Health

4 Things You Should Know When Choosing Your First Pair Of Glasses

Many people dread the day when they have to buy their first pair of glasses. They see it as a sign that they are getting older and they want to delay that for as long as possible. This is why many people don’t go for an eye test when they know they really should because they don’t want to be told that they need glasses. 

Pixabay CCO License

However, it’s not a good idea to avoid eye tests and wearing glasses because your eye health is so important and if you neglect it, your vision will only get worse. You need to make sure that you have regular eye tests as you get older and if the optician tells you that you need glasses, listen to their advice. If you are worried about the way that your glasses will look or whether they will be comfortable to wear, it’s important that you spend time finding the right pair. There’s no reason that you can’t look great in your new glasses if you follow these simple tips to help you pick the perfect pair. 

Consider Your Wardrobe 

There are plenty of cheap frames out there but if you want something stylish, you need to consider your wardrobe and think about how you accessorise. For example, you can get some great Kate Spade glasses that are stylish and elegant, and come in a range of colours and designs. Don’t just think of your glasses as a practical item, think of them as an accessory like any other. Look at the different colours that you normally wear and any other accessories like jewellery. When you start choosing glasses based on your existing wardrobe, it’s easier to make sure that they look great. 

Know Your Face Shape 

When you are deciding on frames, you need to know your face shape so you can pick a style that suits you. There are a lot of different types of face shape, and certain styles of glasses work well for certain people. For example, if you have a square face, you should look for frames that are the opposite to that, so oval shaped glasses with soft curves work great. If you go for something that is very square and angular, this will just highlight the shape of your face too much. However, if you have a round face shape, you are better off with frames that are more angular and square. It’s important to remember that most people don’t fit exactly into one of the different face shapes and most of us are a combination of a few, so try out some different frames and find one that compliments your face shape. 

Consider When You Will Be Wearing Them 

This is something that people don’t always think about when they are buying glasses, but it’s so important. If you are wearing your glasses at work, for example, you should probably avoid any brightly coloured frames because it doesn’t look that professional. But if you only need them at home for reading, you can wear whatever you like. Some people need glasses for playing sports or working out, which means that they need to be very durable and secure on the face so they don’t keep falling off. It’s important that you consider how you will use the glasses when selecting your first pair. 

Understand Sizing 

You wouldn’t buy an item of clothing without knowing what size it is, so why would you buy glasses without considering the size? It’s important that you understand how the sizing works before you start trying on frames because, although the opticians can help you find the right size, they are only going on your feedback about what is comfortable. 

There are three main sizes to consider when buying glasses; the eye size, the bridge size, and the temple size. The eye size is the horizontal width of the lens and usually ranges from 40mm-62mm. It’s important that you consider the width of your face when deciding on the right eye size because your glasses will look odd if they are too wide or too narrow. 

The bridge size is the distance between the two lenses, usually between 14mm and 2mm. This is a very important size to consider because the glasses will be prone to slipping off if the bridge is too large. However, if the bridge size is too small, your glasses may be uncomfortable, especially if you are wearing them all day. 

The temple size, ranging from 120mm to 165mm, is the length of the arm pieces. It’s important that you try a few different lengths and find one that fits comfortably on your face and holds the glasses securely. 

Choosing your first pair of glasses can be tough, but as long as you have considered all of these things, you will be able to make the right decision. 

Family

Helping an Elderly Relative to Stay Independent

There comes a time in a lot of people’s lives where they need to start making arrangements to help their elderly relatives. A lot of people get older but want to remain in the home they’ve known for decades, and that means making their environment safe and suitable for their additional needs, if they have limited mobility, sight or memory problems. There are lots of ways that you can make a home suitable again, and today we’re looking at five of them. If your budget allows, it’s also worth considering hiring someone to look after them in their own home, simply Google a phrase such as looking for companion care in Tucson? with your own home town and you’ll be sure to find a lot of places offering elderly care.

Stairlift

If your elderly relative lives in a house with more than one storey, getting up and down the stairs can be really daunting. As well as the physical effort needed to climb the stairs, the risk of a fall gets worse as they get older. This is where a stairlift could really help. It allows people to travel safely between floors without the risk of falling, or needing to expend a lot of energy to make the climb.

Alarm System

A lot of elderly people worry about having a fall in their home and not being able to call for help, so personal alarm systems can give a lot of peace of mind. They allow people to call for help in an emergency and an ambulance to be sent remotely so that they aren’t left by themselves in an emergency.

Walk-in Bath

Although showers can be built on floor level so that you don’t need to step up to get into them, many elderly people prefer the security of sitting down in a bath, although getting into one can be very tricky. A walk-in bath has a sealed door which opens and closes and allows people to sit comfortably to wash, reducing the risk of slipping and falling when you’re at your most vulnerable.

Video Doorbells

Many elderly people fear opening the door to an unknown person, especially once the sun has gone down, and this can leave them very isolated, especially in the winter. There are lots of video doorbells on the market now which allow people to see who’s at the door without needing to answer it, and this could give your elderly relative the freedom to know when it’s safe to answer the door.

