Dr. Richard L. Ison, O.D., an optometrist since 1990 who currently works in Murphy, just northeast of Dallas.

Ison said the phenomenon is called intraocular light scatter, meaning the light scatters as it enters, producing a focal point that isn’t as good.

His solution for Hamilton: Find a pair of sunglasses that he’s completely comfortable wearing while batting or maybe these new contacts will take care of the issue.

Repost from ESPN