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Back-to-School

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Computers and smartboards are common in today’s classrooms. As electronic devices transition between home and school, it’s clear that the use of these technologies is evolving from a trend to a necessity, even among the youngest students.

According to a study by the American Optometric Association (AOA), 41% of children have their own smartphone or tablet and 32 percent use both eBooks and textbooks at school. Additionally, 66 percent of children use a computer or tablet to do homework or study. With the consistent use of electronic devices throughout the day and evening, children of all ages can face a number of visual challenges.

Ongoing use of electronic devices won’t damage vision, but regular, lengthy use of technology at school or for homework can lead to a temporary vision condition called computer vision syndrome (CVS). Symptoms of CVS can include eye strain, headaches, fatigue, burning or tired eyes, loss of focus, blurred vision, double vision or head and neck pain. The doctors at Westside Optometry recommend that students  rest their eyes by following the 20-20-20 rule. When using electronic devices or doing near work, take a 20-second break, every 20 minutes and view something 20 feet away.

One in four children have an undiagnosed vision problem simply because they may not recognize that their eyesight isn’t optimal or is changing. Comprehensive eye exams are one of the most important investments a parent can make to help maximize their child’s education and contribute to overall health and well-being, especially since some vision problems may not have warning signs. Unfortunately, parents often assume that if a child passes a school screening, their vision is fine.

Below are some symptoms that can indicate a child has a vision problem:

  • Squints while reading or watching television
  • Turns or tilts head or covers an eye
  • Consistently performs below potential or struggles to complete homework
  • Has behavioral problems

Call Westside Optometry (707)762-8643 to schedule an eye exam for your child.

The Benefits of Protecting Young Eyes from the Sun

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Ultraviolet (UV) radiation comes from direct sunlight and reflected sunlight. The direct exposure is more intense at higher altitudes and between 9 and 3 during the summer. Reflected light accounts for 50% of UV radiation and is most intense from snow, water and sand.
Children’s eyes are particularly susceptible to damage from sun:

  • Children spend more time outdoors. In fact they receive 80% of their lifetime UV exposure before the age of 20 years.
  • More UV radiation is transmitted through the young crystalline lens to the retina. The tissues are clear and don’t block as much light.
  • Babiators

Most children don’t experience photophobia or sensitivity to light. Wearing sunglasses needs to be a habit just like riding in a car seat or wearing a bike helmet. Children don’t want to wear a helmet, but it is required, just as sunglasses should be required.  The use of good UV blocking sunglasses prevents cumulative damage  to the eyes.

How to Prevent Red Eyes in Pictures

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Why Do Eyes Look Red in Photos?
The appearance of red eyes in pictures, known as the “red-eye effect,” occurs when a camera captures light reflecting from the retina at the back of your subject’s eye when a flash is used at night and in dim lighting. Eyes look red in photos due to the rich blood supply of the choroid, a layer of connective tissue at the back of the eye that nourishes the retina and gives it its red pupilnormal red color. When a camera flash goes off, the pupils of your subject’s eyes don’t have time to constrict to reduce the amount of light entering their eyes. Therefore, a large burst of light reaches their retinas, reflects back, and is captured on film.
How Can You Prevent Red Eyes in Photos?
1. Don’t look directly at the camera. Tell your subjects to look slightly away from the lens, so their eyes won’t catch the flash at a direct angle. This will reduce the likelihood of red eyes in pictures.
2. Make the room brighter. The darker the environment, the more dilated the subject’s pupils become, which increases the likelihood of red-eye effects in photos. Making the room less dim by turning on more lights can help eliminate red eyes.
3. Turn on the anti-red-eye function. Most modern cameras have this feature. Red-eye reduction functions emit short flashes of light in quick succession before the camera actually takes the picture.
The burst of light beforehand makes the subject’s pupils constrict, and there’s not enough time between flashes for them to re-dilate, thereby reducing the red-eye effect in photos.
The more distance between the lens and the flash, the less likely you will have red eyes in pictures.
4. Move the flash and the lens further apart. This method doesn’t work for internal-flash cameras, but if you have an SLR (single lens reflex) camera, use an external flash that connects to your camera. Moving the flash further away from the camera body will prevent light reflecting from your subject’s pupils from entering the lens (it will reflect back toward the flash, not the lens), preventing the red eye problem.
5. Make sure your subjects aren’t drunk! We all know that people who have had one (or three) too many alcoholic drinks have slower reaction times. But did you know it also affects the response time of our eyes? Red eye happens more often when you’re intoxicated, because your pupils don’t close fast enough and let in too much light.

Why Do Only Some People Get Red Eye in Group Pictures?
This depends on numerous factors. The most likely reason is that the people without the red-eye effect were not looking directly at the camera or they were not in direct line with the camera’s built-in flash.

Computer Vision Syndrome

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It is hard to escape backlit screens, computers, smartphones, video computer screengames and tablets. The increased use of  technology can put a strain on our eyes and visual systems. Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS) includes headaches, eyestrain, blur at distance and/or near, dry eyes, irritated eyes, watery eyes and tired eyes.

For some computer users, CVS symptoms are temporary and go away once ceasing computer work. If the symptoms aren’t addressed, they can continue and may worsen upon further computer use.

Ways to alleviate eyestrain from computer use:

  • Adjust your environment so the room isn’t as bright
  • Lower your monitor so you are looking downward
  • Increase awareness of your blinking. Blink more frequently to keep vision clear and eyes moist.
  • Wear appropriate vision correction. A small prescription can have a large impact on your eyes with visually demanding computer work.

