Archive for October, 2006

Posted on Oct 21st, 2006

Of late, there has been a considerable boom in outdoor sports and activities such as golfing, mountain climbing, skiing.

Therefore, the demand and need for specialized eyewear has also increased.

Sports sunglasses for all types of sporting activities

These specialized glasses that provide not just protection but also enhancement of vision are known as sports sunglasses.

The reason why they are very much in demand is because they meet the most complicated requirements of players of different sports.

Mind you, never confuse fashion or daily wear sunglasses with these high-performance glasses.

They are specially built with ultra-light, high-resistant materials; not just the frames but also the lenses.

Polycarbonate or polarized lenses are used, as they are the most impact-resistant and scratchproof lenses in the market.

The most valuable aspect of sports sun glasses is that they are of a greater optical quality.

Also, visual enhancement is another useful feature of such lenses.

For certain sports, some colors are required to be more sharply observed than the others.

Like in tennis, if the lenses can enhance the color yellow, it helps the player see the ball more clearly, as the tennis ball is usually yellow in color.

That said, it doesn’t mean that these lenses blur the other colors, they just simply intensify and amplify the one color they are tinted for.

Amber-colored or brown-colored shades are suitable for skiing, as these tints enhance the shadows of ridges and bumps on the snow surface.

This helps the skier to better navigate his way through.

For those people who are avid players of many sports, eyewear companies have come up with frames with interchangeable lenses, which suit different conditions and sports.

Also available are multi-purpose sports sunglasses that can be worn during a variety of sports and activities.

A lot of injuries and accidents can be prevented with the help of correct eyewear, especially when you are outdoors, engaged in sports or other activities.

Sports sunglasses ensure that your eyes are well-protected and suitably enhanced to help you see better and play better.

Lim Zheng Yang has dedicated countless hours researching on eye care related issues He also specializes in information about eyewear. For more information such as sunglasses, kindly visit his site.

Posted on Oct 20th, 2006

The Negative Calorie Diet is an eating plan that consists of foods which have a negative calorie affect on the body once it has been processed. The body needs energy to process foods and as such certain foods need more energy to digest than others. However the Negative Calorie Diet is more than just a simple collation of negative calorie foods.

Using the Negative Calorie Diet you can just keep eating as much as you want. An example of this is an apple that contains 65 calories may require 100 calories to digest, resulting in a net loss of 35 calories from your storage of your body fat.

Now combine this into a meal with several other negative calorie foods and you can just imagine what the effect of eating would be.

It is common knowledge that eating food speeds up your metabolism, however not many people know that eating certain foods can accelerate the fat burning process.

Often diets insist that you should reduce your daily calorie intake. This is true, however if you reduce your calorie intake drastically, it will have dire consequences on your bodies metabolism. Your body will think it’s in starvation mode and as a result will try to hold onto its fat stores.

However, if instead you chose foods that allow the body to think it is getting sufficient calories, your metabolism will remain high and continue to burn fat.

Many diets are extremely expensive and to someone on a budget this can be difficult. However, the food listed on the Negative Calorie Diet is easily and cheaply sourced from your local supermarket.

Because the Negative Calorie Diet consists of eating real foods there is no need to buy expensive diet shakes or diet pills as everything you need is found in food.

It’s true you can lose fat by the truckload if you select the right foods to eat. Find out which foods are the best for weight loss.

http://theclever.info/negacal/index.htm

Posted on Oct 19th, 2006

Aviator sunglasses goes back to the times when pilots and military officers need to cover their eyes from the daily missions they have to attend during World War II.

In 1942, these are used by pilots during their daily missions and fights with the enemies. Until now, they are still the choice for many military personnel and the civilians.

Ray Ban is the company that introduced aviator shades to the world in 1937. The trendy design is made popular by movies such as the Miami Vice and Top Gun. Since then, aviator sun glasses have become very popular and to date, it is the most imitated sunglass collection in the world.

This type of shades are polarized to protect the eyes from harmful rays and lights. The lenses, especially dark ones, are reflective. The lenses are also not straight, slightly bulging in order to cover the entire eyes from dangerous rays and harmful lights.

