Posts Tagged ‘dilate’

#BlogHer10 asks, @VSPVisionCare answers

BlogHerIn honor of #BlogHer10, we asked this year’s attendees on twitter to send us their eyecare questions. We received lots of great questions and wanted to share just a few of them along with the answers. Be sure to follow @VSPVisionCare for more tips and useful information related to eyecare and eyewear.

@CleverGayleWhen should children have their first vision test?

– Eyecare experts say children should have their first eye exam when they’re only 6 months old. They should have another one between 2 and 3 years, just before kindergarten, and then annually after that. More on children and eyecare.

@msmorevI’d like to know the best way to protect my eyes from the computer screen.

– American workers spend 6 hours a day using a computer or digital device so it’s important to take frequent breaks. The next time you’re sitting in front of your computer, remember the 20-20-20 rule: after 20 minutes of computer use, look at something 20 feet away, for 20 seconds. Check out some more tips on how to keep your eyes safe in a digital world.

@toonces1989 - is it really essential to have your eyes dilated if you’re not having any problems?

– Yes, eyecare experts recommend getting your eyes dilated every year. Dilation allows your eye doctor to make sure your eyes are healthy. During a dilated eye exam, your eye doctor can see the blood vessels in your eyes, which can show signs of chronic conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure. With age, the pupil becomes smaller, making dilation even more essential. More on the importance of dilation.

Thanks everyone for sending us these great questions. We’ll continue to answer the other questions that were submitted through our Twitter account – @vspvisioncare. So, be sure to follow us and keep the questions coming. We want to know what you’re thinking about when it comes to your eyes!

Mona Lisa had high cholesterol?

Mona_LisaVito Franco, Professor of Pathological Anatomy at the University of Palermo, thinks so. In fact, he released a statement last week saying the painting of Mona Lisa shows signs of cholesterol around her left eye.

This got me thinking about another connection between eyes and high cholesterol. An eye doctor can actually see signs of high cholesterol during an eye exam. Cholesterol flows through your blood stream and can cause a yellowish build-up in your blood vessels. When an eye doctor dilates your eyes, your pupils become bigger allowing your doctor to have a closer look inside your eyes. Your blood vessels can tell a lot about your overall health. In addition to signs of high cholesterol, doctors can also see signs of diabetes, high blood pressure and more.

It amazes me to realize an eye doctor not only tests to make sure I’m seeing clearly, but also checks my eyes to make sure they’re healthy. An eye exam allows me to take a proactive step in my overall healthcare routine. With today’s technology, it’s important to take advantage of opportunities for preventive care instead of just waiting for the day when treatment is required.

Da Vinci began painting the Mona Lisa in 1503. Eyecare certainly has come a long way since then, and I’m so appreciative of the preventive aspects of this exam. If you’d like to see what vision care was like back when Mona Lisa was alive, check out this interactive timeline of vision history.

Related Links:
TIME article – Did Mona Lisa Suffer from High Cholesterol?
Eyecare Discovery Center article – Eye Exam: New Lease on Life

Picture of Mona Lisa via Wikipedia.

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A Rookie MRT’s Perspective

Will B. works in VSP’s Customer Service department, part of our fabulous team that achieved the prestigious Service Quality Measurement, Inc. (SQM) Award of “World Class Customer Satisfaction” for the seventh year in a row! He shares his experience as a first time Mobile Response Team (MRT) member with the VSP Mobile Eyes® program.WillB

I was fortunate enough to be selected to go on the last Mobile Eyes trip for 2009 and am quickly experiencing first hand, the work is truly some of the most rewarding work I have done with VSP.

We are half way done with our trip to Central California, and so far everything is running smoothly.  Before the trip, I had a general idea of what to expect.  I was impressed that we have most everything onboard that you would find in a VSP doctor’s office.  We can read the prescription off the patient’s current glasses, we can test for Glaucoma and even do an auto-refraction for the doctor.  The VSP doctors who come on board and provide the exams have everything they need to complete a comprehensive exam.  They even dilate patient’s eyes if they need to get a closer look.

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