Prescription lenses not rocket science, but do take precision
"How do you put a prescription into glasses or contacts?," asks Lara Braverman, 11, a sixth-grader at West Oak Middle School in Mundelein.
Healthy eyes and good vision are important for everyone at every age. Poor vision can lead to headaches and poor performance in school. Eye diseases can result in blindness. Yearly exams with an ophthalmologist or optometrist can keep you seeing "20/20" -- the standard by which a person can see an object at a distance of 20 feet.
A prescription for eyeglasses or contacts means taking an eye exam. Dr. Lawrence Ragone of the Camden Eye Center in New Jersey said an eye exam evaluates two things -- health and vision. The Camden Eye Center is a not-for-profit agency that provides vision services to low income and uninsured people in southern New Jersey.
"First we look in the eyes and determine if there are abnormalities," Ragone said.
To test for visual acuity, how well a person can see, the doctor conducts a refraction exam called retinoscopy. Vision is measured by bouncing light off the back of the eye and evaluating the reaction. "The nature of the reflex indicates the prescription needed," Ragone said.
Next is the subjective part of the test, when the doctor relies on the patient to confirm the prescription by placing lenses of various strengths in a frame. The patient looks through the lenses to see a special chart.
If vision needs to be improved, the doctor writes a prescription for eyeglasses or contacts. The prescription lenses will bring more light into the eyes so eyesight can be as close as possible to 20/20. Experts use special instruments to create eyeglass lenses by grinding or surfacing the front and back of the lens. Contacts are molded, Ragone said, so the prescription can help the patient to see clearly.
But don't throw away your old eyeglasses -- they can be re-used. A study conducted by the National Institutes of Health indicates that more than 11 million people in the U.S. have uncorrected visual impairment.
New Eyes for the Needy, also based in New Jersey, provides free eyeglasses to people around the country who qualify. Last year, cash and eyeglass donations helped New Eyes for the Needy provide nearly 7,000 pairs of new and recycled eyeglasses to people throughout the U.S. The organization also takes donations of unwanted costume jewelry, watches and hearing aids to sell at their Fabulous Finds shop in Short Hills, N.J.
"Last year, $50,000 was collected from sales at our jewelry showroom. There was no cost involved; all items were donated and volunteers run the shop," said Pamela DePompo-Klein, New Eyes for the Needy executive director.
Check the New Eyes for the Needy Web site, www.neweyesfortheneedy.org, to find out how you can start an eyeglass collection in your town and donate to the organization.
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