Eyellergies

Have you found yourself stopping to smell the roses but unable to see the beautiful flowers?  If so, you are not alone.  Twenty percent of Americans are currently suffering from spring eye allergies.   We can thank the lovely mild winter for our misfortune, as the lack of cold air needed to kill off last season’s pollen, dust and mold spores ceased to exist.  As a result, the warm temperatures rushed in an early spring allergy season that is not only ahead of schedule but is predicted to be the worst allergy season in ten years!

I am sure some of you are pretty excited about the arrival of spring and all the beauty and life that comes with it.  However, spring equals flowers; flowers equal pollen; and pollen equals itchy, teary, gritty, red (often puffy) eyes.  Add this discomfort on top of wearing contact lenses and life can become pretty unbearable.

 Fact:  One in ten contact wearers will stop wearing their lenses due to allergies. 

Luckily, there are many easy and simple things you can do to protect your eyes without having to stay inside.  Follow the advice of the Optometrists at Cohen’s Fashion Optical and start enjoying the sights of spring!

1.  Avoid rubbing your eyes!

When you rub your eyes, your body releases extra histamine, prolonging your reaction and increasing discomfort.

2.  Apply cold compresses to the eye to reduce swelling and itching.

3.  Check your local pollen count and stay indoors when allergen levels are high.

4.  Avoid outdoor activity in the morning when pollen counts are highest.

5.  Keep your windows closed and use air conditioners with clean filters.

6.  Use an air purifier to help remove pollens from the air.

7.  Use artificial tears/eye drops to flush out and wash away allergens.

8.  Contact lens wearers should use daily disposable contact lenses.

A clean, fresh lens every day will soothe the eye and will prevent the accumulation of allergen build-up in the lens.

9.  Wear wraparound sunglasses to help shield the eyes from allergens.

10.  Even if you do not wear glasses or contacts, see an Optometrist!

Do I Need Glasses?

Do you ever find yourself having difficulty reading a street sign; or perhaps you have trouble making out the words in the book you are reading. If you are struggling with your vision, you are making life unnecessarily difficult on yourself. If you are looking to put an end to the constant eyestrain & headaches that are associated with vision problems, you have come to the right place.

The first and most important step you can take to put your vision problems to rest is to schedule an eye exam. However, in the meantime, it can also be helpful to gain an understanding of which eye conditions may be impeding your vision:

• Do you have trouble seeing objects that are afar? This can be a sign of myopia, or more commonly referred to as nearsightedness.
• Do you find it a challenge to focus on close objects for a sustained period of time? This can be a sign of hyperopia (farsightedness).
• Do you continually squint at objects to make them clear? This can be a sign of astigmatism.

If you believe you are suffering from any of the aforementioned conditions, it is imperative you schedule an eye exam and see your optometrist as soon as possible. Once you have completed an eye exam, your optometrist will be able to determine the best possible treatment option (eyeglasses, contact lenses, eye exercises, etc.) for your particular condition.

While the prescribed treatment option should be able to improve your eyesight, there is a possibility that you are suffering from an eye disease that will not be immediately resolved. At the onset, many eye diseases will be subtle to begin and worsen as the condition develops. For this reason, it is essential that you stay up-to-date with eye exams.

Winter Weather Eye Protection

As the thermometer continues to drop, we take precaution to make sure our body is outfitted with all the necessary winter accessories and gear: wool socks, check! boots, check! gloves, check! scarf, check! hat, check! down jacket, check!

Anything missing from that list? Yup. Sunglasses!

While many of us are ensuring not an inch of bare skin is exposed to the harsh conditions winter can bring, we unfortunately tend to forget about protecting our eyes. Individuals typically don’t associate winter with a need for sunglasses, but with cold temperatures and snow there also comes hazardous conditions for your eyes.

Excessive exposure to the sun’s powerful ultraviolet rays without proper eye protection can put you at risk for a painful condition known as photokeratitis, which is akin to sunburn of the cornea and conjunctiva. The risk for photokeratitis is elevated in the winter months when fresh snow has the potential to reflect 80% of UV radiation. In comparison, a dry beach will reflect roughly 15% of UV rays.
In addition to photokeratitis, overexposure to UV rays has been found to cause cataracts and macular degeneration, two of the most common eye health issues experienced by older adults. Fortunately, these conditions can be avoided with proper eyewear and limited exposure to excessive UV rays.

Not only will sunglasses offer protection from the powerful winter sun, but also from the cold, dry air that can irritate eyes, especially for those that wear contact lenses. The bitter winter weather has the potential to dry eyes, making them itchy and irritated. While eye drops can help to alleviate dry eyes, sunglasses will help to eliminate the threat.

If you find yourself spending time outdoors this winter, make sure to put on a pair of sunglasses and keep your eyes protected!

Eye Vision Myths

We’ve all been exposed to various health theories…how do we separate the fact from the fiction?  Read below to debunk common eye myths so that you can stay on the right track when it comes to eye care.

