WRITER Nicole Grasso

Every day and every night, our patients are partaking in a wide range of sports activities, such as cycling, running, motocross, martial arts, basketball, cricket, paintball, and snooker.

And each of these activities has a unique range of optical needs – whether that be UV protection, creating a wind barrier, improving contrast, and/or impact resistance. Balancing these needs without compromising vision, while considering facial anatomy and sports regulations, can be challenging.

When people are giving 100% to the sports activities they enjoy, the last thing that should be on their mind is how to get the best function out of their spectacles. This is where optical experts (like us) come into play.

Everyday glasses are unlikely to meet the specific needs of individual sports, and so it’s up to us to find the most appropriate solution. But when introducing an ophthalmic lens into a sports frame, we introduce a new set of aberrations that must be addressed, based on the patient’s needs. And this can be a challenge.

To ensure our patients are able to perform at their peak, first of all we need to find out what kind of environments they’re active in: do they need glasses for peak daylight, or in dim lighting conditions? Are they inside or out? Do they need eyewear to cope with high wind / on the water / or long distances?

CONSIDER THE TINT

Different tints come with various benefits but there isn’t a specific ‘best’ tint for everyone as personal preferences and individual needs will also vary. However, there are a few things that we can keep in mind when considering colour options:

Grey or smoke-coloured lenses provide a neutral colour balance, for accurate colour perception while reducing brightness. This makes them a versatile option.

Copper or brown tints enhance contrast and depth perception, which can be beneficial in low-light conditions, or when used for an activity such as golf with dense foliage around. These tints tend to enhance the visibility of the ball against the green background. They can also help cyclists distinguish road irregularities and potholes.

Rose coloured tints can improve contrast and can be useful in low light or overcast conditions. They can also enhance visibility in shaded areas or under trees.

Orange or yellow tints are known to enhance depth perception and increase visual clarity in low-light or foggy conditions. They can be very helpful for people out at dusk or early in the morning.

ACTIVITIES ON WHEELS

Motorsports require different lenses, depending on the weather conditions and the discipline. Shamir’s driving intelligence lenses offer soft, low distortion design lenses with high acuity and excellent wide distance vision. These lenses are designed to fit a wide variety of frame tilts, from flat to high curve. Shamir Glacier Sun UV lenses are ideal for daytime while Shamir Glacier Expression lenses are designed for nighttime and low light conditions.

Skiers and snow boarders who need scripted lens inserts for snow goggles require particular attention as the position-of-wear back vertex distance will be dramatically increased. To ensure your patient’s ski goggles perform the same as their day-to-day spectacles, prescriptions of over -/+ 5.00D should have a back vertex distance compensation.

While most high impact sports necessitate lenses made from impact resistant material, this is not the case for all sports. For example, a cricketer wearing a protective helmet will benefit from a slim fitting wrapped frame with a 1.59 polycarbonate lens to fit under their helmet.

Similarly, cyclists will need a slim fit frame to fit under their helmet and as Hung Ton, an optometrist and avid cyclist observes, will mostly be looking for protection from UV and wind.

Mr Ton said there are a few challenges to overcome when prescribing cycling eyewear for patients. “Availability is quite restrictive when you want a full peripheral wrap in a scripted lens. The purpose of cycling glasses is to protect the eyes from developing a pterygium (due to UV damage) and to protect from air gusts on the cornea which can blur out the vision in fast downhill sections. A good way to counter this is to use inserts, but they are not always the tidiest solution as they can introduce back vertex issues. Also, bifocal lenses can’t be set into them.”

When prescribing cycling glasses for people with adds greater than +1.50D, “I might restrict the add to +1.75D. This is because many cyclists use onboard computers/GPS systems on the handlebar. For these patients, a bifocal design with a very low set segment could be beneficial because of how the angles work out and to reduce peripheral distortion.”

There are also limitations when it comes to matching frames to a cyclist’s facial anatomy, as Mr Ton has discovered for himself. “The last point of pain is the anglo-morphic nature of many products on the market. Caucasians have a more pointed face profile whereas Asians have a flatter face profile, made worse by nose bridges. This creates a situation where my frames rub on my cheek after a long day of riding; the vibrations from the plastic chafe the cheek and almost cause a burn.”

SELECTING A SPORTS FRAME

To maximise comfort, protection and visibility, sports frames commonly include some of the following:

• Adjustable pieces such as nose pads, temple arms, and head straps that allow for a customisable fit,

• A wraparound design to help provide a wider field of view and protect the eye from debris and wind,

• Ventilation to reduce heat buildup and prevent fogging,

• Soft padding around the edges of a nylon frame or on the nose bridge to cushion the glasses and reduce pressure points,

• Impact resistant lens materials to survive accidental collisions, and

• UV protection to guard the eyes from harmful ultraviolet rays.

Most practices have limited displays of sports and adventure eyewear, which means staff may not feel confident when recommending eyewear for specific activities. Bi-annual refreshers with staff, hosted by lens and frame suppliers, can ensure they’re equipped to advise patients on the speciality frames they need.

ONE IS NEVER ENOUGH

Spectacles rarely break at convenient times, and as Mr Ton mentions, when they do, it can cause anxiety.

“If you crash and break your spectacles, and you have a -3.00D script, how will you get home? Do you carry a set of contacts and go to a bathroom?”

Similarly, patients engaging in water sports like jet skiing may rely on polarised lenses for optimal vision. However, if their scripted, polarised eyewear falls into the water, it may be difficult for them to safely return to shore. Floating frames may be an ideal recommendation to avoid this eventuality, but so too is a hidden stash of contact lenses.

The best knowledge can come from firsthand experience. Chat to your patients about their favourite activities and any challenges they’ve faced with their sports or adventure frames – you’ll most likely learn something and you’ll be better prepared to fully equip them for their preferred activities. In the meantime, look at the frames and lenses for sport and adventure on the following pages.

Nicole Grasso is a qualified optical dispenser and a regional compliance officer and optical trainer at the Australasian College of Optical Dispensing. She also dispenses at The Optical Co and provides volunteer dispensing services internationally.