Common Contact Lens Myths Busted!

Do you have trepidations or concerns about contact lenses??
Check out this great article that busts some common misconceptions about contact lenses.
Read it here.

The Impact of Vision on A Child's Learning

In most American classrooms, about 80 percent of what is taught is dependent upon an ability to see well. Teachers use tools to aid their teaching that include chalkboards, computer screens, projectors -- good vision is crucial to understanding and comprehending the material. Vision problems often lead to problems learning.
It is estimated that about 10 million children have undetected vision problems because of poor evaluation. Most schools test the distance vision of students, but fail to evaluate how well a child can see close objects.
To learn well, it is essential for children to be able to see quickly and process visual information, especially at close distance.

Signs that your child may be having visual difficulty:

• Avoiding close work as much as possible or refusing to do it at all.
• May attempt to do the work, but lacks a good understanding.
• Discomfort, fatigue and a short attention span.
• May become shortsighted or suppress the vision in one eye.
  
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Girls Self-esteem Improves with Contact Lenses

Findings from a three-year study conclude that overall self-esteem is improved in young girls when they wear contact lenses rather than eyeglasses.
The study was conducted at five clinical centers in the U.S. between September 2003 and October 2007. A total of 484 nearsighted children between the ages of eight and 11 – 59 percent female and 41 percent male – were assigned randomly to either wear glasses or contact lenses for the duration of the study.
The study uniquely combined optometry with psychology to demonstrate the benefits of contact lenses beyond their ability to improve vision.
“Girls are particularly vulnerable to social and psychological distress during the transitional years of early and middle adolescence and this data suggests that for girls, in particular, a switch from glasses to contact lenses may result in an improvement in self perception,” said Mitchell J. Prinstein, Ph.D., Professor and Director of Clinical Psychology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a co-author of the Adolescent and Child Health Initiative to Encourage Vision Empowerment (ACHIEVE) Study. “This study demonstrates than an intervention as simple as switching youths’ glasses to contact lenses can help boost girls’ sense of self-worth and self-efficacy during this stage of their development,” Dr. Prinstein said.
Because researchers expected that a unique vulnerability might be present among the female participants, the results were examined based on gender.
“Contact lenses significantly improve how children feel about their physical appearance, acceptance among friends, and ability to play sports. Contact lenses even make children more confident about their academic performance if they initially dislike wearing glasses,” said Jeffrey J. Walline, O.D., Ph.D., and leader of the ACHIEVE study.
Parents and eye care practitioners should be aware of all of the benefits of contact lenses when determining what is the most suitable means of vision correction for their young patients.

Determining if your contact lens is inside out

This short instructional video demonstrates the difference between a contact lens that is inside out versus right side up. Check it out!

Can Video Games Improve Vision?

A research study performed by a team from the University of Rochester has found that playing action video games can improve aspects of vision in adults.
Contrast sensitivity, which is often impacted by ageing and by conditions such as lazy eye, can be improved by playing action video games, the study found. Improvements to contrast sensitivity generally require changing eye optics through surgery or with the use of prescription eyeglasses or contact lenses.
The research compared “expert” video game players who played games involving shooting at virtual targets with players who played non-action video games. Those who played the action games had better contrast sensitivity, according to the research.
The visual improvements that were noticed in the study’s participants were sustained over the course of months and years, seemingly refuting the long-held belief that time spent in front of a television or computer screen is harmful for one’s vision.
Dr. Daphne Bavelier, who was the lead researcher on the study, said that she believes several facets of video games contributed to the results. While playing action-filled video games, players are required to be constantly ready to react to unpredictable events and players must respond instantly to visual information. Dr. Bavelier is hopeful that further research could lead to new, more efficient ways of treating lazy eye. By using video games, both eyes can be encouraged to work together to restore the vision that is lacking in people who have lazy eye.

Protect Your Children's Eyes!

A recent survey of 2,000 adults found that 82 percent of parents ensure that their children wear sunscreen to protect their skin from the sun and its damaging UV rays, but only 32 percent make them wear sunglasses to protect their eyes.
Children have larger pupils than adults and tend to spend more time outdoors; as a result, they can be exposed to as much as three times as much ultraviolet radiation.
Outdoor activity and sunshine are beneficial to children, but it is important to be well informed about the risks to ensure the health and safety of the child.

Buying the Best Sunglasses

• Be sure that any glasses you purchase have a UV-protection sticker, and it is best if they also have the American Optometric Association's Seal of Acceptance. These stickers indicate that the glasses block 99 to 100 percent of harmful UV radiation.
• Buy real sunglasses to provide real protection. Toy sunglasses aren't effective enough.
• Sunglasses should block 75 to 90 percent of light. Lenses should be dark enough that you cannot see your child's eyes through the lens.
• Gray-colored lenses are best as they absorb all colors evenly and allow the wearer to continue to see in natural color.
• The glasses should be large enough or have a wrap-around style that helps to block rays that might enter the eye from the side.

Contact Lens Care

Check this out:
Instructional video from the FDA on how to properly care for your contact lenses.