If you haven’t taken advantage of our Father’s Month promotion as yet, now is the time to do so. We have shapes and brands to suit all preferences.

Frames to suit your fashion penchant comes highly recommended. Whether your aim is to minimise the effect of your glasses or you decide to make a statement, you are going to have to think about the shape that blends best with your facial features.

Thin wire frames create the impression of the glasses vanishing into your face, removing them from the visual impression, altogether. On some men it may take a strong profile to make the glasses look less striking. Modern fashions, however, have embraced the notion that glasses are an extension of your expression of style – your character. But remember, like any accessory, it’s important to keep glasses in their appropriate place.

While we are on the subject of glasses are you aware that many eye diseases can be passed down through genetics – and may go unnoticed until it is too late. By sharing your family history, your optometrist can examine your eyes for any hereditary conditions that could threaten your vision. You may not be able to control what you have inherited but you can control the treatment thereof.

Some of the common conditions include:

• being cross-eyed,
• having a ‘lazy eye’,
• near-sightedness,
• far-sightedness,
• astigmatism which is an irregular curvature of the cornea.

These vision problems can occur in healthy eyes, but they can cause you to struggle to see clearly. If you have a family history with any of these conditions, we recommend an eye examination.

The more serious conditions that can be inherited, include:

• age-related macular degeneration (AMD) that occurs when the macula, the part of the retina, responsible for clear, sharp vision, becomes damaged – two specific genes that increase the risk of this condition can be passed down through your family,
• glaucoma that occurs when the optic nerve, connecting your eye to the brain, is damaged – a family history makes you more likely to develop this disease,
• retinitis pigmentosa – a degenerative disease of the retina that is often characterised by night blindness and gradual vision loss.

AMD and glaucoma are the two leading causes of blindness in adults. Your family history could save you from vision loss and blindness.

Our previous blogs offer insight into eyes and vision – and how to take care of both. We welcome you to visit us is in The Atrium Berea, 430 Peter Mokaba Ridge, in Overport, where you will receive professional advice.