eyegotcha

Winterize your Eyes

Your mother has probably told you your entire childhood to put on your hat, gloves, and scarf and to bundle up for the cold. Has she warned you to protect your eyes from the cold too?
While the colder air in winter is also drier, it is not uncommon for many people to experience occasional dry eye. This eye health issue can surface in a combination of symptoms, including:
• Dryness
• Excessive watering
• Itchy eyes
• Double vision
• Irritation
• Redness
• Burning
• Overall discomfort

While occasional dry eye is uncomfortable, this eye health issue can lead to more severe vision issues if it is not taken seriously. These issues can include:
• A scratch on the surface of the eye (corneal abrasion)
• Corneal ulcers
• Inflammation
• Blurred vision
• Vision loss.

Other challenges to your eyes in winter include:
• Allergens
• Snow glare
• Freezing wind chills
• UV rays (even on cloudy days)

To protect your eyes indoors from dry eye and allergens:
• Drink plenty of water
• Decrease caffeine
• Use preservative-free eyedrops
• Eliminate the use of ceiling fans
• Point car vents away from your face
• Use a humidifier to increase moisture in the air
• Place warm compresses on your eyes to soothe them
• Blink more frequently
• Wear a sleep mask at night
• For allergens, take an over-the-counter antihistamine but increase your water intake even more.

To protect your eyes outdoors:
• Wear sunglasses to shield your eyes from the wind and UV rays
• Wear a hat with a brim
• Eye injuries happen with the wind picking up debris or car tires spinning out in the snow and sending projectiles into the air.
• If you take part in outdoor winter sports, wear snow goggles or a face shield.

Sources:
www.visionworks.com
www.vsp.com
www.visionsource.com

New Year, New You

At the start of the new year, most people will reinvent themselves by starting a diet, exercise program to get in shape, or a new sense of fashion or style.
Accessories have been part of fashion forever. If you must wear eyeglasses, why not make them part of your wardrobe? Just as you would wear earrings, a watch, or a scarf.
Eyeglasses don't have to be nerdy. They can be fun or funky, whatever fits your personality. Wearing glasses can highlight your best features. Choose frames that suit your face shape and skin tone.
Times have changed as fashion houses have gotten into designing frames for eyeglasses and sunglasses, prescription and non-prescription alike. No more boring black plastic or wireframes. You can get white, soft bright or bold colors, rimless frames, new shapes, and sizes of frames from designers like:
• Gucci
• Versace
• Prada
• Coach
• Dolce & Gabbana
• Guess
• and many more!

Eyeglasses have acquired a new definition as a cool, fashionable, and stylish accessory. Recent technology and materials have made it easy to build a complete collection of eyewear to go stylin' with.

Schedule an appointment today. Along with the health benefits of a comprehensive eye exam. We can help you see at your best and look your best for a New Year, New You!






Sources:
www.vocal.media/styled
www.ourculturemag.com
www.podium.com
www.goggles4u.com
www.purehealthyliving.com

ANSI Standards for Eyeglasses and Eyewear

ANSI is the American National Standards Institute. ANSI facilitates and coordinates the United States voluntary standards and conformity assessments system. ANSI is a private, not-for-profit organization. Formed in 1918, and originally established as the American Engineering Standard Committee. The organization is made up of volunteer experts in specific industries that come together to create a set of common guidelines and set industry standards. ANSI oversees the standards that pertain to terminology and definitions, rules about the quality and construction of goods and products, and product testing. ANSI provides guidance, not regulations or enforcement. OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) and the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) are the regulatory government bodies that have the power to write ANSI standards into law.

