Thursday, November 10, 2011
Kenya: Eyesight Clinic Offers Rays of Hope
Mark Agutu
10 November 2011
From a humble beginning 17 years ago, Kwale District Eye Centre has evolved into a clinic that casts rays of hope into the lives of many plagued by blindness.
The centre in Waa has been at the forefront of helping people across the Coast who cannot afford the care offered at private hospitals.
Run as a self-help group and a legal trust, the centre makes minimal charges for its services that range from consultation, diagnostics, corrective surgery and counselling.
Operations are carried out by the centre's own team of surgeons backed by visiting experts from the UK and Germany.The centre serves some 50 outpatients daily and to date mote than 24,700 operations have been performed and 56,000 people registered.
A further 10,000 people are screened each year in the field.
"Most of the operations are cataract extractions with lens implants," said centre director Helen Roberts.
Behind the success of the centre is its strong community programme which creates awareness of eye disease.
"This is the our main strength, working closely with an in the community conducting outreach clinics for 15 years," said Dr Roberts, an ophthalmologist who leads a team of 45 staff members.
Seventeen of them work in the community programme, 12 in the medical department and 16 in administration and with support staff.
"Funding from Sight Savers enabled us to build up both the skills and infrastructure to offer a very high level of quality comprehensive eye care. This year, their donation funded cataract surgery, medical staff salaries and vehicles," said Dr Roberts.
The centre has also been helped by the Standard Chartered Nairobi International Marathon, which raised funds for eye surgery for children.
It has also come up with its own fund raising schemes, including the Liaison Eye Go Fishing Competition, sponsored by the Liaison Group.
The annual event, now in its sixth year, is a competition in boating and fishing and other fun water sports. Last year it raised Sh366,520.
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Vision and eye problems may increase in high-tech classrooms
By Maryanne Kocis MacLeod
For the Daily Tribune
From 3-D imaging to smart boards and state-of-the-art computer applications, classrooms around the nation are becoming increasingly high-tech. While this technology appears to have a significant, positive effect on learning, exposure also increases the importance of proper vision care.
A survey by the American Optometric Association found that parents are concerned about the effect of all this technology on children. Fifty-three percent of respondents with children 18 or younger believe 3-D viewing is harmful to a child's vision or eye health, and 29 percent of parents feel very concerned that their child may experience permanent damage as a result of prolonged use of computers or hand-held electronic devices.
"Today's classroom technology is extremely visual, making it critical for students to maintain excellent eye health," said Dr. Peter Agnone, a practicing optometrist at Grand Blanc Eyes and a member of the Michigan Optometric Association.
"Binocular vision, focusing abilities, as well as nearsightedness and farsightedness should be checked by an eye doctor yearly."
According to Dr. John Roarty, chief of Ophthalmology at DMC Children's Hospital of Michigan, potential classroom technology risks fall into three categories:
Close-up use of computers and iPads.
Technology at a distance, such as the use of SMART Boards and other interactive whiteboards
3-D televisions and films.
That said, close-up computer use presents the same risks for children as adults, Roarty said.
"Certainly, we all experience increased eyestrain as a result of intense, near-focus, whether we are reading a book for a long period of time, or using a computer," said Roarty, who has offices in Clinton Township. "Up-close work that exceeds several hours — including texting, playing a hand-held video game, using a computer or reading a book — all contribute to increased eyestrain."
For the Daily Tribune
From 3-D imaging to smart boards and state-of-the-art computer applications, classrooms around the nation are becoming increasingly high-tech. While this technology appears to have a significant, positive effect on learning, exposure also increases the importance of proper vision care.
A survey by the American Optometric Association found that parents are concerned about the effect of all this technology on children. Fifty-three percent of respondents with children 18 or younger believe 3-D viewing is harmful to a child's vision or eye health, and 29 percent of parents feel very concerned that their child may experience permanent damage as a result of prolonged use of computers or hand-held electronic devices.
"Today's classroom technology is extremely visual, making it critical for students to maintain excellent eye health," said Dr. Peter Agnone, a practicing optometrist at Grand Blanc Eyes and a member of the Michigan Optometric Association.
"Binocular vision, focusing abilities, as well as nearsightedness and farsightedness should be checked by an eye doctor yearly."
According to Dr. John Roarty, chief of Ophthalmology at DMC Children's Hospital of Michigan, potential classroom technology risks fall into three categories:
Close-up use of computers and iPads.
Technology at a distance, such as the use of SMART Boards and other interactive whiteboards
3-D televisions and films.
That said, close-up computer use presents the same risks for children as adults, Roarty said.
