Have you ever wondered why you should wear sunglasses?
There are many benefits of wearing shades, aside from their status as a style accessory, sunglasses have a host of benefits for your eyes. They cut down on glare, prevent problems with your eyes and contribute to better vision. With all that going for them, here are five reasons you should get some high quality shades and wear them regularly. 1. Sunglasses protect your eyes from the elements. Whether skiing down a mountain, reclining on a tropical beach or biking along a dirt road, sunglasses can make the difference between damaging your eyes and having an enjoyable outdoor adventure. Sand, wind and dust can all irritate your eyes or scratch the cornea, sometimes causing permanent damage. Snow, while less abrasive, instead reflects UV rays from the sun at your eyes. If you’re spending a lot of time in the snow without sunglasses, it can cause “snow blindness,” a temporary loss of vision due to overexposure to the UV rays reflected off ice and snow. Wearing sunglasses will avert snow blindness and keep you on the slopes longer. 2. Sunglasses help prevent certain eye diseases related to the sun. Prolonged exposure to the sun’s UV rays can lead to cataracts, macular degeneration and pterygium. Cataracts involves a clouding of the eye’s lens that can blur vision; macular degeneration results from deterioration of the macula in the retina that destroys central vision; and pterygium involves tissue growth on the eyeball. Wearing sunglasses that have UV protection can help protect against these conditions, keeping your eyes healthier, longer. 3. You’ll be able to see more and enjoy the view more than otherwise. In addition to protecting your health, wearing sunglasses simply helps you see better in bright light. They cut down on glare and improve the colors and contrast of your view, so you can better take in your outdoor surroundings or drive more safely. Even on somewhat cloudy days, wearing sunglasses while driving can improve your vision and cut down on glare. If you’re out fishing instead of driving, you’ll also be able to see past the surface of water more easily without that bright, reflective glare. 4. Sunglasses will help protect your eyes if they are recovering from a procedure. Corrective eye surgeries are common these days, including LASIK or cataract surgery. But it’s important you continue to wear sunglasses after the procedure to help your eyes heal. The sunglasses will help protect your eyes from damage and ensure your eyes heal smoothly and quickly. 5. You’ll be able to avoid headaches and migraines. For many people who regularly get migraines or bad headaches, bright sunlight can be a major trigger. Wearing sunglasses allows you to soak up the sun without risking extreme pain and discomfort. Whatever reason appeals most to you, the bottom line is that sunglasses make your eyes safer and keep you more comfortable in the outdoors. So make sure to get a pair of high quality sunglasses that block 100 percent of UVA and UVB rays and wear them regularly. FACE A FACE draws its inspiration from sources of Modern Art, architecture and contemporary design. FACE A FACE frames are developed in their Paris studio, where each frame are treated like small subtle pieces of architecture, playing with sizes, shapes, material and textures.
The founder Pascal Jaulent has always had a passion for social issues and for the study of ethnology. Originally it was his dream was to become an urban planner. His studies at the Ecole Supérieure de Commerce de Paris (Paris Management School) led him to first work in the financial departments of large companies (Nestlé, Dior) before he worked as General Manager of Lafont Paris. It was while working at Lafont that he discovered the the connection between the work of an architect and as well as the technical and fashion components of creative eyewear. For the 2021 new Spring collection, Pascal Jaulent, artistic director of the FACE À FACE design team has imagined a graphic line that is created, unraveled and plays through each model. The concepts play with their interweaving connections and reform themselves: a flexible enveloping line ingenuously vies with geometric and structured forms. No matter how you look at it, FACE A FACE and their expressive designs are far from standardized fashion and conformist trends. They are always in a league of its own, and we are happy to share this passion for fashion and eyewear design with you. We all rub our eyes at some point: because we’re tired, because we have allergies or a cold, because our contacts are dry, or because we feel something may be in them and we want to get out the debris. Whatever the reason, it can feel good to do so.