To learn more about relieving computer vision syndrome click here.

Sun Protection

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It is important to protect our eyes from the sun. Excessive Ultraviolet (UV) radiation can do significant damage to bodily tissues, including the eyes. Proper protection of the eyes includes a combination of reducing exposures, using caps and visors with a wide brim, in addition to ophthalmic protection (sunglasses and/or UV blocking contact lenses).

Only 6% of Americans know they need sun protection for their eyes. Fortunately, 73% of adults wear sunglasses. What about the kids? Less than 44% of children wear sunglasses. It is more important for children to wear sunglasses than adults. Here are 13 reasons why children should wear sunglasses:

  1. The lens of the child’s eye transmits about 70% more UV than the adult eye, putting their retina at a larger risk.
  2. The cells of the lens of the eye are never replaced; the proteins of the lens are never replenished. The lens cannot repair itself;  Sunglasses in the Pooldamage accumulates over a lifetime causing cataracts and other eye conditions.
  3. Kids under 10 are at a higher risk for both skin and eye damage, because their skin and eyes are more fragile.
  4. Children are outdoors much more than adults, therefore it is likely that over 1/2 of their life exposure to the sun will occur within the first 20 years of their life.
  5. Very bright sunlight – reflected off sand, snow, water  or the pavement – can cause immediate damage to the cornea.
  6. Kids look up more, which means they are constantly looking into the sun.
  7. It is up to adults to train their children about the damage sun can do. Like wearing seat-belts and bike helmets; children can be taught about sunglasses, but only if they have them.
  8. Children will not recognize the injury or damage of a sunburn on the eye like they do with a sunburn of the skin.
  9. The long-term effects of sunburned eyes are cumulative and not completely reversible. The development of  cataract, pterygium and macular degeneration begin with childhood UV exposure.
  10. Hats only protect from above, not below, where reflected UV from water, sand or concrete can do a lot of damage.
  11. With ozone depletion our children are at greater risk of UV exposure than we were growing up.
  12. The variety of sunglasses for kids make them easy and comfortable to wear. Quality sunglasses provide 100% UV protection. Westside Optometry carries Babiators sunglasses for infants and children.
  13. Sunglasses are cool.

Cataract Myths Busted

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There are many myths about cataracts, here are the facts:

  • Cataracts cause blindness. While it is true that cataracts can cause severe vision loss and even blindness if left untreated, in most cases vision can be fully restored by cataract surgery. In fact, people who have needed prescription eyeglasses most of their life often see better without glasses after cataract surgery. cataract
  • Only older people get cataracts. Though the risk for the most common type of cataract increases as we get older, cataracts can occur at any age – even among children. Cataracts developing at an early age can be caused by heredity, certain diseases, medications or eye injuries.
  • A cataract is a film that grows on the front of the eye. Actually, a cataract is the clouding of the lens inside the eye that is located behind the iris (colored part of the eye) and the pupil. The eye’s natural lens consists primarily of water and protein. When something affects the normal arrangement of protein in the lens, the lens becomes cloudy and causes blurry vision.
  • There is nothing you can do to prevent cataracts. You may not be able to prevent some types of cataracts – such as those caused by an eye injury – but you can reduce your risk of some of the more common types by choosing a healthful diet, protecting your eyes from the sun’s UV rays, exercising regularly, maintaining a healthy weight and avoiding smoking.
  • Cataracts have to be fully developed or “ripe” before they can be removed. Cataracts can be removed at any stage. The best time to remove the cloudy crystalline lens (cataract) is when the vision is compromising your quality of life. This includes the inability to drive at night due to excessive glare.
  • Cataract surgery is dangerous. Modern cataract surgery is one of the safest operations performed today. More than 95% of cataract procedures are successful and fewer than 5% of patients have complications such as inflammation, bleeding, infection and retinal detachment, according to the Prevent Blindness America. In most cases, no stitches are required and it’s safe to return to work after a day of rest.

To read more about cataract, click here.

Frame of the Month

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Starting this month Westside Optometry is featuring a “Frame of the Month.”  Malcom with quoteOur first featured frame is a blast from the past, a metal – plastic combination.

 

The Chesterfield frame comes in 2 colors (tortoise and black) and 2 sizes.

Chesterfield 849

 

 

If you like the idea and look of the material combination, but want something rounder, check out our Kate Spade designs.

 

Kate Spade Ivonne

 

Handling Contact Lenses

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The last thing to touch your contact lens before it goes into your eye is your finger.

hand-washing
I can’t stress enough the importance of proper hand-washing before handling contact lenses. Wash  your hands thoroughly with mild soap, rinse completely, and dry with a clean lint-free towel.
Recent studies reinforce the importance of clean hands:
1. Poor or no hand-washing before handling contact lenses increased lipid deposits on the lenses. This can adversely affect contact lens comfort, fit, wearing time, and visual acuity – not to mention attract microbial contamination to the contact lens surface.
2. Poor hand-washing results in increased bacterial deposits on the lens and/or eye. There may also be an inflammatory response to the bacteria, including redness and inflammation of the anterior surfaces of the eyes. Ultimately, less frequent hand-washing is a risk factor for microbial keratitis (eye infections and ulcers). Good hand hygiene, meanwhile, removes hand lotions, makeup, and other oils, which can make lenses uncomfortable or blurry.

To maximize contact lens comfort and longevity, wash your hands.