"Certainly, we all experience increased eyestrain as a result of intense, near-focus, whether we are reading a book for a long period of time, or using a computer," said Roarty, who has offices in Clinton Township. "Up-close work that exceeds several hours — including texting, playing a hand-held video game, using a computer or reading a book — all contribute to increased eyestrain."
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Diabetic patient “maintains” good vision & lifestyle
By Cheryl L. Dejewski
If you had to come up with a theme for David Kogelmann's life so far it could be summed up in one word: "maintenance." Kogelmann, 63, of Greendale, is a retired heavy duty maintenance mechanic who rebuilt printing presses for Quad Graphics for 20 years. He is also an auto show buff who meticulously maintains a 1967 Pontiac Firebird and an avid sharpshooter who maintains precision firearms. More recently, however, Kogelmann's focus has broadened to maintaining something even more precious—his vision.
Diagnosed with diabetes in 1995, Kogelmann was diligent in sustaining proper blood sugars levels. His primary care doctor, however, reminded him of the importance of having his eyes checked for any diabetes-related changes to the retina that can go unnoticed at first. As an expert marksman and long-time member of the Schultz Rod & Gun Club on Big Muskego Lake, Kogel-mann knew the importance of finding an eye care specialist who shared his exacting attitude. His research led him to an appointment with Dr. Daniel Ferguson, a highly regarded ophthalmologist who also holds a degree and several patents in engineering.
"Because of Mr. Kogelmann's vigilance in maintaining proper blood sugar levels, he was fortunate enough to still be enjoying good vision in both eyes when he first came to us," notes Ferguson, a partner at Eye Care Specialists who sees patients at offices in Wauwatosa, West Allis, and downtown Milwaukee. "As happens, for most diabetics, however, the longer you have the disease, the more likely it is to take its toll, and by 2010, Mr. Kogelmann's vision began to slip a little." As a result, Ferguson recommended Avastin injection treatment to stave off further diabetes-related damage to Kogelmann's retina.
"At first, I thought, 'you're going to stick a what in my eye'?" Kogelmann exclaims with a laugh. "But, the treatment really wasn't bad at all. I've had cataract surgery too and that was so easy—no pain, just great!" In fact, with regular appointments and Avastin treatments, Kogelmann sports vision good enough to keep up with his hobbies. He proudly reports, "I've been doing more sharp-shooting than ever. When you go to the club, you always have to have two people on the range. I have people calling me all the time to shoot with them." Kogelmann also enjoys spending time up north at his cabin and 120 acres of land in Ladysmith, WI. "I don't hunt much anymore," he states, "but I cook for my son and the guys up there. . . . They call me 'Pot Banger' because I do all the cooking, and I wake them up by banging my pots!"
Kogelmann also has a wake-up call for fellow diabetics to preserve their vision: "See an ophthalmologist regularly and keep your blood sugar under control!"
FREE Booklets & Information
Eye Care Specialists’ doctors are dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of cataracts, glaucoma, diabetic eye disease, and macular degeneration. They frequently lecture to the public and fellow physicians and have written their own series of booklets on these conditions. Call 414-321-7035 for FREE copies or to schedule an appointment for a thorough eye screening (usually covered by insurance or Medicare) at their offices on 7th & Wisconsin Avenue, Mayfair Road across from the mall, or 102nd & National. They also offer information at www.eyecarespecialists.net.
Tips for Protecting Against Diabetes-Related Vision Loss
Diabetes is being diagnosed in huge numbers across all ages and races. Saturated fats, simple sugars, super-sized portions, bulging waistlines, and lack of exercise are some of the known culprits. Whatever the causes, the increased incidence of diabetes means a corresponding increase in health problems related to the disease, including the sight-robbing complication of "diabetic retinopathy"—the leading cause of new cases of blindness in America. Eye care specialists are fighting the battle to protect vision through education and the use of lasers and new medication injection treatments. Wisconsin Diabetes Advisory Group member and medical optometrist Dr. David Scheidt encourages patients to also take non-invasive steps of their own to prevent diabetic vision loss, including:
* Have a blood sugar test every three years after age 45 to screen for diabetes
* Keep blood glucose levels close to normal through diet, medication and exercise
* Keep blood pressure under control
* Don’t smoke
* Keep cholesterol levels low
* Check hemoglobin A1c levels at least every four months and aim for less than 7.0
* Schedule dilated eye exams once a year, or as often as your Eye M.D. suggests
Diagnosed with diabetes in 1995, Kogelmann was diligent in sustaining proper blood sugars levels. His primary care doctor, however, reminded him of the importance of having his eyes checked for any diabetes-related changes to the retina that can go unnoticed at first. As an expert marksman and long-time member of the Schultz Rod & Gun Club on Big Muskego Lake, Kogel-mann knew the importance of finding an eye care specialist who shared his exacting attitude. His research led him to an appointment with Dr. Daniel Ferguson, a highly regarded ophthalmologist who also holds a degree and several patents in engineering.