Although specifically designed for flying and military usage, aviator sunglasses are seen as highly fashionable by the public. This is the reason why they have become immensely popular and can be seen on the faces of many people on the streets.

There are many choices for such sunglasses in the market. Polarized ones are extremely suited for eye care protection and offered in both polycarbonate and glass lenses. In order to add more protection, you can choose tinted lenses for the cooling effect on a hot day.

The wrap design of the frames makes them comfortable to wear. You might not notice this but the reason for the wrap style is to elevate the anti-glare protection to its maximum. The material used to make the frames is highly durable, and extremely lightweight.

For the rugged outdoor individual, these scratch resistant lenses are ideal for all types of sports and activities too.

Many companies such as Bolle, Oakley and Gargoyles manufacture aviator sunglasses, each brand with its own unique features.

For example, Bolle incorporates adjustable nose pads for your comfort while Oakley is known for their unique XYZ Optics that ensures best visual clarity to its wearer.

The various brands are easily available via online stores. This gives you the chance to look through each collection for the feature that you want and the best price each store offers. Most online stores offer up to 70 percent less as compared to retail stores.

Lim Zheng Yang is an avid user of contact lenses and eyeglasses and has done intensive research on eye care. For more information such as designer sunglasses, please visit his site.

Posted on Oct 18th, 2006

You are bound to have faced some contact lens problems one way or another., even if you are new to contact lenses, or have been wearing it for years,

Although supposedly for convenience, using contacts does come with its fair share of inconveniences.

Getting started

Most contact lens problems start with not choosing a pair that suits your eyes in the first place.

An ill-fitting pair of lenses can cause irritation, discomfort, keep sliding around your cornea, or simply drop off.

Most people probably don’t have a problem with the standard lens shape, especially if they purchase over-the-counter boxes of contacts.

But there are some people who need to let the optician check out the shape of their cornea, and have a custom-made pair that fits just for themselves.

And by that I mean getting a pair that fits the shape of your cornea, and big or small enough to stay put in your eyes so that it doesn’t fall off.

Wear it no longer than recommended

Of course, we know that there are different lenses that are used for different lengths of time.

Over-extended wear results in lack of oxygen for your eyes, and can even cause the outermost surface of protective layer on your eyeball to become detached.

These contact lens problems cause your eyes to be prone to germs and bacteria, and even cause pain under normal lighting.

It is important that we put them on no longer than it is supposed to stay put each time we use it.

So, dailies are meant to be thrown away daily, monthlies-monthly, yearlies-yearly etc.

Keep it clean

Naturally, an ill-maintained pair of lenses accumulates germs and bacteria, and causes our eyes to be prone to infections.

We almost don’t have to care about cleaning daily contact lenses, but for the monthly and permanent ones (these last typically a year or slightly more), it is very important we have a daily regime to clean them properly and store them appropriately after each use (with a suitable cleaner and solution).

The right solution matters

Speaking of which, even the type of cleaner and solution must be chosen carefully. Some people do have adverse reactions to certain brands of solutions.

Most opticians will do an eye test for you to see whether the your eyes are allergic to the solution you bought. Be sure to ask for a test if he/she doesn’t do one for you!

If the solution is not right, or if you don’t clean your lenses diligently, again, complications might occur, and your eyes can easily be infected.

Don’t take this lightly, because negligence can lead to all kinds of eye problems, and in the worst case, even blindness!

Check for scratches

Now, sometimes, due to carelessness, or even no fault of your own, there may be scratches on your contacts. And you can’t tell contact lens problems like these until you look at it carefully under the light, or let your optician look at it for you.

A scratched lens can in turn harm your eyes because the rough surface tears away at your cornea. This usually results in redness and excessive tearing.

Needless to say, get a new pair!

It’s how you put it on too

Last but not least, probably the most overlooked of contact lens problems is putting on lenses the wrong way around. By this I mean that your lenses are inside out when you put them on.

So always check the your lenses are curved upwards like a dish or shallow bowl, and not where the edge of the lens curl out and downwards.

At the end of the day, using contact lenses can be very convenient, giving you almost perfect eyesight without eyeglasses.