Sitting too close to the television is bad for my vision.

Scientific evidence does not exist to support the claim that sitting too close to the television jeopardizes one’s vision.  While your eyes may become fatigued by sitting too close to the television set, they will not physically weaken.  In summary, if sitting close to the television is the most comfortable position for you, don’t worry about affecting your vision long term.  That said, if you are sitting close to the television because you cannot see at a further distance, schedule an eye exam to have your vision tested. 

Reading in the dark is bad for my vision.

Again, reading in dim light may fatigue your eyes, but it will not harm your vision.  To avoid eye fatigue, read under a good source of light.

There is no reason to have my eyes checked before I am 40. 

Myth!  Even those of us lucky enough to have 20/20 vision should go for regular eye exams.  Vision aside, doctors also check for eye related diseases such as Glaucoma during routine eye exams.  As with any disease, early detection is the key to recovery.

Wearing glasses will make my vision worse over time.

Not the case.  While you may continue to experience further vision loss as you age, the loss will not be caused by the glasses or corrective lenses prescribed to you by your eye doctor.  Having your eyes examined regularly and making sure your prescription glasses are up to date will only have a positive impact on your vision.

Eat Your Way to Better Eyesight

Did you know that eating the right foods can help restore and maintain your eyesight? It’s true! Combining regular eye exams with the right diet may be your best bet against eye disease and vision loss! See below for the foods we recommend for healthy eye vision:

Carrots:
We’ve all heard, since childhood, that carrots are essential to healthy vision, but do you know why? Carrots are rich in beta – carotene which your body converts to vitamin A. Vitamin A, which helps transfer fat to energy, is essential for maintaining healthy vision. In fact Vitamin A deficiency is the leading cause of blindness in the Third World. The vitamin helps maintain the surface lining of the eyes and integrity of skin and mucous membranes that protect us from bacteria and viruses.

Eggs:
Due to carotenes such as lutein and zeaxanthin, eggs may prevent macular degeneration which results in a loss of vision in the center of the visual field. Additionally, studies show that the sulfer in eggs protects the lens of the eye from the formation of cataracts.

Goji Berries:
Goji Berries, which play an important role in Chinese medicine for their positive affects on eyesight, are nutritionally rich, containing beta – carotene, Vitamins C, B1, B2 and other vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and amino acids. It has been inferred that Goji Berries are able to reduce the time it takes for vision to adapt to darkness and that the berry improves vision under subdued light. There’s also evidence to suggest that Goji Berries may also protect against macular degeneration and cataracts.

In closing, to best maintain your stellar eyesight, always schedule regular eye exams…but in the meantime, be sure to keep a healthy serving of eye friendly foods handy!

 

High Tech Eyewear Can Detect Emotions

Have you ever wished you had a window into someone’s thoughts and feelings while you were having a conversation with them? Well it turns out we already have a perfect fisheye for peering into the emotions of the people around us; facial expressions, some immediately noticeable and others far more subtle, can give us rich insights into how people are feeling in a given moment, if only we knew how to read them accurately.

Scientists from MIT and Cambridge have created a prototype of a pair of glasses that can track 24 “feature points” of your conversation partner’s face and feed back information to the wearer on how their compatriot is feeling. This new eyewear isn’t just useful if you’re a little obtuse about the finer points of body language. They could also be valuable tools for people on the autism spectrum who often have a difficult time gauging the emotions of others according to NewScientist. They could also help with communicating across cultural boundaries, where the computer software that the glasses use might be better able to parse unfamiliar facial expressions than the human eye.

The person wearing these special specs receives information via a small headphone and a blinking light that, together, convey the mood of the other party. The six main expressions that the glasses can detect are: thinking, agreeing, concentrating, interested, confused and disagreeing.

While it would be useful to know if you were talking someone’s ear off or thrilling them with your wit and charm there’s the issue of privacy. No matter how good an actor you are, there are some microexpressions that you can’t mask. As a result, if someone wearing the glasses starts conversing with you without your permission, they could glean information that would make your interaction more, rather than less, awkward.

But you don’t need to worry just yet about your great aunt Doris discovering what you really think of her goulash. It will likely be a while before these glasses are on the market.

How to Choose Sunglasses

Aside from the numerous fashion considerations, which we covered in our post on summer eyewear trends for 2011, when you’re looking for a pair of designer sunglasses this summer, you also want to make sure they will keep you safe. Here are a few factors to consider:

1)      Polarization – Polarized sunglasses are good for driving, skiing, fishing, any scenario where you have a lot of light bouncing off of flat surfaces like water or snow.

2)      Tint – You can get sunglasses tinted in any color that you prefer, it doesn’t have to be a dark, gloomy hue, in order to offer you protection from the sun’s ultraviolet rays.

3)      Photochromic – These lenses get lighter and darker depending on how much sunlight you’re being exposed to. The advantage of going with this option is that your everyday wear glasses can double as your sunglasses, but for those who love to accessorize, that might be more limiting than refreshing.

