January is National Eyeglass Month - a good reminder to those who wear glasses or contacts to make sure they are current with their prescription. If your overall health impacts your eye health (such as someone with diabetes), you should have an exam every two to three years. Persons over the age of 60 should go annually. Make sure you take a list of all your prescriptions when you go as well as your family history of eye health.

Many department and discount stores now have optometrists on site and will often be less expensive than stand-alone eye doctors or ophthalmologists. They often have sales on eyeglasses such as buy one, get one free, or half-price prescription sunglasses with the purchase of regular glasses. Other options to reduce costs include asking for senior, student, military, or AAA discounts; watching for Groupon, Living Social or similar deals. You should also check to see if your company has optical insurance.

If you haven’t purchased glasses recently, you’ll find that the product has changed significantly over the years. The term “glasses” is actually a misnomer now that most lenses are high-tech plastic and not glass at all. Plastic lenses do not scratch or break as easily and are much thinner. There are specialized products for people who play sports, or are involved in activities where their glasses can get scratched or broken, (such as people who work in physical jobs or young children).

Those who need bifocals can now get progressive “no line” lenses. These glasses have three areas – close, medium-range, and distance (whereas bifocals simply have close and distance). Some adults find it more difficult to adjust to progressives; others adapt in no time.

With so many products and styles to choose from in today’s marketplace, it’s easy to see why wearing glasses have gone from a boring necessity for those who absolutely need them to a trendy must-have for young and old alike.