"Because of Mr. Kogelmann's vigilance in maintaining proper blood sugar levels, he was fortunate enough to still be enjoying good vision in both eyes when he first came to us," notes Ferguson, a partner at Eye Care Specialists who sees patients at offices in Wauwatosa, West Allis, and downtown Milwaukee. "As happens, for most diabetics, however, the longer you have the disease, the more likely it is to take its toll, and by 2010, Mr. Kogelmann's vision began to slip a little." As a result, Ferguson recommended Avastin injection treatment to stave off further diabetes-related damage to Kogelmann's retina.
"At first, I thought, 'you're going to stick a what in my eye'?" Kogelmann exclaims with a laugh. "But, the treatment really wasn't bad at all. I've had cataract surgery too and that was so easy—no pain, just great!" In fact, with regular appointments and Avastin treatments, Kogelmann sports vision good enough to keep up with his hobbies. He proudly reports, "I've been doing more sharp-shooting than ever. When you go to the club, you always have to have two people on the range. I have people calling me all the time to shoot with them." Kogelmann also enjoys spending time up north at his cabin and 120 acres of land in Ladysmith, WI. "I don't hunt much anymore," he states, "but I cook for my son and the guys up there. . . . They call me 'Pot Banger' because I do all the cooking, and I wake them up by banging my pots!"
Kogelmann also has a wake-up call for fellow diabetics to preserve their vision: "See an ophthalmologist regularly and keep your blood sugar under control!"
FREE Booklets & Information
Eye Care Specialists’ doctors are dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of cataracts, glaucoma, diabetic eye disease, and macular degeneration. They frequently lecture to the public and fellow physicians and have written their own series of booklets on these conditions. Call 414-321-7035 for FREE copies or to schedule an appointment for a thorough eye screening (usually covered by insurance or Medicare) at their offices on 7th & Wisconsin Avenue, Mayfair Road across from the mall, or 102nd & National. They also offer information at www.eyecarespecialists.net.
Tips for Protecting Against Diabetes-Related Vision Loss
Diabetes is being diagnosed in huge numbers across all ages and races. Saturated fats, simple sugars, super-sized portions, bulging waistlines, and lack of exercise are some of the known culprits. Whatever the causes, the increased incidence of diabetes means a corresponding increase in health problems related to the disease, including the sight-robbing complication of "diabetic retinopathy"—the leading cause of new cases of blindness in America. Eye care specialists are fighting the battle to protect vision through education and the use of lasers and new medication injection treatments. Wisconsin Diabetes Advisory Group member and medical optometrist Dr. David Scheidt encourages patients to also take non-invasive steps of their own to prevent diabetic vision loss, including:
* Have a blood sugar test every three years after age 45 to screen for diabetes
* Keep blood glucose levels close to normal through diet, medication and exercise
* Keep blood pressure under control
* Don’t smoke
* Keep cholesterol levels low
* Check hemoglobin A1c levels at least every four months and aim for less than 7.0
* Schedule dilated eye exams once a year, or as often as your Eye M.D. suggests
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Keep an eye on visual health
What you put in your mouth determines how good your eyes are. As simple as it may sound, the fact is that your diet has a great role in shaping the way your visual health is being stressed by ophthalmologists on World Sight Day. Certain foods are definitely good for the eye, says Venkatraman Arvind, Chief Medical Officer, Vasan Eye Care. “The eye is also an organ that receives blood supply. Eating healthy will ensure a good blood supply in the body. Omega 3 unsaturated fatty acids are also specifically good, as are vitamin A, and retinoids such as papaya, mango, green leafy vegetables, carrots and tomatoes.”
Amar Agarwal of Agarwal Eye Hospitals, says, “I am very particular that patients, especially children, eat green vegetables, cucumbers and carrots on a regular basis. As we are tending towards the fast food culture, we do not have the time to sit and plan our food. However, parents must ensure that the child gets a healthy diet.” The earlier you begin to eat healthy, the better will be the eye care.