4)      Impact resistance – The Food and Drug Administration requires that all sunglasses be able to survive at least some minimal impact. But if you want to shield your eyes from the sun while playing sports, you’ll need special protective sunglasses with greater impact resistance.

Sunglasses help protect against cataracts and age-related macular degeneration, so it’s imperative that you consider the factors listed above and think beyond the fashion implications of your eyewear. And in case you were wondering, even with the best sunglasses, looking directly at the sun can scorch your corneas so don’t give in to your curiosity. Happy Fourth of July and happy sunglasses shopping!

Summer Contact Lens Tips

Summertime and the living is sneezy. Summer brings relief from winter winds and spring rains, but it also comes with a slew of challenges, such as allergies, for contact lens wearers.

The first problem is the sun. Many people where fashion contact lenses as a respite from wearing glasses all the time. But in the summer, UV rays can damage your eyes if you don’t wear sunglasses. As an added bonus, sunglasses can help keep dirt and debris out of your eyes, this can be especially important on a sandy beach.

If you prefer to forgo sunglasses, we advise that you look into UV blocking contacts. See if the packaging for the contacts you use says Class 1; this is the highest UV protection available, and this classification means that the lenses will screen 96 percent of UVA rays and all UVB rays from reaching your eyes.

If you end up purchasing UV blocking contact lenses, you still need to worry about protecting the rest of your body from the sun, and that’s where the next problem arises for contact lens wearers. Make sure you choose a waterproof sunscreen, otherwise as soon as you start to sweat, or the minute you decide to wash your face, your eyes will be stinging.

This next piece of advice may seem obvious, but people forget it often enough that it bears repeating. Wearing goggles whether you’re swimming in fresh, salt, or chlorinated water can help keep your contact lenses from getting displaced or irritated. Storing your goggles in the same place you keep your bathing suits and other swimgear can help prevent head smacking moments when you arrive at the beach.

Some final tips for contact lens wearers this summer include:

• Keep fans and air conditioners from blowing directly into your face, especially in the car.
• Use special eye drops to alleviate inflammation brought on by allergies.
• And don’t forget to take a break from wearing your contact lenses periodically, whether it’s for a few hours, or for a whole weekend.

Dry Eyes Syndrome

If you ever hear someone say that crying is healthy it’s about more than not bottling up your emotions. The enzymes in your tears are part of what keeps your eyes moist; they also help you fight the invasion of microbes and other beasties looking to take up residence on your peepers.

Dry eyes have many causes, and one is that the condition simply intensifies with age, particularly with women going through menopause. Climate control systems such as AC in the summer and heating in the winter can dry out your eyes as can long hours in front of the computer. What’s more, diseases such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis can aggravate dry eyes.

But perhaps the biggest problem for dry eyes sufferers is contact lenses. It’s hard to isolate cause and effect when it comes to dry eyes and contact lenses because dry eye syndrome increases the discomfort of contact lenses and rubbing your contact lenses against your eyes can cause dry eyes.

There are many products available for people suffering with dry eyes, including special cleaning solutions and more breathable lenses. There have also been small studies suggesting that homeopathic treatments such as acupuncture could help ease the discomfort that comes from having lazy lacrimal ducts.

But perhaps the most practical solution is to alternate wearing eyeglasses and contact lenses. This should give your eyes time to recuperate from the close proximity of contacts without having to give them up altogether.

Foods for Eye Health

If you list them all in one place, it sounds like a catalogue of alien species or perhaps a list of powerful prescription medicines, but chemicals such as carotenoids, zeaxanthin, and lutein are found in many common foods and have been shown in studies to improve your eye health, especially when it comes to preventing age-related conditions and degeneration.

Just as getting regular, annual eye exams increases your chances of detecting an eye or other health condition early, eating the following foods is a simple way to take preventative steps to maintain your eye health.

Whenever there’s a discussion of healthy eating, dark green vegetables tend to get top billing, and for good reason. These veggies are high in vitamin C, which may help prevent glaucoma. They also contain lots of lutein and zeaxanthin, two chemicals in the antioxidant family that can help reduce your risk of macular degeneration.

Carrots, sweet potatoes and many other bright orange fruits and vegetables tend to be good sources of beta carotene, which is a building block for vitamin A. Vitamin A in turn helps prevent night blindness and keeps your corneas healthy.

Another great food group for helping you maintain your eye health is foods that are high in omega 3 (see it sounds like a distant, uncharted planet) fatty acids. Salmon, flax seeds, and avocado are some sources of this special type of beneficial fat, which, among other things, is thought to reduce the risk of dry eye syndrome.

Here are a few more foods for eye health you should know about: broccoli, citrus fruits, peaches, mangoes, curry, dill, parsley, garlic, sunflower seeds, chickpeas, walnuts, wheat germ, and almonds. The list could go on and on, but you don’t need to eat every single food on that list. As long as you maintain a healthy balance, it will increase your odds of having healthier vision for a long time to come.