Always remember to start with the right brand and shape that fits your eyes, have it on no longer than the recommended period of time each time you use it, and clean it properly.

A well maintained pair of lenses can last as long as it is supposed to, while letting you have comfort when you use it.

Lim Zheng Yang has dedicated countless hours researching on eye care related issues, including, but not limited to, eye problems, eye surgery, eye doctor, eyewear etc. For more information about contact lens problems, kindly visit his site.

Posted on Oct 17th, 2006

New research suggests that in the future contact lenses might be able to help diabetics monitor their blood sugar levels. They would work by changing their appearance in line with the wearers changing blood sugar levels.

Currently, diabetics have to draw and test blood to track the changes in their blood sugar levels. This is painful and inconvenient. Monitoring blood sugar levels via the changing appearance of contact lenses would be a much less painful alternative. It is also a logical next step as diabetes often affects sufferers’ vision meaning that they have to wear glasses or contact lenses.

These contact lenses work by sensing changing levels of glucose in the wearers’ blood. They contain boronic acid which react to glucose in the wearers’ tear ducts producing fluorescence. By shining a blue light into their eye, the wearer can gauge the intensity of the glow which indicates their blood sugar levels.

Another option being tested, and which would work in a similar way, is a colour changing contact lens. This would change from green to yellow to orange to red. As a result the wearer would be able to get a more accurate reading of their blood sugar level. Although the level of glucose in tears takes around half an hour to match the body’s sugar levels, the researchers did not think that this would pose a problem. This is because the majority of diabetics have hour long gaps (or more) in between their blood tests. Therefore, the contact lens approach would be more timely.

Although there are already other glucose monitoring system that do not rely on skin pricking, this method offers a significant advantage over current models.

The existing model is worn as a bracelet and applies a small electrical current to the skin. This draws the fluid that sits between the cells through the skin so that it can be tested for glucose. The disadvantage of this method compared to the glucose testing contact lenses is that its manufacturers still recommend that users carry out occasional blood tests.

20-20 Optical Store sells contact lenses from all the main manufacturers, including daily disposable lenses at unbeatable prices- guaranteed!

Posted on Oct 16th, 2006

Do you wear goggles in common activities such as swimming or while you are on a motorcyle?

Your eyes are one of the most important and sensitive senses in your body. It is therefore obvious that you would want to take good care of them.

Salty water, dirt, metal and other foreign substances can cause quite a few problems for your eyes. That’s why such protective eyewear was created to protect them from such assaults and more.

To start with, these protective eye-gear enclose the eye area, covering them from all sides to prevent any particles entering that zone.

For different kinds of activity, different types are required, such as swimming, night vision etc. They are made of impact-resistant, high quality polycarbonate lenses.

Also most of them block harmful UV rays and eliminate glare, and some are tinted to adapt to the user’s environment and activity.

The lenses curve to fit over your eye and therefore chances of distortion are high.

So to avoid having warped vision aids, ensure you buy your pair from a reputable company like Dragon or personally check and try them on before you buy them.

The lenses of most cold-weather versions are made of dual layered lenses. This is to protect against condensation forming over the lenses, making sure your vision remains clear and unfogged.

A few examples where they are very essential would include:

• Motorcycling: When on a bike it is important to shield your eyes from the rush of dirt, smoke, insects etc. goggles form a barrier and therefore keep your eyes safe. This is also the case when engaging in any other open-air activities.

• Swimming: In water, chlorine and salt irritate the eye and cause blurring of vision and/or tearing in the eye, affecting your ability to see. Watertight goggles are a must for swimming under-water as it allows the wearer to see clearly without hindrances.

• Sport activities: Sports like racquetball, basketball, skiing etc., require you to protect your eyes as the violence of the balls moving can hit the eye and damage it. Snow activities might result in ice particles flying into your eyes, which can be prevented by shading your eye with the help of goggles created for this purpose.

• Laboratory work, drilling etc: In such cases the flying bits of metal or wood or the splashing of chemicals can inadvertently create trouble for your eyes and affect vision. Goggles that protect your eyes from the sides as well are suited for this purpose. All said and done, they are the only things between your eyes and the world of foreign matter than can inversely affect your vision.