Dr. Agarwal says he sees patients who have woken up one morning to find themselves blind in one eye. “This is because we, as a nation, tend not to take exercise seriously. At about 40 or 50 years, people are obese, overweight and their general body health is affected. This leads to high blood pressure, a vessel in the eye bursts, and they turn blind.” “What we do not factor in is that up to 80 per cent of the cases of blindness are avoidable. There are a lot of interventions to restore sight today, but it is still important to prevent blindness,” Dr. Arvind says. While exercising and eating well are two key aspects, regular check-ups are also part of the deal, he adds. Especially for children who need vision correction, and diabetics. Screening will ensure that the problems will be picked up early and remedied.
While not all problems relating to vision health can be avoided, Dr. Agarwal says with certainty that cataract can certainly be delayed, diabetic retinopathy can also be postponed or avoided if the diabetic keeps the sugar under good control, and sudden bleeding in the eye can be prevented.
Keywords: visual health
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Eye Care for All
WORLD SIGHT DAY is celebrated worldwide on the 2nd Thursday of October since the year 2000. The theme for this year world Sight Day is ‘Eye Care for All’. On this day general awareness on Eye Care and importance of sight is sought to be disseminated to the general public. The District Health Society (National Programme for Control of Blindness) Kohima District would like to enlighten the public about one very rampant eye condition afflicting mainly young girls of our state.
In the last 2 years or so a new form of chronic conjunctivitis has been sweeping across the Eye care centre’s in our state. It is characterized by copious sticky discharge throughout the day and night and tends to cause matting or gluing of the eyelashes in the morning. There will be complaints of blurred vision due to this sticky discharge as well as the swelling on the inside of the eyelids. Most will also have significant itching. On examining the eye, there is intense conjunctival Hypertrophy (ie swelling and proliferation of the membrane covering the white part of the eyeball) and redness most predominantly on the lower fornix (ie the part of the eye which becomes exposed when the lower eyelid is pulled down with the patient looking up). The conjunctival surface looks like that of a ripe strawberry and sometimes it may be difficult to make the exposed abnormally swollen tissue go back into the eye. It is interesting to note that 99% of the patients are girls between the ages of 15 to 20 years with signs of use of eyeliners. Many usually say that they have been suffering from watering, discharge, itching, blurred vision for many months’ even years which distinguishes it from the common epidemic conjunctivitis which affects people of all ages and both sexes and becomes cured by a week or so.
This new eye disease predominantly affecting young girls is not confined to towns but has spread to the smaller townships and even villages. It is very strongly associated with the use of eyeliners although a clinical scientific study would be required to prove it. It occurs in girls who insist that they use only branded eyeliners which underline the ever present dangers of fake branded good in the market. The less said about non branded products the better. The disease becomes less common in the 20+ (plus) group and is rare beyond 25+(plus), which is consistent with the fact the young teenagers have a very reactive immune response system which exhibit an exaggerated response to any allergen.
This condition requires prolonged treatment sometimes more than 2 months for complete cure. The good news is it responds very well to treatment particularly when the offending allergen (ie the eyeliners) is withdrawn. Therefore young girls need to be made aware about the dangers of the use of the eyeliners which can cause prolonged discomfort to the eyes and may even leave permanent visual impairment.
Dr. E. Phyantsuthung
District Nodal Officer
(NPCP) Kohima & Sr. Eye Specialist NHAK
In the last 2 years or so a new form of chronic conjunctivitis has been sweeping across the Eye care centre’s in our state. It is characterized by copious sticky discharge throughout the day and night and tends to cause matting or gluing of the eyelashes in the morning. There will be complaints of blurred vision due to this sticky discharge as well as the swelling on the inside of the eyelids. Most will also have significant itching. On examining the eye, there is intense conjunctival Hypertrophy (ie swelling and proliferation of the membrane covering the white part of the eyeball) and redness most predominantly on the lower fornix (ie the part of the eye which becomes exposed when the lower eyelid is pulled down with the patient looking up). The conjunctival surface looks like that of a ripe strawberry and sometimes it may be difficult to make the exposed abnormally swollen tissue go back into the eye. It is interesting to note that 99% of the patients are girls between the ages of 15 to 20 years with signs of use of eyeliners. Many usually say that they have been suffering from watering, discharge, itching, blurred vision for many months’ even years which distinguishes it from the common epidemic conjunctivitis which affects people of all ages and both sexes and becomes cured by a week or so.
