Crizal Prevencia Lenses

Sponsored Review

Really got to count my blessings! Recently I was complaining to my wife that my last pair of specs has been done years ago and since then, I have not had a proper eye check.
Viola! Got an email for a free eye check, and a free pair of frames with Crizal Prevencia Lenses by Essilor.

Essilor launches Crizal Prevencia Lenses with breakthrough light scan technology. The Crizal Prevencia lenses are the first preventive spectacle lenses in the world to offer selective protection against harmful blue light and UV rays that can lead to Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) and cataracts.

Not sure whether is it the age or just me, but as I approach my 40, it’s like a magic number that friends around that same age are mostly switching back to wearing specs. Probably we are no longer that active in sports or maybe it’s more convenient to wear specs now. No matter what, specs has been a huge part of my life since P1. I’m just happy to be given the chance to try out something new and of course something trendy. So bear with me for the super wordy post.

What is Blue Lights? How to differentiate good and bad Blue Lights?

Emitted by the sun, as well as by artificial light sources, such as LEDS, blue light is part of visible light and is close to UV on the light spectrum. It has a number of positive effects, such as helping us to perceive colors and forms. In addition, a certain part of blue light, known as Blue-Turquoise light, is a natural form of light therapy which acts as a “natural regulator” for our bodies, helping in balancing our sleep cycle and keeping us energized and alert.

See that slight blue/purple reflection on the lenses? That’s what I am talking about.

However, recent research by Essilor and the Paris Vision Institute, one of Europe’s largest eye health research centres, confirms that a specific band of blue light is harmful to our eyes. After two years of intense and comprehensive research, the joint team developed a completely new protocol in this scientific domain – an in vitro test on retinal cells to determine the harmfulness of different light rays. This enabled them to identify Blue-Violet light as the portion of the visible light spectrum that presents the biggest risk of causing gradual degeneration of retinal cells, potentially leading to serious eye conditions.

The Hidden Dangers in Current Digital Age

LED-based equipment such as the environmentally safer LED lights and LED screens of smartphones, tablets and laptops, have been shown to emit larger proportion of blue light as compared to the old incandescent lamps and fluorescent tubes.

Did a test on wearing the new lenses in a bright sunny day, looking at my tablet for a long period of time, there was a significant drop in eye-fatigue.

As we embrace the digital lifestyles, our exposure to Blue-Violet light also increase correspondingly. Over long hours, it can lead to eyestrain and fatigue. Coupled with other lifestyle factors such as smoking, hypertension, history of cardiovascular disease and obesity, overexposure to Blue-Violet light may increase the likelihood of Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD), which is the leading cause of blindness in industrialized countries, and there is no current cure for it.
AMD symptoms include fuzzy or blurry vision, a dark area in the center of vision, straight lines appeared curved or wavy, a dimming of vision when reading, and etc.

Importance of Eye Protection, Especially for Children & People Above 45 Years Old

The battle against irreversible eye conditions such as AMD and cataracts affects everyone. These conditions affect more than 350 million people around the world, a figure that may double in the next 30 years as the worldwide population ages. However, more attention should be directed to children, and adults above 45 years old, as they are particularly vulnerable to the dangers of light.

Children’s developing eyes are very transparent and allow all visible lights and some UV rays to pass through to their retinas. As children are exposed to digital devices at a younger age, their exposure to the harmful Blue-Violet light are also increased correspondingly. Moreover, as they spend their days outdoors, they can also accumulate high exposure of UV rays over time.

While for adults above 45 years’ old, their eyes’ natural defence system is weakened over time and is more susceptible to the harmful effect of Blue-Violet light and UV rays.

Crizal Prevencia Lens is a new category of preventive lenses which filters light selectively:
1. by letting beneficial Blue-Turquoise light to pass through
2. by filtering out harmful Blue-Violet rays that can contribute AMD
3. by filtering out UV that are a major cause of cataracts, from the front and back side of lens, at an Eye-Sun Protection Factor (E-SPF) of 25
4. while maintaining the transparency of the lens, ensuring an optimal visual experience for prescription glasses wearers

Totally cool to bring it out one day and took some nice photos of the specs and lenses in water and under the hot sun.

 

 

 

Just thinking of changing a new pair of glasses? Think no further, give the new Crizal Prevencia Lenses a try.