If you are in the market for some fashionable prescription eyeglasses, you don’t have to look very far. There are literally hundreds of websites out on the internet that offer many different frame styles, as well as lens shapes and colors. Many of these websites will let you take your prescription that you have received from your Optometrist and enter the data online, and within two weeks you have a brand new pair of prescription eyeglasses in your hands.

A very popular frame style that is making a comeback is the Retro Style. That is that 50’s look with the thick, black frame and clear lenses.

Rimless frames are another favorite style of prescription eyeglasses. They have a thin gold or silver wire frame and the lens is completely rimless. The lens is usually amber or gray in color.

The half rimless style is just that-the top of the frame is thin wire and it is connected to the lens. The bottom half is completely rimless.

Other favorites include Jeweled frames, wood frames, and then there are the ever so durable bendable-framed prescription eyeglasses. They are made from titanium and are extremely hard to break.

Now let’s move on to the lenses. Prescription eyeglasses can come in several different colors or tints.

* Yellow tinted lenses are beneficial in dimmer situations.

* Amber is a light brown color and is highly recommended to filter out blue light.

* Gray is the most requested. It keeps the natural colors in focus while reducing the glare substantially.

* Rose is pinkish and not recommended by optometrists. It is an option, but not very comfortable on the eyes.

Then after deciding on frame style and lens colors, a person needs to choose the lens shape. It can be a square lens, oval, circle, and There is even website that offers star and heart shaped lenses for the bold at heart.

There are estimated 168 million people who wear prescription eyeglasses in the United States. Only a very small percentage of those people could tell you what strength their lenses are or read an eyeglass prescription.

The strength of prescription eyeglasses is measured in what we call diopters. Optometrists abbreviate that with a D. The stronger the lens, the higher the diopter measures. Prescription eyeglass lenses are measured in positives or negatives. If you look through a negative lens the object that you are focusing on will look smaller. If looking through a positive lens, the object will look bigger.

There are three professions that deal with prescription eyeglasses that many people are not aware of. The first profession is called an Optician. An Optician makes the lenses, frames and contact lenses. They analyze the prescription and then dispense medications and prescription eyeglasses.

The Ophthalmologist is an eye doctor who is licensed to perform surgeries that are needed to correct vision or aid in curing eye diseases.

The Optometrist is the eye doctor who usually will give the eye exam and checks for any diseases and medical conditions. They are licensed to dispense prescription eyeglasses and medications.

There are three very common eye disorders that can be treated by wearing prescription eyeglasses.

* Mypoia, another name for nearsightedness. The symptoms are blurred vision and inability to focus on objects that are in the distance.

* Hyberopia, which means farsightedness. It is the opposite of Myopia. The symptoms are headaches, eye fatigue after reading or watching television.

* Glaucoma, which is the build up of fluid on the retina. There are no warning signs to this disease and it can cause loss of sight if left untreated.

A person should have their eyes examined by an optometrist every two years until they are the age of 60 then the examinations should be annually.

Prescription eyeglasses and/or contact lenses are worn by over 60% of the nations population today. The end of the year 2006, it is estimated that 176 million people will be in need of vision correction.

A survey conducted by the Vision Council of America showed that over 40 percent of the subjects surveyed would wear either prescription eyeglasses or fashion eyeglasses whether they needed to or not. The survey also showed that 39% of the people surveyed perceive people that wear eyeglasses to be smarter than those who do not. The biggest complaints, found in the survey, were dirty eyeglasses and scratched lenses.

Only 53% of the people surveyed that they knew what polarized lenses were on prescription eyeglasses. The function of Polarized lenses is to reduce the glare. They are especially helpful to people who have just undergone cataract surgery and are very sensitive to bright lights. They are popular among boaters, skiers, drivers and any other hobbyist that the glare cannot only be annoying, but dangerous.

The survey conducted also showed that 45% of the people surveyed over the age of 40 had to wear prescription eyeglasses. Out of those people 17% still had problems even while wearing prescription eyeglasses.

Cataracts seem to big a big problem. Statistics show that cataracts affect 20 million Americans. It also shows that cataract are more prevalent among black men. Cataracts are a clouding over the surface of the eye’s lens. The first symptom to a cataract is a little blur vision. Like looking through a smudged piece of glass. Then as time goes the smudge just keeps growing.

Other diseases that require a person to wear prescription eyeglasses are Myopia, which is nearsightedness, Hyperopia, which is farsightedness and Glaucoma. Glaucoma has no symptoms, therefore, stressing the importance of routine eye exams by a licensed optometrist.

In today’s society, not only are prescription eyeglasses a necessity, but to some people they are a fashion accessory. Top designers like Giorio Armani, Eddie Bauer, Clavin Klien and even Brittany Spears have picked up this latest fashion trend. Putting their name and usually a high price on designer frames and lenses.

A pair of prescription eyeglasses should be comfortable for your eye as well as your face. There are many different frame designs and shapes that fit your personal needs.

When shopping for a pair of prescription eyeglasses it is important to consider your occupation, activity level and personality. Different lifestyles require different frames, lenses and tints. For example; The truck driver who spends 10 hours per day driving requires different options than that of an office worker who stares at a computer all day or a teenage athlete that is active in sports all day.

The shade or tint to the prescription eyeglasses is another option to consider.

* Gray typically reduces glares but keeps the natural colors in focus. Gray is the most popular choice.

* Amber is brown in color and it also reduces glare and filters out the blue lights.

* Yellow is especially helpful in dimmer conditions.

* Rose is obviously pink in color and not highly recommended by optometrists, but does remain an option.

A well-fitted pair of prescription eyeglasses can significantly enhance one’s appearance. There are two types of face shapes to consider. Angular face shapes are more squared off as opposed to curvilinear face shapes that have a more rounded look. Finding eyewear that compliments your facial shape is to your benefit if fashion is a concern.

The bottom line is that if you are one of those unfortunate people that have an eye condition and need to wear prescription eyeglasses, then make the most of it and find the right style and fit for your specific personality.

Prescription eyeglasses are manufactured in a variety of materials. The most basic is the glass lens. The glass lens is by far the best in absorbing ultraviolet light. It comes in several different colors and is, of course, scratch resistant. It is also one of the least expensive. The downfall to the glass lens is the weight of a pair of prescription eyeglasses made of glass. They are also very breakable and have to undergo a heat-treated process to ensure durability.

Another material used to manufacture prescription eyeglasses is the High-Index plastic lens. It also absorbs ultra violet light well. This type of lens is much lighter in weight than the glass lens; however, they are also very expensive and can be scratched very easily.

Resin Plastic is another type of material used in manufacturing the prescription eyeglass lens. They are the lightest of all lenses, but do not offer the high level of protection against ultra violet light that the other lenses offer.

Some prescription eyeglasses are tinted with a wide variety of colors and shades. The purpose of the tint is to reduce the glare from certain situations: such as bright lights, computers television sets, etc. Another reason for the tinting of the lenses are to offer comfort to the eyes. Also, people order tints on their eyeglasses for the fashion.

Glass and most plastic lenses are coated with a UV protection coating. Ultra violet rays can cause severe damage to the eyes. It is very important to protect your eyes while out in the sun.

Another coating that is added to a pair of prescription eyeglasses is the scratch-resistant coating. Sometimes this coating is applied at the manufacturer and other times it can be added right there at the eye doctors office. It must be said, however, that even while this coating can aid in the durability of the lens, it does not make the lens scratch proof.