To ensure safety for your eyes, make sure you have a pair of goggles handy for when you might need to use them.

Lim Zheng Yang has dedicated countless hours researching on eye care related issues He also specializes in information about eyewear. For more information designer shades, kindly visit his site.

Posted on Oct 15th, 2006

Like macular degeneration, glaucoma is usually age related.

Makes you think twice about wanting to grow old, doesn’t it? ;)

Nicknamed "Sneak Thief of Sight", this eye disease is a result of excessive pressure build-up in the eye that slowly destroys the retina cells and optic nerve fibers. If it’s not treated, sad to say, it can lead to complete and non-reversible blindness.

No, I don’t like the sound of that either! Still, it’s good to be knowledgeable about the main types…they are:

1. Chronic (primary open-angle): Being the most common, this form gradually destroys vision without any signs or symptoms. There’s also low tension, normal tension and pigmentary forms in this category.

2. Acute (angle-closure): This happens when there is a sharp rise in intraocular pressure, and can cause pain and blurred vision. In a short time, it can lead to blindness that cannot be reversed.

3. Primary congenital (buphthalmos): This one affects infants, but is rare and genetic. Their eyes tend to be enlarged and also seem clouded, and tend to water excessively.

4. Secondary: This may happen due to other eye disease, eye surgery or injury that lead to complications.

Glaucoma Symptoms

This eye disease does not have any distinct symptoms, except for the visual loss of vision, which starts out at the side, or affects the peripheral vision first. The affected person usually does not notice because the loss of vision is subtle.

While blindness due to this cannot be reversed, it can still be prevented if treated early.

Risk Factors

Anybody can be at risk, although certain factors may increase the chances of contracting this eye problem. A family history of this disease, diabetic people, those with migraine, myopia, eye injuries, hypertension, as well as those who used to or still consume steroids all lead to higher susceptibility.

Glaucoma Treatment

Although a cure for this is not available, it still can be contained with early detection and treatment. These include:

Usage of Eye Drops - This form of treatment is the most frequently prescribed, and the patient must do this diligently. In some cases, the eye doctor may also prescribe certain pills. All this is dependent on each patients situation.

Laser trabeculoplasty - This laser eye surgery is performed when vision loss continues despite the use of eye drops. This can be considered outpatient treatment, and the continued use of eye drops after surgery is recommended.

Trabeculectomy - When the above remedies prove futile, then this conventional eye surgery is performed to control pressure in the eye and create a new path for excessive fluid in the eyes to exit. My best advice would be to see your opthamologist or eye doctor regularly for checkups, especially when you’re above the age of 35.

He/she can help you detect any eye problems early, and help treat it. As they say, prevention is definitely better than cure! ;)

Lim Zheng Yang has dedicated countless hours researching on eye care related issues. He also specializes in information about eye surgery. For more information about eye conditions, kindly visit his site.

Posted on Oct 14th, 2006

Many people have very sensitive eyes and obviously the human species has not fully adapted to handle high-definition Television or computer screens. Worse off most people work way too close to their computer screens and are causing damage to their eyes. And as their eyes worsen they end up getting even closer in order to see the screen, again increasing the damage. What can be done about this problem many ask?

Well you can start by paying attention to how close you are to the computer screen and making sure you are working in adequate lighting. If not you could be exacerbating the problem. For those who are already working very close to the computer screens, they need to realize that this can damage the eyes, as there is an energy field, which comes out from the modern day computer screens.

Any chance on suing for this problem if your eyes are damaged? Probably not as the companies, which make the screens are not US based and are contract companies making components for the larger companies or name brands who sell the computers.

The fact is it is your responsibility as a computer user to be careful with your eyes and to make sure you are using the equipment properly. Remember you only have one pair of eyes and if you ruin them or damage them really badly now, there may not be a way to repair them anytime soon with modern technologies.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance in the Online Think Tank and solve the problems of the World; www.WorldThinkTank.net/

Posted on Oct 13th, 2006

More and more people are turning to LASIK surgery to free them from the need for glasses or contact lenses, and the satisfaction level with the procedure is very high. But is it right for you?