Rubbing stimulates the flow of tears, causing lubrication for dry eyes and removal of irritants. Rubbing your eyes is also seemingly therapeutic, as applying gentle pressure to the eyeball can stimulate the vagus nerve, which slows your heart rate and relieves stress. But all that rubbing is really not good for your eyes, and here’s why. Potential Damage Rubbing causes tiny blood vessels to break, giving you blood-shot eyes and dark circles that make you look tired all the time. Your hands are teeming with more germs than any other part of your body. When you put your fingers in your eyes, you’re transferring all those germs that can result in infections such as conjunctivitis. If you attempt to dig out a foreign body that’s stuck in your eye, you could be doing more damage than good. This is an easy way to scratch your delicate cornea. Rubbing can be particularly dangerous to those with pre-existing eye conditions, such as progressive myopia that worsens with rubbing. People with glaucoma can aggravate their condition by rubbing, which can disrupt blood flow to the back of the eye, leading to nerve damage and possibly even permanent vision loss. Studies have shown that continuous eye rubbing can result in thinning of the cornea, which becomes weakened and pushes forward, becoming more conical. This serious condition is called keratoconus, and can lead to distorted vision and possibly the need for a corneal graft. How to Stop If something feels like it’s stuck in your eye, you should first try to flush it out with sterile saline or artificial tears. Take out your contacts and check for debris or rips. If you still don’t get relief from these things, make an appointment with your doctor. The best remedy is prevention. Every time you go to touch your eye, stop yourself. Think of the dangers. Keep eye drops handy at all times instead. This will keep your eyes hydrated and will prevent itching. There are many types of drops to try: artificial tears, which are non-medicated and imitate natural tears available over the counter; anti-histamines and mast cell stabilizers; and steroid eye drops that can prevent chronic eye rubbing in allergy sufferers. Excessive eye rubbing should be avoided if possible. See your doctor if this is becoming a problem. Do you rub your eyes a lot? There could be more going on, maybe it's time to book an appointment? Call, or book online UDM is a young company that manufacturers and distributes sunglasses which have been exclusively handmade in Italy.
The brand was been founded by two friends while at university with the idea to create a contemporary eyewear brand where the collection is inspired by current events, and the daily news that happens around them, as well as in the world. UDM is a brand that is constantly changing, both with respect to design, which looks at the past looking for modernity, and with respect to quality, always looking for workmanship, finishes and technical solutions aimed at creating a completely new product. UDM has been the eyewear of choice for a number of celebrities and influencers. Sofia Richie, Jessica Alba, Lais Ribeiro, Veronica Ferraro, Xenia Adonts, Jamie Chung, Eva Chen are only a few of the names that wear UDM’s frames. UDM is equally committed to the well being of our craft and craftsmen, their products are created using fair and ethical production methods to create eyewear that ultimately presents a forward-looking take on visual empowerment. Many of our children in the region have been away from school for a super extended March break. The COVID 19 pandemic has shifted student's learning environment online and onto digital devices. Between ZOOM video chats, staying indoors, and virtual learning, studies show children are logging twice as much screen time as they did before COVID 19.
This September is full of unknowns for students returning to school either full time or part time. One thing we can be sure of is that increased screen times from March to September will require your students to get their eyes tested. Too much screen time makes the eyes work harder, which can lead to vision problems like "digital eye strain." Symptoms of digital eye strain include: headaches, blurred vision, and dry eyes. Since 80% of our learning is visual, it's important to start kids off back to school with a full eye exam. A change in vision can effect how your child learns. Academic difficulties for school-aged children are often linked to vision problems, but eye exams go frequently overlooked when diagnosing a child's learning discrepancies. So many things are out of our control during this uncertain time, but being proactive and staying on top of your child’s eye health is one thing parents can do to make sure their student is ready for school in the Fall. Book your eye exam with Dr. Kar today! Seniors with Low Vision Twice as likely to Fall
Although there are many factors that can cause a fall, vision loss is often the primary cause. Even the smallest change in a person’s vision can increase the risk of a fall, especially in seniors. “Seniors with visual impairment are twice as likely to fall,” says Dr. Joshua C. Smith, President of the Ontario Association of Optometrists (OAO). “And often they are not aware of how subtle forms of impairment, such as changes in peripheral vision and depth perception, can contribute to accident occurrence and avoidance.” Age-related vision conditions such as cataracts, macular degeneration, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy, and even simply not wearing glasses, can prevent seniors from seeing objects in their way and lead to falls. Falls can be quite serious and often result in injuries such as hip fractures and head trauma, which can have a debilitating effect on a person’s quality of life. However, many falls can help be prevented through a comprehensive eye examination. An optometrist can diagnose vision-threatening conditions so that appropriate action can be taken before an accident occurs. “As primary eye care providers, it is our responsibility not only to address patients' vision and eye health needs, but also to discuss safety and injury prevention concerns, so that our patients can continue living safely and independently," says Dr. Smith. Annual eye exams for adults over the age of 65 are covered by OHIP. Book an eye appointment today Welcoming back our valued customers, starting this Wednesday, June 3, we are accepting appointments!
Please call ahead to book your eye exam with Dr. Kar (905) 751-0169 or book online! Our re-opening will be implemented in stages with social distancing and disinfecting processes to be strictly adhered to. Your safety is our priority. In an effort to protect our staff, our customers, and our communities we are temporarily closing our doors. Thank you for your continued support during this time.