In the case of eyeglasses, the (SDO) Standards Developing Organization is a consortium made up of medical, instrumentation technology, and manufacturing experts. This group of experts makes recommendations for industrywide standards in safety and consistency for the consumer. ASC-Z80 recommended standards cover:
• Prescription Ophthalmic Lenses
• Non-prescription sunglasses & fashion eyewear
• Prescription Safety Glasses
• Spectacle frames
• Devices for low vision
• Intraocular lenses, Multifocal Intraocular lenses, Phakic Intraocular lenses, Accommodative Intraocular lenses, Toric Intraocular lenses & Extended Depth of Focus Intraocular lenses
• Ophthalmic Instruments-Tonometers, Focimeters, Slit-Lamp Microscopes
• Laser systems for corneal reshaping
• Contact lenses & contact lens care products
• Corneal topography & tomography systems
• Implantable Glaucoma devices
• Methods for reporting a departure from what is normal, usual, or expected
• Specifications for over-the-counter reading glasses
• Light hazards protection for Ophthalmic instruments & operation microscopes used in ocular surgery
• General-Purpose Clinical Visual Acuity Charts
• Among others and updating continually
The ANSI (ASC-Z80) committee for the Ophthalmic Optics Group consists of experts from these organizations:
• Advanced Medical Technology Association
• American Academy of Ophthalmology
• American Academy of Optometry
• American Glaucoma Society
• American Optometric Association
• American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery
• Contact Lens Institute
• Contact Lens Manufacturers Association
• Cornea Society
• Department of Veterans Affairs
• Food and Drug Administration
• Johnson & Johnson Vision
• Medical Device Manufacturers Association
• National Association of Optometrists & Opticians
• Optical Laboratory Association
• Opticians Association of America
• OSHA
• Sunglass Association of America
• The Vision Council
When you see the ANSI certification on products and services you know, ANSI is the measurement for quality and performance that helps to protect the public interest and foster commerce by influencing the design, manufacture, marketing, distribution, and safe use of products and processes worldwide. Voluntary participation shows an organization is committed to high-quality standards in an environment characterized by openness and due process. ANSI-approved standards carry tremendous benefit for example if you have a written eyeglass prescription and an optical lab makes the lenses, the lens measurements should be within a standard + or – range to be compliant. The same with instruments used for diagnosis, calibration of those instruments should be within a range for each instrument. Is the vendor making your eyewear compliant with ANSI?

Sources:
www.ANSI.org
www.opticiannow.com
www.visioncouncil.org

Partners For Quality 2022 Holiday Greeting Video!

Partners For Quality 2022 Holiday Greeting Video! Happy Holidays! Persons supported by and employed by Allegheny Children's Initiative, Citizen Care and Milestone share holiday cheer by telling the story of ...

Answers to Christmas Trivia:
1. A
2. B
3. C
4. C
5. A

Christmas Trivia – Did you know?
1. What year did Bing Crosby release the song White Christmas
a. 1942
b. 1947
c. 1970
d. 2007
2. In the 1992 film ‘Muppet Christmas Carol’ which British actor played Scrooge?
a. Roger Moore
b. Michael Caine
c. Bob Hoskins
d. Alaster Sim
3. Which famous composer created the music for the festive ballet “The Nutcracker”?
a. Beethoven
b. Brahms
c. Tchaikovsky
d. Handel
4. Which German City is the gingerbread capital of the world?
a. Berlin
b. Frankfort
c. Nuremberg
d. Stuttgart
5. The first Christmas Stamp was issued in which country?
a. Canada
b. Denmark
c. Germany
d. Poland




Answers later today!

Types of Eye Structures

There are two major types of eye structures, simple and compound.
The simple eyes are only simple in structure, the term refers to an optical arrangement composed of a single lens and without an elaborate retina. Simple eyes were thought to not be involved in the formation of images, but only as monitors of levels of light intensity. They consist of a single lens and several sensory cells that are used to detect motion.
Compound eyes are a structure characterized by a variable number of small eyes called ommatidia one lens per eye, each optical unit that makes up a compound eye. Each function is an independent photoreception unit, with an optical system consisting of a cornea, lens, and accessory structures.
The differences between compound eyes and simple eyes:
• Compound eyes are made up of clusters of ommatidia, whereas simple eyes are made up of one single eye.
• Compound eyes are found in most arthropods, annelids, and mollusks.
• Compound eyes can cover a wider angle compared to simple eyes.
• The types of simple eyes are more diversified than compound eyes.
• The polarization of sunlight could be understood via compound eyes, but not simple eyes.

The human eye is still considered to be a simple eye structure, because of the single large lens. In a compound eye, the visual acuity is dependent upon the number and size of ommatidia in the eye structure. In the human eye, visual acuity is dependent on the density of photosensitive cells in the retina. The human eye is approximately one hundred times more improved than that of an insect's compound eye structure.

Sources:
www.encyclopedia.com
www.amentsoc.org
www.differencebetween.com
www.scholarpedia.org

Holiday Hours

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FSA Use It or Lose It 2022
HRAs and FSAs are accounts used to save on taxes and pay for a qualified medical, prescription, dental, and vision expenses. Spelled out: HSA is a health savings account. FSA is a flexible spending account If you do not use this benefit, you lose it. Unless your plan has a grace period, FSA funds expire at the end of each year. Be sure to utilize these funds while you can. can. n. u can.
HRAs and FSAs are accounts used to save on taxes and pay for qualified medical, prescription, dental and vision expenses. Spelled out: HSA is health savings account. FSA is flexible spending account If you do not use this benefit, you lose it. Unless your plan has a grace period, FSA funds expire at the end of each year. Be sure to utilize these funds while you can.