This new eye disease predominantly affecting young girls is not confined to towns but has spread to the smaller townships and even villages. It is very strongly associated with the use of eyeliners although a clinical scientific study would be required to prove it. It occurs in girls who insist that they use only branded eyeliners which underline the ever present dangers of fake branded good in the market. The less said about non branded products the better. The disease becomes less common in the 20+ (plus) group and is rare beyond 25+(plus), which is consistent with the fact the young teenagers have a very reactive immune response system which exhibit an exaggerated response to any allergen.
This condition requires prolonged treatment sometimes more than 2 months for complete cure. The good news is it responds very well to treatment particularly when the offending allergen (ie the eyeliners) is withdrawn. Therefore young girls need to be made aware about the dangers of the use of the eyeliners which can cause prolonged discomfort to the eyes and may even leave permanent visual impairment.
Dr. E. Phyantsuthung
District Nodal Officer
(NPCP) Kohima & Sr. Eye Specialist NHAK
Innovating Diabetes and Eye Care
Medfort Hospitals has planned a slew of 20 green field eyecare and diabetic hospitals across India, says M Neelam Kachhap
Stand alone diabetes and eye care centres are creating new wave in the Indian healthcare industry. While, diabetes clinics and eye clinics have been around for a long time, care for these modalities in a stand alone hospital set-up is just beginning to surface. The testimony of this growing popularity is the investor interest in such ventures. One such promising venture is Medfort Hospitals.
The brain child of the serial entrepreneur Dr GSK Velu, Chairman, Medfort Hospitals aims to make its networks of diabetes and ophthalmology day care centres known worldwide for innovations and clinical expertise. Dr Velu says, “Medfort has seized the opportunity provided by the lacuna in synergised, high quality vision care and diabetes care to emerge as the largest day care chain in the country.”
Medfort Hospitals, in a short span of time has managed to spread its wings all over India. Recently, the company announced the acquisition of the Hyderabad based Maxivision Eye Hospitals (Maxivision) in an all-cash deal creating a new brand called Maxivision Eyecare which would comprise of all the eyecare activities of Medfort Group and Maxivision Lasik Suites across India. This has provided the company the momentum nessesary to establish itself as a pan-India brand. In fact, its first international centre will be commissioning soon in Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) Hospital in UAE in a partnership model.
Earlier this year, the company announced a joint venture with RAK Hospital, UAE for setting up of a centre for excellence for eye care. This is Medfort's first international venture in association with LVPEI. The partnership with RAK Hospital and LVPEI will enable the company to create a world class centre of excellence in RAK, with multiple spokes in the region. The centre will aim to provide the most cost-effective, high-quality, and comprehensive eye care facilities to the entire population of the UAE by creating presence in all the Emirates of the UAE within one year.
"This collaboration comes in line with our vision to provide high quality cost-effective eye care diagnosis and treatment, covering all areas of eye care, viz. cataract surgery, refractive surgery including Lasik corrections, glaucoma, vitreo retinal surgeries, and other advanced treatment techniques necessary for eye care,” says Dr Valu.
With this the company enhanced its portfolio with 12 network hospiatls, having presence in six locations, namely, Hyderabad, Chennai, Delhi NCR, Vizag, Vijayawada and UAE.
The Genesis
Medfort Hospitals was conceived by Dr Velu, a first generation entrepreneur of over 22 years of experience in healthcare segment who changed the topography of medical technology and diagnostics industry by starting companies like Trivitron Healthcare, Metropolis, Alliance Medicorp and Hexel Consultancy Services. His idea of starting Medfort, was to have consolidated diabetes and eye care under one roof in a business model which is less capital intensive, easy to manage and gives quick return on investments.
While the concept of stand-alone centres for diabetes management and eyecare is not new with most tertiary hospitals and some speciality hospitals having a play in this segment. There has not been a nationwide brand for both these specialities under one roof. "The idea is similar to Metropolis which was conceived in late 1990’s and we felt the need for more consolidated eye care play bringing in likeminded ophthalmologists under one umbrella and also use the cross referrals and synergies to create a multicity diabetic network," explains Dr velu.
However, like all business Medfort also had its teething problems. One huge task that the entrepreneur had was to convince investors to put their money in an idea like this. “Like in any venture convincing the private equity firms for an idea like this was difficult. To convince people that this idea is sustainable and profitable was tough. But the journey has picked up pace and is running much faster than anticipated because of the unfulfilled need in the market segment," lauds Dr Velu.
Business Model
The business model of Medfort hospital is similer to the day care model but with a twist. Unlike day-care business which strives to address various speciality under one roof Medfort has choosen to look at only eyecare and diabetes. “Multispecialty tertiary care hospital chains in India are not able to provide adequate attention to the needs of both doctors and patients of eye care and diabetes. Patients require expert advice and wholesome (not just symptomatic) treatment in a day care model without the risk of secondary infection; while the doctors require an enabling environment without the pressure to generate higher benchmarked revenue targets. With this partnership, our vision to make available superior professional healthcare solution for life debilitating conditions has received a boost,” says Dr Velu.