There are two main types of LASIK surgery: Standard LASIK and Custom LASIK. For both, the initial preparation and the post-operative procedures are very similar. The main difference involves the customization of the laser.

Before surgery, the eye surgeon conducts an initial consultation in order to ensure the patient doesn’t have any eye problems or diseases that would interfere with LASIK surgery or reduce its effectiveness. Once the eye surgeon is happy the patient is suitable, the date for surgery is booked.

When the patient arrived for surgery, it’s common for the eye surgeon to conduct another corneal topography, just to make sure that everything is still the same, and so no changes are required to the procedure. Eye drops will then be administered. There are three types used - one to anaesthetize the eye, one to protect the eye from post-operative inflammation, and the last to reduce the chance of an eye infection.

The patient is then placed in a reclining position underneath the laser. The first step is to stabilize the eye, to avoid the possibility of movement during the surgery. A restrainer is used to stop the eye from blinking, and suction is administered. Either the laser or a microkeratome tool is used to make one slice across the top of the cornea. A flap results, and is pulled away with tiny tweezers.

Now the laser emits a pre-determined series of laser pulses, which removes the excess tissue. This literally only takes seconds. The flap is put back into position, and saline solution used to clear the eye of any debris. A cover is placed over the eye, and the surgery is over unless the other is being operated on at the same time.

The main difference between standard and custom LASIK is the way the laser determines how much eye tissue to remove. In standard LASIK, the decision is based purely on the patient’s prescription. When custom LASIK is used, a three-dimensional image of the eye is created by the eye surgeon. These results are entered into the laser’s computer, and the resulting laser treatment is truly customized to the patient’s eye.

LASIK is a type of surgery, and like all surgeries, there is a level of risk involved. It’s possible that either too little or too much eye tissue will be removed, resulting in less than perfect vision. Under-treatment can be corrected by undergoing another procedure to remove more tissue, but if too much tissue has been taken the patient will still continue to need corrective lenses. Some patients suffer loss of vision, or find their vision is compromised, particularly at night. The patient may develop dry eye syndrome. Also, surgically corrected vision may deteriorate over time. Most risks are minimal as long as you use an experienced ophthalmologist.

If you plan to have LASIK surgery, ask around your friends and family for recommendations. It may be best to interview a couple of surgeons, until you feel comfortable with one. Your initial consultation is the one chance you get to ask all your questions, so write out a list and take it with you. Write down the surgeon’s answers. Make sure you understand exactly what service the eye surgeon will provide before, during and after the surgery, and any extra costs that you may incur. This information will make it easier for you to choose which eye surgeon you wish to use.

Remember, too, that when it comes to your vision, this may not be an area to try and cut costs. If the cheapest practitioner gives you a substandard result, then you’ve wasted your money. Do your research, and you should be very happy you decided to have LASIK surgery.

Timothy Gorman is a successful Webmaster and publisher of Vision-Doctor.com He provides more eye surgery solutions, contact lens information and LASIK Vision Correction Surgery information that you can research in your pajamas on his website.

Posted on Oct 12th, 2006

Are you considering LASIK eye surgery already? This refractive laser therapy might just be your answer to 20/20 vision.

To me, I’m always thankful that there is such a procedure to allow us to see things clearly again. Can you imagine having no choice but to stick to eyeglasses or contact lenses for the rest of your life?

I’m currently short-sighted, or myopic, and I have a little astigmatism as well. That’s why I’m also getting myself ready for this eye surgery.

I can’t wait for the day when I can see without eyeglasses or contact lenses again. Can you? ;)

I’ve done up this article after thorough research, to provide you with more information about LASIK eye surgery, all in one site.

I think it’s a good idea to understand briefly how this procedure works in the first place.

Thereafter, know what kind of risks are involved, and also what to expect from it.

Of course, even before you decide anything, you need to find out whether you are a suitable candidate.

When you are sure, you can visit an ophthalmologist or surgeon to discuss thoroughly. Make sure you know how to choose the right one.

I hope you find this information useful to you, as it had been for me. We can all look forward to better vision.

Lim Zheng Yang has dedicated countless hours researching on eye problems related issues. He also specializes in information about eye surgery. For more information on eyesight, kindly visit his site.

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