Gifts of knowledge shared Pro to Pro are wonderful gifts for this holiday season, and here our authors continue to share their expertise. From all of us in the Education group, we wish you the best for the holidays. —Mark Mattison-Shupnick, ABOM

POLARIZED LIGHT
When a bundle of light hits a flat surface, it becomes polarized, i.e., is reflected only horizontally. It becomes concentrated and is blinding to the viewer. This intense reflection is commonly referred to as blinding glare. The reflections can be uniform, like light reflected off of the road ahead of a driver or non-uniform surface, such as running water or a non-uniform patch of ice on the road. No matter the case, the desired requirement is to filter out the distracting reflected light and provide a clear viewing experience for the wearer.

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CONTACT LENSES CAN ENHANCE VISUAL SKILLS
Certainly, reaction time improves with acuity. The more quickly and clearly the athlete can see the stimulus, the faster the reaction. In addition to maximizing acuity, the correction should neutralize astigmatism of at least 0.50 diopters and reduce anisometropia to within 0.50 diopters. Contact lenses then have the advantage over spectacles because they offer more accurate image size, as well as fewer aberrations, less glare and no reflections. They also won’t slip down, fall off, fog up or become covered with dust, mud or sweat.

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COMBATTING THE PRICE QUESTION BY TELLING
EACH FRAME’S STORY
We’ve all heard it, “If I can get glasses online for $9.00, why should I spend over $500 here with you?” Do you have an answer prepared for that question? Is it factual and comprehensive? Let’s consider that not only do frames need to look great, but they also need to be comfortable and hold pre scription lenses in an exact position to correct vision as prescribed by the doctor’s specifications. Quality eyewear should be made to last and to be worn day in and day out for years. My question is if you were to wear one pair of pants day in and day out for over two years, how much would you spend on those pants? You wouldn’t want them to wear out, would you?

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PERSONAL APPEARANCE: A KEY TO CREDIBILITY
Part of personal presentation is appearance. Mirror your environment: It sounds like a uniform, but can you really show someone a $500 frame wearing a lab coat or scrubs? A large wardrobe and corresponding budget is not needed. Monochromatic colors work well in any environment. Blacks, browns, grays and beiges with color accents (scarves, tasteful jewelry and vests) work well in chains, private and upscale environments. Don’t be afraid to use color, perhaps consider dressing to the season. Try mauve, burgundy, shades of green, or even orange (not just on Halloween).

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REP TIES
As a customer service rep, positive, close relationships with reps are an absolute must. They’re your best barometer for the atmospheres and cultures of your various accounts, and you need to be able to rely on them to correctly convey what different accounts need and expect. Your phone conversations may give you some indication, but it’s the reps that actually meet the opticians face to face. An optician at a particular account may feel too shy or insecure to ask you for what they really need over the phone; others might sound experienced but could actually be new to the field and in need of support and education. Your rep should be able to give you a good indication of an account’s wants and needs so that you can meet those needs appropriately.

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RESPONSIVE WEBSITE DESIGN
Simply put, responsive design means a website will look good on any device, large or small, and regardless of orientation. In the past, Web designs followed a horizontal format configured for the computer screen. As mobile devices entered the market, screens could be viewed horizontally or vertically, and the standard Web format was no longer user friendly. Especially when you consider, according to The NPD Group, 70 percent of U.S. consumers carry a smartphone and spend three hours per day on it.

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WHEN A NON-EMERGENCY BECOMES AN EMERGENCY
We have all answered phone calls from patients who are concerned about the bump that has appeared on their eyelid. Typically in most cases, the diagnosis will be benign and easily treated. However, there are rare occasions when something simple can turn into something life changing. My advice is never to underestimate the severity of a problem. Your quick reaction may make the difference in a patient losing their eyesight or not. Two of the most common eyelid disorders are a hordeolum (internal and external) and a chalazion.