This model is also beneficial to the doctors as it provides a fitting environment for them to practice. "The idea is to empower diabetic and endocrine physicians and ophthalmologists across India and bringing them under one corporate umbrella for standardised treatment protocols by deploying the latest state-of-the-art equipments and technologies and infrastructure to ensure quality and compassionate care which results in best clinical outcome in both diabetic care and ophthalmology verticals," he further adds.
Eying Opportunity
So, what led Medfort Hospital to freeze in on such a business model? Well, it choose a business model that was going to fill a gap in service delivery and specialties which had close synergies. “Both diabetes and eye disorders are lifestyle disorders which need lifelong attention with constant and periodic care. There are lots of cross referrals between ophthalmologists and endocrinologists and diabetologists with cross referrals being as high as 80 to 90 percent,” says Dr Velu. Thus it was inevitable to marry both these specialties and get one common centre which would address both these market.
Apart from this there are more commonalities in both these specialties. “Every diabetic patient needs an eye check up every six months and all eye care surgeries will need diabetic status checked before surgery for better treatment planning and clinical outcome. The first complication which arises for a diabetic patient is an eye illness which ultimately results in diabetic retinopathy,” adds Dr Velu.
Further management and prognosis of the two specialities is also related. Moreover patient education and caregiver education also more effective when given for both these modalities simultaneously. “Both disorders needs focus on prevention, early diagnosis and lifelong check-ups and interventions to improve quality of life ensuring diabetic wellness and eye care wellness, etc. Hence, these two verticals are closely related and can be treated and managed together in a day care setup,” Dr Velu states.
Value Preposition
Medfort hospitals is committed to provide superior healthcare service by offering compassionate patient care and clinical excellence. It strives to reach out to patients and their families through it`s state-of-the-art infrastructure and talented pool of doctors on board. “Medfort believes that every patient is important and has unique needs,” explains Dr Velu. Medfort Hospitals stands for growth and dynamism and strive to bring a revolution in healthcare through its unique approach for patients.
The hospitals are technology driven and through its network it is trying to create an edge for its services in the market. “We are far better than other service provider in the market. Today healthcare is driven by technology. It is added advantage to the patient in terms of accuracy in diagnosis and treatment. We have world’s current technology in our hand. This shows our commitment towards technology and innovation,” reminds Dr Velu.
Thus, Medfort is a value proposition in more ways than one. It provides cost effective treatments to patients, builds better business deals for insurance companies, ensures best patient outcomes, provides 15-20 per cent cheaper package rates compared to full scale corporate hospitals along with superior outcomes as patients are carefully screened and recovery at home reduces chances of infection.
Exploring Further
Although in its first year of operations the company has manly grown by way of acquisition, it does plan to go the green field way also. “ The company started off by acquisitions in Delhi NCR and Hyderabad and a green field centre in Chennai but in days to come the growth form will be a combination of both organic and inorganic expansions,” confirms Dr Velu.
As for their future plans the company wants to be known as the best in class eye care network and diabetic care network in the emerging markets of South/ South East Asia, Middle East and Africa. In addition. For their immidiate expansion the company plans to create over 20 green field eyecare and diabetic hospitals across India taking the number of hospitals to over 35 by April 2012. “By expanding organically and inorganically we plan to move from current five city operation to 20 city operations within the next 12 months and have a network of 50 hospitals by End 2012,” signs off Dr Velu.
mneelam.kachhap@expressindia.com
Stand alone diabetes and eye care centres are creating new wave in the Indian healthcare industry. While, diabetes clinics and eye clinics have been around for a long time, care for these modalities in a stand alone hospital set-up is just beginning to surface. The testimony of this growing popularity is the investor interest in such ventures. One such promising venture is Medfort Hospitals.
The brain child of the serial entrepreneur Dr GSK Velu, Chairman, Medfort Hospitals aims to make its networks of diabetes and ophthalmology day care centres known worldwide for innovations and clinical expertise. Dr Velu says, “Medfort has seized the opportunity provided by the lacuna in synergised, high quality vision care and diabetes care to emerge as the largest day care chain in the country.”
