Glare Defined
New lens industry guidelines help clear confusion about glare versus reflections
By Erinn Morgan

"There have been so many definitions of glare that it was confusing," says Denis Fisk, director of global education for Transitions Optical. "We worked with a number of the lens casters, including SOLA, Essilor, and Younger, and we had consultation from others within the industry as well to come up with some definitions that described what people were experiencing."

This charge was put forth to help the patient make an educated decision. "You have to put it all on the table," says Fisk. "It makes the dialogue from the practitioner to the patient that much easier. Making the discussion more interactive makes it easier to find solutions."

GLARE GLOSSARY

The collection of definitions that came about from the industry consortium include:

1. Distracting glare. Glare from lens reflections, surface lens reflections, ghost images from lights at night, and backside reflections.

Best protection: AR lenses.

	Helping the patient make an educated decision about glare management is a current market focus.  Photo courtesy: Polaroid

2. Discomforting glare. Glare from everyday bright sun.

Best protection: Photochromic lenses.

3. Disabling glare. Glare from intense ambient light.

Best protection: Fixed tint, fully activated photo-chromic or polarized lenses

4. Blinding glare. Glare reflection off water or snow.

Best protection: Polarized lenses.

How did these definitions come about? Working with lens casters and organizations like the AOA and the AR Council, the group looked at the existing definitions of glare and went from there. "There were already some scientific definitions of glare," says Fisk. "But they covered more the area of intense light or light reflected off tiny surfaces."

Eventually, the group narrowed it down to the four main categories (see chart). "By simplifying it, we can make it easier for people to talk about glare," he says. "Our industry requires patient discussion and involvement, and we need easy ways for practitioners to interact with the patient."

Many agree that the definitions of glare were long overdue--mainly so ECPs can prescribe the right products for their patients. "People have been throwing around the word 'glare' for such a long time," says David Rips, president and CEO of Younger Optics. "No one product provides the whole care."

SPREADING THE WORD

Defining glare can help build the public's knowledge--and dispensary sales. Photo courtesy: Younger Optics

To get the word out, Transitions teamed up with Younger Optics to conduct an 11-city U.S. tour for ECPs that focused on important topics related to glare protection and other eye-health issues.

The seminar included two one-hour, ABO-accredited seminars that covered visual acuity and comfort, long-term vision protection, and polarized lenses as a link to healthy vision.

"The tour is one example of how you can get the message out," Fisk observes. "There are also other areas. It will be in our educational materials. It is all part of a bigger picture."

Other groups also plan to help educate the industry on glare. The AR Council has not only agreed with the new glare definitions, but is also incorporating them into its ABO course, in addition to other forthcoming marketing tactics. "The definitions help communicate to the consumer what you are trying achieve with the features and benefits of each product," says Nick Mileti, president of the AR Council and manager for technical support at Cole Vision. "The ECP just needs to understand the definitions."

How do optical dispensers feel about glare and the new definitions? "I spend more time talking about different types of glare and different situations, like fishing and driving," says Beatriz Grau, manager and optician at the practice of Richard Forgey, OD, in Glendora, Calif. "We see better if we don't have glare."

Grau says safety is the main reason she discusses glare with her patients. "I talk about the safety issue the most," she notes. Does she want to learn more on the subject? No doubt--at presstime, she planned to take a seminar on the subject through her lab.

Classifying Glare: The types, sources, and best protection Courtesy of Transitions Optical