Lee Anne is a member of VSP's Employee Communications team.

I was an optician for 12 years before joining VSP and I’ve heard many reasons for broken frames and lenses.  Here are a few of my favorites.

1. I think there’s something wrong with my glasses.

My patient stands before me, squinting through glasses that are clearly askew. I can tell right off that his glasses are missing a nose pad—no wait, make that both nose pads—and the arm that holds the nose pad, and I wonder how he was able to drive to the office.

Did you know that you can visit your VSP eye doctor to change out old nose pads for shiny new ones? Over time the natural oils in your skin can turn nose pads green. Pop in and give your frames a quick, much-needed refresh just by changing the nose pads.

2. My dog did it.

My patient hands her glasses over to me in a heap. A quick assessment and I know exactly what happened: accidental mangling. Was it the family dog scrounging for a midnight snack? A case of glasses gone wild that ended under the minivan’s rear tire? Or the infamous washing machine?

Whatever the cause, it’s clear my patient needs a little warranty refresher. Many VSP doctors carry a one-time “mangle” warranty. Remember to ask when picking up your new glasses.

3. A little duct tape does the trick.

Having just come back from vacation, a classic Do-It- Yourselfer (a.k.a. my patient) demonstrates that tape, or crazy glue, can fix just about anything. Or maybe it’s a safety pin, which would have been preferable, or a broken off toothpick just short enough to keep the temple in place but not long enough to pull it out. Sound familiar?

Remember, while on vacation you should always bring a copy of your prescription with you.  Just in case your prescription sunglasses get lost, the temples break off, or lenses fall out. And since some jobs are best left to a professional, you can contact any VSP doctor to help. Good thing they can be found all over the country.  Oh, and it might not hurt to stay away from the crazy glue!