In an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19 the provincial government has closed the doors to many non-essential businesses. Optometry and optician services are not non-essential, and we are open for emergency purchases ie. broken glasses, re-ordering of contact lenses, but we are closed to the public. If you have an emergency order call us at (905) 751-0169 the phone line has been forwarded to a staff member who can take your call. Stay safe everyone, and remember to stay home whenever possible. The faster this is all over, the safer for everyone #StayHomeStaySafe With the majority of the population stuck in isolation, many of us are spending a great deal more of our time staring at screens from laptops, computers, smartphones, gaming systems and televisions. This can put a lot of strain on our eyes and cause eye fatigue. To protect your eyes when using your screens, you must remember to give your eyes a break! Use the 20-20-20 rule. Every 20 minutes, take a 20-second break and focus your eyes on something at least 20 feet away. This video from the Canadian Association of Optometrists explains the 20-20-20 rule very well. The human eyes are sensitive to a narrow band of light wavelengths that range from blue (short wavelength and high energy) to red (long wavelength and lower energy). Blue light makes up approximately one third of the visible spectrum. The sun is our main and natural source of blue light. However, with advances in technology, we are also being exposed to other sources of blue light such as computer monitors, smartphone screens, flat screen televisions and LED lights.
While these sources generate blue light at much lower intensity than the sun, we are exposing ourselves to them for longer periods of time and at much closer distances. This can cause eye strain because blue light scatters more in the eye and is not focused as easily as lower energy wavelength light. This scatter creates “visual noise” that reduces contrast and can contribute to digital eye strain. Natural blue light from the sun is important for maintaining the circadian rhythm (our natural sleep/wake cycle). It also helps to boost mood, memory and cognitive function. Exposure to too much artificial blue light, especially at night, from electronic devices may lead to poor sleep quality, difficulty falling asleep, and daytime fatigue because it has been shown to suppress melatonin production, sleepiness and morning alertness This is especially problematic for adolescents, who prefer sleep/wake cycles that are considerably delayed compared to younger children or adults. Extended exposure to blue light over a lifetime, particularly from the sun, is likely to cause harm to the eye. It leads to conditions such as cataracts (clouding of the lens of the eye resulting in decreased vision) and signs resembling macular degeneration (a deterioration of the central part of the retina, which is essential for reading, driving and recognizing colours and faces). Studies have shown that it is the cumulative exposure to blue and ultraviolet light that causes these effects. Children are more vulnerable to the effects of ultraviolet and blue light because their eye lenses are less able to filter out high energy blue light Staying Healthy Evidence suggests that exposure to blue light in the 470-490nm wavelength range (lower energy) is less damaging to the eye than blue light in the 400-470nm wavelength range (higher energy) and essential for maintaining a healthy circadian rhythm. Development of LEDs with a peak emission in the safer range may represent an important advancement for ocular health. While there is no clinical evidence of a damaging effect of exposure to artificial high energy blue light, children’s exposure to artificial light from electronic devices should be monitored and controlled. Over time, there might be accumulated damage to the eye from blue light exposure. A healthy diet, rich in leafy green vegetables and colourful fruits, is important for general good health as well as for vision health. A healthy diet provides the vitamins and minerals that are essential for vision health and contribute to the eyes’ own natural defenses against the effects of blue light. Good sleep is also essential for attention, learning, mood, and general well-being. The effects of blue light on the sleep cycle may be minimized by avoiding bright screens for two to three hours before bedtime and seeking outdoor light exposure earlier in the day. Do I need blue-blocking lenses? Research has demonstrated that extended exposure to sunlight is damaging to the eye. Therefore, it is good practice to protect the eyes from the sun, including wearing UV-blocking sunglasses. There is no clinical evidence that artificial blue light at low intensity and shorter exposure periods is harmful to the eye. Research suggesting a damaging effect of blue light on eye cells has only been conducted in vitro (in the lab) rather than on the living human eye. There are filters and apps that reduce blue light from screens without affecting visibility and special glare-reducing lens coatings that block high-energy visible blue light. Whether or not to add blue-blocking coating on your prescription lenses is an individual decision that should be made with an optometrist, who as a primary eye care provider, is your best resource for making an informed decision. Together you can discuss your individual risk factors such as age, risk and length of exposure, history of or current eye conditions, and general eye health. |
Joe BusharaWith over 30 years experience licensed optician Joe Bushara and his highly experienced team, bring you the latest trends in frames and technologies in lenses from around the world. Categories
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