CNN Living posted a fascinating article about “The Art of Eye Making” that details how prosthetic eyes are made of acrylic materials by only a few hundred individuals throughout the country. These individuals must spend 5 years in apprenticeship to become certified ocularists. Check out the video for more or read the full story on CNN.com.
Posts Tagged ‘vsp blog’
Ever wonder how prosthetic eyes are made?
Posted on July 22nd, 2011 by David CWhat’s hot this summer? Sunwear, that’s what!
Posted on June 16th, 2011 by fashionmavenHi all! Been keeping tabs on what types of sunwear trends are being set by the fashion magazines, on the runways and by celebs so when you’re ready to make your selection you’ll be in the know. So let’s break it down for our gals in this month post (guys, saving you for next time) in a few simple catagories:
Colors: Bubble gum pink, crystalized reds, regal purple and "never go out of fashion" black and tortoise
Shapes: Cat-eye, oversized square or round
Style: Retro, disco, and material girl (think 50's and 60's with a splash of 70's and 80's)
Details: Crystalized, fun bling, interesting or artistic metal accents
One super important thing to mention about sunwear is to invest in a pair with 100% UVA and UVB protection from the suns harmful rays. Also, to keep all kinds of glare down, especially when you’re on the water this summer boating, fishing (for compliments or for real fish), and/or lounging by the pool, try polarized lenses. You will love being able to look right at and through the water with virtually no glare! You can thank me later. For more styles, check out our eyewear gallery.
Protect your eyes from sports-related injuries
Posted on June 9th, 2011 by Alex
Alex Sigua
Hi everyone! My name is Alex Sigua, and I’m the newest blogger to the VSP Blog. I have a great passion for sports, entertainment and living an active lifestyle. I’m thrilled to share some fun ways on how these exciting topics relate to all things eyes through my upcoming blog posts.
As a basketball fanatic, I, along with millions of sports fans following the exciting 2011 NBA Finals currently taking place, turned my eyes to the eye of one basketball star in particular when Miami Heat forward Chris Bosh suffered a nasty injury after taking a sharp poke to his left eye during Sunday’s Game 2 of the best-of-seven series. Bosh’s battered eye received a tremendous amount of high-profile attention through the media worldwide, placing focus on the severity of eye injuries and their effects on an athlete’s ability to perform.
Basketball is just one example, and is also one of the sports with the highest risk for experiencing eye-related injuries. More than 600,000 sports-related eye injuries occur each year. Estimates show that 90% of these injuries can be avoided. Here are some tips on how to protect your vision and stay active in sports.
Be sure to check back with us next week as we’ll be launching the latest Webisode of VSP’s EyeFiles series – all about sports vision.
Don’t Let Your Eyes Fry Outside
Posted on May 27th, 2011 by David C
Today kicks off a three-day holiday for many people. Whether you’re heading to a beach, a backyard barbeque or a baseball game, the sun will (hopefully) be shining bright and hot above you. But while you’re out in the sun, don’t forget to protect yourself from its harmful UV rays.
People are more aware than ever of the sun’s damaging effects on skin and are therefore more inclined to wear sunscreen to protect themselves. However, people don’t always think about the sun’s damaging effects on their eyes. It’s important to know that just as the sun can burn your skin it can burn your eyes. Long-term effects include cataracts and macular degeneration.
To protect your eyes, you should wear sunglasses every time you are outside for an extended period of time. The lenses must be rated to block 99-100% of both UVA and UVB rays; tinted sunglasses without UV protection do not protect your eyes and can actually enable more damage than no glasses at all. Here’s a tip: when you buy sunglasses, look for a sticker indicating the level of UV protection and make sure it lists a specific percentage. If it doesn’t, move on! Your VSP eye doctor can also help you find both prescription and non-prescription sunglasses (with full UV protection). Oh, and don’t forget about the kids. Our research shows that 68% of adults wear sunglasses outdoors, but less than 30% of children do.
Upcoming 3D Movies
Posted on May 27th, 2011 by David C
Green Lantern: 2011 Warner Bros.
The results are in and 80% of our friends on facebook voted Avatar the best 3D movie they’ve ever seen!
The summer is fast approaching and the box office has a number of great 3D movies for everyone. Whether you prefer the animated Disney classics or lean more toward the impending-doom thrillers, the ones coming soon to a theatre near you are Kung Fu Panda 2 (Now Playing), Green Lantern (6/17), Cars 2 (6/24) and Transformers – Dark of the Moon (6/29).
If you’ve ever experienced discomfort while watching a 3D movie, you’re not alone. Although 3D won’t cause permanent injury, it can cause vision sickness in about 30% of the population. The best solution is to look away from the screen about every 20 minutes and focus on something about 20 feet away for 20 seconds. See more FAQs around 3D and vision.
New study finds one in four parents concerned about health and vision risks associated with children watching 3D content
Posted on May 25th, 2011 by Lisa P.
With the popularity of 3D showing no signs of slowing down, a recent, nationwide survey by VSP Vision Care found that some parents are misinformed about how 3D technology actually affects vision and whether or not it causes short- or long-term damage.
While only 6.5 percent of parents identified that their children experienced discomfort watching 3D content, they still cited major concerns about the negative effects consuming this content had on their children’s health and vision. Of those parents who expressed concerns, the study showed
- 70 percent believe 3D will negatively impact short-term or long-term vision
- 69 percent believe 3D will cause headaches or dizziness
- 65 percent believe 3D will cause nausea
- 64 percent believe 3D will negatively impact visual development
VSP Provider Justin Bazan O.D., said, “There is no medical evidence that 3D is harmful to a child’s visual development or that it causes short- or long-term damage. To the contrary, 3D technology can actually help detect underlying vision problems, which are often the cause of the discomfort some 3D viewers experience.”