Remove Obstacles

This is the simplest, and cheapest way, to make surroundings safer for your elderly relative. Thousands of accidents happen every year when elderly people, especially those with limited eyesight, trip and fall because of things like rug edges, electrical cords and low items of furniture. It could be a good idea to get an expert to come in to assess the house as they’ll spot hazards that you might miss.

Health · Personal

Feel Good Contacts (review and discount code)

Last year, when I started going to the gym a lot, I quickly became aware that wearing glasses and lifting weights were not very compatible – there’s nothing quite so precarious as positioning yourself under a bar to do some heavy squats, only for your glasses to slide down your nose. You have the choice to either re-rack your bar and push them up (only for it to happen again as soon as you lift) or try to hold the bar with one hand while balanced on your shoulders and push them up. Trust me, neither are good options, and I realised that I’d need to give contact lenses another go if I wanted to carry on lifting.

For me, the best option was to have my eyes tested and have a contact lens consultation at a high street optician, and then use my prescription to buy my lenses online, which is what I’ve now been doing for over a year, however the lenses I’ve been using have been getting progressively more uncomfortable, so I knew I needed a change. As luck would have it, the guys from Feel Good Contacts got in touch as asked if I’d like to try some lenses from their range, so I jumped at the chance!

Feel Good Contacts packaging

Feel Good Contacts is the cheapest online retailer of contact lenses on the market and due to their Price Match guarantee, customers will not find their lenses cheaper anywhere else online, or on the high street. Feel Good can save customers up to 50% on their contact lenses. They also offer a ‘matching service’ which helps you to find an alternative to the lenses you already wear, giving you options. They also offer Next Day Delivery when you order before 7.15pm, which is amazing service!

The lenses that Feel Good Contacts originally wanted me to trial turned out to be unsuitable because I have an astigmatism in one eye and need a toric lens, but they were able to recommend some lenses for me (Coopervision Biofinity and Biofinity Toric) and they were absolutely spot on! I’ve been wearing them for almost a month and they’re the most comfortable lenses I’ve ever worn. Feel Good Contacts sent me a lens case and some solution with my lenses too, making it a perfect little package with everything I need. Delivery was really fast and everything was beautifully packed to fit through a letterbox so you don’t have to worry abut not being around when they’re delivered.

I have enough lenses to last me until the beginning of April, but I will 100% be using Feel Good Lenses to buy my contacts when I need to get some more as the combination of the price, the delivery and the customer service has all been amazing. If you’re thinking of making a change to your contact lens provide, I can highly recommend Feel Good Contacts and as an added bonus I have a discount code for Mum’s the Word readers to use, giving you an additional 12% off of – just enter STAYCOMFI12 at the checkout. Oh, and do come back and leave me a comment to tell me what you think of Feel Good Contacts, too!

Driving

Is Your Vision Good Enough for Driving?

One In Three Brits Risk Driving Ban With Overdue Eye Tests

I’ve been a glasses wearer since I was 11. At primary school, our classes were pretty small, so seeing the blackboard was never an issue, but once I got to senior school, the classes were bigger and suddenly I realised that my vision wasn’t good enough for me to see what was being written on the board. I went for an eye test, and lo and behold, I needed glasses, albeit with a pretty weak prescription. My lenses have got stronger pretty much every year since then, until about 2 years ago when the optician said I’d reached some sort of vision-stasis and that my eyes hadn’t worsened since my last test. However, I still get yearly tests because as a driver, I think it’s massively important. Please ensure you have your eyes tested and check out dailies total contact lenses.

Vision Express has recently conducted a survey which came up with some, quite frankly, terrifying results. Here’s a video that they’ve made all about it:

New research revealed today by Vision Express has found:

• Almost 30% of UK drivers are overdue an eye test, with 4% admitting to never having had one

• Drivers with uncorrected vision which falls short of legal thresholds face potential insurance invalidation, a heavy fine, penalty license points and even driving disqualification

• On average, Brits will be spending almost three hours in their vehicles en-route to their UK holiday destination and will be travelling with three people, including one child

• There will be increased pressure on UK roads this summer with 50% of Brits families holidaying in the UK, compared with 38% last year

• Brits are more likely to have their cars stocked with drinks and snacks, rather than they are to have had a recent eye test

As drivers, we’re all spot-on when it comes to getting our cars MOT’d to make sure they’re as safe as possible, but that safety-checking should always extend to ourselves – if your eyes aren’t giving you a reliable picture of what you’re seeing, then you’re putting yourself, your family and every other road user in danger. If you cause an accident and other people are injured including any that are in the car with you, you could find yourself facing legal action for whiplash claims and other injuries.

My ability to drive is something which is so essential to us as a family because of where we live; we’re 6 miles from Sausage’s school, 3 miles from the nearest shop and we don’t even really have passable pavements on any of the roads immediately around our house. In an emergency, Husband or I could cycle to get where we needed to go, but transporting ourselves as a family would be very tricky indeed. This means that my eye health is of paramount importance.

Do you make sure you have yearly tests? Are you as shocked as I am about the amount of people driving around with potentially poor vision?! If you are, you might want to consider using a car service to get you around for a while! Do leave me a comment below as I’d love to hear from you.