Medfort Hospitals, in a short span of time has managed to spread its wings all over India. Recently, the company announced the acquisition of the Hyderabad based Maxivision Eye Hospitals (Maxivision) in an all-cash deal creating a new brand called Maxivision Eyecare which would comprise of all the eyecare activities of Medfort Group and Maxivision Lasik Suites across India. This has provided the company the momentum nessesary to establish itself as a pan-India brand. In fact, its first international centre will be commissioning soon in Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) Hospital in UAE in a partnership model.
Earlier this year, the company announced a joint venture with RAK Hospital, UAE for setting up of a centre for excellence for eye care. This is Medfort's first international venture in association with LVPEI. The partnership with RAK Hospital and LVPEI will enable the company to create a world class centre of excellence in RAK, with multiple spokes in the region. The centre will aim to provide the most cost-effective, high-quality, and comprehensive eye care facilities to the entire population of the UAE by creating presence in all the Emirates of the UAE within one year.
"This collaboration comes in line with our vision to provide high quality cost-effective eye care diagnosis and treatment, covering all areas of eye care, viz. cataract surgery, refractive surgery including Lasik corrections, glaucoma, vitreo retinal surgeries, and other advanced treatment techniques necessary for eye care,” says Dr Valu.
With this the company enhanced its portfolio with 12 network hospiatls, having presence in six locations, namely, Hyderabad, Chennai, Delhi NCR, Vizag, Vijayawada and UAE.
The Genesis
Medfort Hospitals was conceived by Dr Velu, a first generation entrepreneur of over 22 years of experience in healthcare segment who changed the topography of medical technology and diagnostics industry by starting companies like Trivitron Healthcare, Metropolis, Alliance Medicorp and Hexel Consultancy Services. His idea of starting Medfort, was to have consolidated diabetes and eye care under one roof in a business model which is less capital intensive, easy to manage and gives quick return on investments.
While the concept of stand-alone centres for diabetes management and eyecare is not new with most tertiary hospitals and some speciality hospitals having a play in this segment. There has not been a nationwide brand for both these specialities under one roof. "The idea is similar to Metropolis which was conceived in late 1990’s and we felt the need for more consolidated eye care play bringing in likeminded ophthalmologists under one umbrella and also use the cross referrals and synergies to create a multicity diabetic network," explains Dr velu.
However, like all business Medfort also had its teething problems. One huge task that the entrepreneur had was to convince investors to put their money in an idea like this. “Like in any venture convincing the private equity firms for an idea like this was difficult. To convince people that this idea is sustainable and profitable was tough. But the journey has picked up pace and is running much faster than anticipated because of the unfulfilled need in the market segment," lauds Dr Velu.
Business Model
The business model of Medfort hospital is similer to the day care model but with a twist. Unlike day-care business which strives to address various speciality under one roof Medfort has choosen to look at only eyecare and diabetes. “Multispecialty tertiary care hospital chains in India are not able to provide adequate attention to the needs of both doctors and patients of eye care and diabetes. Patients require expert advice and wholesome (not just symptomatic) treatment in a day care model without the risk of secondary infection; while the doctors require an enabling environment without the pressure to generate higher benchmarked revenue targets. With this partnership, our vision to make available superior professional healthcare solution for life debilitating conditions has received a boost,” says Dr Velu.
This model is also beneficial to the doctors as it provides a fitting environment for them to practice. "The idea is to empower diabetic and endocrine physicians and ophthalmologists across India and bringing them under one corporate umbrella for standardised treatment protocols by deploying the latest state-of-the-art equipments and technologies and infrastructure to ensure quality and compassionate care which results in best clinical outcome in both diabetic care and ophthalmology verticals," he further adds.
Eying Opportunity
So, what led Medfort Hospital to freeze in on such a business model? Well, it choose a business model that was going to fill a gap in service delivery and specialties which had close synergies. “Both diabetes and eye disorders are lifestyle disorders which need lifelong attention with constant and periodic care. There are lots of cross referrals between ophthalmologists and endocrinologists and diabetologists with cross referrals being as high as 80 to 90 percent,” says Dr Velu. Thus it was inevitable to marry both these specialties and get one common centre which would address both these market.
Apart from this there are more commonalities in both these specialties. “Every diabetic patient needs an eye check up every six months and all eye care surgeries will need diabetic status checked before surgery for better treatment planning and clinical outcome. The first complication which arises for a diabetic patient is an eye illness which ultimately results in diabetic retinopathy,” adds Dr Velu.
Further management and prognosis of the two specialities is also related. Moreover patient education and caregiver education also more effective when given for both these modalities simultaneously. “Both disorders needs focus on prevention, early diagnosis and lifelong check-ups and interventions to improve quality of life ensuring diabetic wellness and eye care wellness, etc. Hence, these two verticals are closely related and can be treated and managed together in a day care setup,” Dr Velu states.