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RED GREEN CVD
There are four main sub forms of red/green CVD: protanopia, protanomaly, deuteranopia and deuteranomaly. Protanopia and protanomaly refer to the red photoreceptor and are far more rare than deuteranopia. They each compose only 1 percent of the population of males. Deuteranopia (~1.5 percent) and deuteranomaly (~5 percent) refer to the green photoreceptor and are the most common. Deutans compose 6 percent of the male population, which is the primary population of CVD. These forms account for the largest population and most common forms of CVD.

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READING, AFTER THE LENSES... IT’S ALL ABOUT LIGHTING
Lighting is also critical to effective reading. Sometimes general room lighting is sufficient for effective reading and if so, problem solved. However, sometimes more is needed. Task lighting can be very effective, as it is much closer to the task (as the name implies). Task lighting can be purchased in regular retail stores; it doesn’t have to be a specialty item. This can make a dramatic improvement, especially for viewing small or poor contrast print.

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EFFECTS OF LOW VISION
Signs of low vision interfering with normal activities can be subtle at first. People may notice that even with glasses or contact lenses, they have difficulty with tasks like recognizing familiar faces, reading, cooking, matching clothes, writing checks and watching TV. Lights may seem dimmer and glare harsher.

These could be thought of as early warning signs of eye disease. You might recognize these patients as the ones who “just can’t seem to see clearly” when you dispense their new glasses. By recommending a recheck, you may be saving a person’s remaining sight since at this point, it is important to seek the proper medical attention. The sooner treatment is initiated, the greater the chance of keeping the remaining vision intact.

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THE MYTH OF GLASS
The myths of glass lenses are many, including that they are too heavy, not available in current lens designs and not pairable with a state-of-the-art anti-glare coating. But by far the biggest myth is that glass lenses have been outlawed by the U.S. government. The truth is actually a story about how a choice of words became less of a friend.

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GETTING FEEDBACK, GIVING
It is time for annual reviews, again. What is worse, giving feedback or receiving feedback? This year, I decided, was going to be different. I used the book, Thanks for the Feedback: The Science and Art of Receiving Feedback Well by Douglas Stone and Sheila Heen. Feedback is always future oriented, and it includes much more than the annual performance review.

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BABY, I’M AMAZED BY YOU
Remember when all of your patients bought their glasses from you? You’d bring them out of the exam room and into the optical, and they’d get their new glasses and maybe a pair of shades from you. No competition. Now you are doing whatever you can to get your patients to stay at your optical shop. They’re asking for their prescriptions, their PDs and running out of your door. It’s time to change your approach. Social media is going to get you back into the game in becoming a reputable (and profitable) sunglass destination. It’s fun, effective and it’s all about connecting with existing and potential clients. After you’ve succumbed to the thought of using social media to enhance your sunglass sales, it’s time to dive in.

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LET THERE BE LIGHT! OR DARK!?
Not all tints should be polarized, but polarization adds comfort to sun lenses. Certainly fishing and other water sports benefit from polarized lenses, and most sports enthusiasts prefer polarized lenses. There are instances where the athlete needs to be able to see the undulations in the turf and terrain or the LCD instruments in their car, boat or plane so they may prefer a regular non-polarized dark lens. Examples are extreme snow skiing (where polarized lenses might reduce ice visibility) and golf.

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COMPENSATED RXs—WHEN LENSES DON’T MEASURE AS PRESCRIBED!
When any ophthalmic lens is positioned in front of the eye, the power that is delivered to the eye will vary for that specific lens depending upon how it is positioned in front of the eye. This change in observed power is dependent upon how the lens is tilted (faceform/pantoscopic tilt) and the vertex distance (distance from back of surface of the lens to the front of the eye). In other words, if a +4.00 diopter sphere lens measures exactly 4.00 diopters when examined on a focimeter (lens meter), it will only be +4.00 as seen by the eye if it is not tilted, and the vertex distance does not depart from average (10 to 12 mm).

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