Facebook Poll results: We asked our online friends if they got dizzy watching their last 3D movie – 68.9% said Yes and 31.3% said No.
For more information about 3D and your eyes, be sure to check out our new guide which features Dr. Nathan Bonilla-Warford, a VSP provider, answering some of the most frequently asked questions about 3D and eye health.
View the press release for complete survey results.
Would you stop smoking to save your vision?
Posted on April 25th, 2011 by Jessica H.
Jessica Hein, member of VSP's Eye Health Management Team
Here’s a snippet from an eye opening article by Deepak Chopra, MD from his Weekly Health Tip: It’s Hard to See Through the Smoke
We all know that smoking causes cancer, cardiovascular disease, and multiple respiratory illnesses. Does anyone really need another reason to quit? Okay, here’s one: To save your vision. Surprised? In addition to the well-known, systemic illnesses that kill hundreds of thousands every year, smokers have a higher risk of developing macular degeneration and cataracts. The macula is the central visual field of the eye’s retina, the layer of tissue at the back of the eye that sends visual information to the brain. Everyone’s risk of macular degeneration increases with age, but smoking increases the risk of macular degeneration two- to three-fold compared with the risk for those who have never smoked. Smoking increases blood pressure in the eye’s small vessels and depresses antioxidant levels and immune reactions—all believed to be involved in macular degeneration. Heavy smokers also have a three-fold increase in their risk of developing cataracts, clouding over of the eye’s lens. Doctors believe the toxins in smoke cause damage to the proteins in the lens cells. People with cataracts have blurry, clouded vision and eventually must have their lenses removed or replaced.
A visit to your VSP eye doctor can check for signs of these diseases and help you get the care you need. Read the full article on TheVisualMD.com.
Protect Your Eyesight- Eat Fish!
Posted on April 4th, 2011 by Jessica H.
Many of us know there are lots of benefits to eating fish including, omega 3 fatty acids, selenium, and it’s a great source of protein. Another benefit new research suggests women who consume fish regularly — and the abundance of omega-3 fatty acids found in that meal choice — have a lower risk of developing age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Specifically, women who ate one or more servings of fish every week had a 42 percent lower risk of AMD than those who consumed fish just once a month or less, the study found.
Read the full article by U.S. News.
Dwyane Wade’s sports goggles
Posted on January 28th, 2011 by MaryBeth
MaryBeth R. is a member of VSP's Marketing Team and is an avid sports fan.
When the Miami Heat met the New York Knicks last night, the Knicks’ Amare Stoudemire wasn’t the only player wearing sports goggles. Dwyane Wade of the Heat sported a new pair of dark-tinted eyewear to help protect his eyes from the arena’s lights. Wade has been suffering from light sensitivity since a migraine headache sidelined him over the weekend.
Wade’s situation isn’t unique. More than 25 million people in the U.S. suffer from migraine headaches, and many experience painful ocular symptoms.
Said VSP Provider, Roger Phelps, O.D., of OjaiEyes Optometry:
“Many patients who suffer from migraines become extremely photophobic (light sensitive). Bright lights can also trigger a headache. For these reasons, and because being exposed to lights cannot always be avoided, I commonly prescribe to these patients lightly tinted lenses for wear indoors as well as dark sunglasses for wear outdoors.”
Want to know more about how migraines can affect your vision? Visit The Center at vsp.com.
Eyewear for winter sports
Posted on January 11th, 2011 by Lisa P.
Dan McLean, Consumer Communications Specialist with Transitions Optical
Guest Blogger: Dan McLean oversees all U.S. consumer communications for Transitions Optical, Inc. He lives in Florida, is a triathlete, and spends as much time outdoors as possible.
Last year my wife and I took a trip to Park City, Utah. Born and raised in Florida, I was hoping to hop on a pair of snow skis, like a pair of water skis, and tear down the mountain. Ha! I instead spent my time mastering the bunny slope as children a quarter my size and age fearlessly ripped by. Although tearing down the hills of Deer Valley on fresh powder is different from cruising the beaches of the Gulf, there were some commonalities in the equipment needed and the environment.
For example, the sun can be a sporting buzz kill, especially during the winter. Not only do you have to protect your eyes like you protect your skin from the harmful UV rays, but your run on the slopes can come to a quick end due to a rogue mogul hidden by glare. I wore eyewear with polarized lenses for my winter adventures. Not only did the lenses block the glare off the snow, but they also blocked the UV light from damaging my eyes.
There’s a belief that on cloudy or overcast days – common for a fresh snowfall – that your eyes aren’t as susceptible to UV damage as on a sunny summer day. This is a myth. UV is present year-round and always a danger, whether it’s winter or summer. What makes winter sports even more dangerous is that 80 percent of UV light is reflected and magnified off the snow, almost doubling your UV exposure. And, like summer sports, winter sport participants are spending hours at a time outdoors exposed to UV rays.
What to look for in your winter eyewear:
Your eyewear is more than a fashion statement – it’s a critical piece of equipment for your sport and your eyes. You want something that is lightweight, comfortable and will protect your eyes from the dangers of the environment, such as kicked-up snow, wind and UV exposure. Make sure your lenses or goggles block 100 percent of UVA and UVB light. Not only are your eyes at risk to long-term UV exposure, but even in the short term your eyes can suffer from photokerititis or, sunburn of the eyes. A second consideration is polarized or color-tinted lenses to reduce glare and enhance contrast, allowing you to see better on the slopes and trails. Other considerations for your lenses include polycarbonate material to keep them from shattering, anti-scratch and anti-fog treatments and, of course, comfort and style, because if you are like me, you may not be able to ski the double black diamond, but you can at least look like you can.