The 2020 care act allowed you to roll over all unspent FSA funds from one year to the next or give you longer to spend the money. That relief ends this year. If you are allowed to roll over your FSA there will be a limit of $570
HSA versus FSA:
• Both offer tax benefits and have annual contribution limits
• You must have a high-deductible insurance plan to qualify for an HSA
• Funds from an HSA roll over year after year
• Some HSAs offer investment options
• FSAs work on a "use it or lose it" basis
Expenses covered by an FSA:
• To pay deductibles and copayments
• Prescription medications and over-the-counter meds with a prescription from a doctor
• Reimbursements for insulin
• Medical equipment such as crutches
• Diagnostic devices like blood sugar monitors
• Prescription eyeglasses, contact lenses, and necessary supplies
• Medically necessary treatments, for example, laser eye surgery, routine eye exams, and eye surgery to correct vision
• Dental procedures that treat or prevent dental disease like cleanings, root canals, and fillings

A complete FSA-eligible expenses list can be found on the IRS website, IRS publication 752, or check with your employer about your specific plan.

Schedule an appointment today for an eye exam, glasses, or contact lenses.

Sources:
www.CNBC.com
www.Aetna.com
www.wageworks.com

The Health Benefits of Celebrating the Holidays

Celebrating yourself and those around you can be fun, but did you know there are also some health benefits? It's true - both big and small celebrations can reduce stress, leading to a boost to your overall health. The social aspect of the holidays is a huge wellness plus. People who interact with others are happier and healthier than those who are less social, and those who are sociable tend to live longer. The holidays are a time to celebrate what you're grateful for. Many studies have shown that feeling grateful is linked to better sleep quality, a better mood, and more feelings of optimism.

New studies show when you get festive, your brain and body reap a cascade of health perks. The positive vibes in the air this time of year have confirmed, powerful effects on mental and physical health. Celebrating sets off a cocktail of brain chemicals that is like a natural high:
• Oxytocin-a natural hormone that can induce anti-stress-like effects which are associated with a reduction in blood pressure, increases pain thresholds, bonding, and happiness, stimulates positive social interaction and promotes growth and healing. Oxytocin is released when you're around other people.
• Noradrenaline is both a hormone and a neurotransmitter. In the brain, it increases alertness, promotes vigilance, enhances the formation and retrieval of memory, and focuses attention.
• Endorphins-Substances made in the body that can relieve pain and gives the feeling of well-being.
• Dopamine-a neurotransmitter manufactured by the body. Used by the nervous system to send messages between nerve cells.

Caroling is good for your heart, and singing is an effective stress reliever. Singing with a group takes the benefits even further. A 2013 study monitored the vital signs of singers and found that choral singing increased the amount by which a person's heart rate varied. And that's good news, since low variability in heart rate may be linked to high blood pressure.

Christmas decorating will spike dopamine, a feel-good hormone. Your Christmas tree can destress a person. Research has proven time after time that being surrounded by nature can help boost well-being. A fresh festive fir will have similar effects. Smelling and touching indoor plants can reduce physiological and psychological stress. In addition. Trees purify the air, and having a real tree in the house can help stop people from getting a cold or the flu. The Agricultural University of Norway found, in a 2000 study, sickness rates fell by up to 25 percent in offices and school settings where plants were present.

Giving (today November 29th is giving Tuesday, by the way.) There are many reasons that people donate to a cause whether it is giving of themselves or monetarily:
• Personal connection
• To make a difference
• To make the world a better place
• Spiritual or religious beliefs
• Tax breaks

There is another personal benefit to a person’s philanthropy. Generosity doesn’t just give a person that “warm and fuzzy” feeling. Giving can reduce anxiety and stress, counter depression, lowers blood pressure, better sleep, less pain, and improve moods.

Bonding over family holiday traditions boosts self-esteem, helps to maintain close relationships over generations, and instills a sense of belonging.

So find the jolly, stop being Grinchy. Negative feelings and attitudes can create chronic stress, depletes the brain chemicals required for happiness, and damages the immune system. Lean into the holiday hype your body mind and soul will thank you as well as those around you.

Sources:
www.beaumont.org
www.shape.com
www.bestlifeonline.com