Value Preposition
Medfort hospitals is committed to provide superior healthcare service by offering compassionate patient care and clinical excellence. It strives to reach out to patients and their families through it`s state-of-the-art infrastructure and talented pool of doctors on board. “Medfort believes that every patient is important and has unique needs,” explains Dr Velu. Medfort Hospitals stands for growth and dynamism and strive to bring a revolution in healthcare through its unique approach for patients.
The hospitals are technology driven and through its network it is trying to create an edge for its services in the market. “We are far better than other service provider in the market. Today healthcare is driven by technology. It is added advantage to the patient in terms of accuracy in diagnosis and treatment. We have world’s current technology in our hand. This shows our commitment towards technology and innovation,” reminds Dr Velu.
Thus, Medfort is a value proposition in more ways than one. It provides cost effective treatments to patients, builds better business deals for insurance companies, ensures best patient outcomes, provides 15-20 per cent cheaper package rates compared to full scale corporate hospitals along with superior outcomes as patients are carefully screened and recovery at home reduces chances of infection.
Exploring Further
Although in its first year of operations the company has manly grown by way of acquisition, it does plan to go the green field way also. “ The company started off by acquisitions in Delhi NCR and Hyderabad and a green field centre in Chennai but in days to come the growth form will be a combination of both organic and inorganic expansions,” confirms Dr Velu.
As for their future plans the company wants to be known as the best in class eye care network and diabetic care network in the emerging markets of South/ South East Asia, Middle East and Africa. In addition. For their immidiate expansion the company plans to create over 20 green field eyecare and diabetic hospitals across India taking the number of hospitals to over 35 by April 2012. “By expanding organically and inorganically we plan to move from current five city operation to 20 city operations within the next 12 months and have a network of 50 hospitals by End 2012,” signs off Dr Velu.
mneelam.kachhap@expressindia.com
Simple tips for healthy eyes
Your eyes are an important part of your health. You can do many things to keep them healthy and make sure you’re seeing your best. Follow these simple guidelines for maintaining healthy eyes well into your golden years.
Have a comprehensive dilated eye exam. You might think your vision is fine or that your eyes are healthy, but visiting your eye care professional for a comprehensive dilated eye exam is the only way to really be sure. When it comes to common vision problems, some people don’t realize they could see better with glasses or contact lenses. In addition, many common eye diseases, such as glaucoma, diabetic eye disease, and age-related macular degeneration, often have no warning signs. A dilated eye exam is the only way to detect these diseases in their early stages.
During a comprehensive dilated eye exam, your eye care professional places drops in your eyes to dilate, or widen, the pupil to allow more light to enter the eye—the same way an open door lets more light into a dark room. This process enables your eye care professional to get a good look at the back of the eyes and examine them for any signs of damage or disease. Your eye care professional is the only one who can determine if your eyes are healthy and if you’re seeing your best.
Know your family’s eye health history. Talk to your family members about their eye health history. It’s important to know if anyone has been diagnosed with an eye disease or condition, since many are hereditary. This information will help to determine if you’re at higher risk for developing an eye disease or condition.
Eat right to protect your sight. You’ve heard that carrots are good for your eyes. But eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables—particularly dark leafy greens, such as spinach, kale, or collard greens—is important for keeping your eyes healthy, too.i Research has also shown there are eye health benefits from eating fish high in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, tuna, and halibut.
Maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight or obese increases your risk of developing diabetes and other systemic conditions, which can lead to vision loss, such as diabetic eye disease or glaucoma. If you’re having trouble maintaining a healthy weight, talk to your doctor.
Signs of Diabetic Eye Disease
Wear protective eyewear. Wear protective eyewear when playing sports or doing activities around the home. Protective eyewear includes safety glasses and goggles, safety shields, and eye guards specially designed to provide the correct protection for the activity in which you’re engaged. Most protective eyewear lenses are made of polycarbonate, which is 10 times stronger than other plastics. Many eye care providers sell protective eyewear, as do some sporting goods stores.
Quit smoking or never start. Smoking is as bad for your eyes as it is for the rest of your body. Research has linked smoking to an increased risk of developing age-related macular degeneration, cataract, and optic nerve damage, all of which can lead to blindness.ii, iii
Be cool and wear your shades. Sunglasses are a great fashion accessory, but their most important job is to protect your eyes from the sun’s ultraviolet rays. When purchasing sunglasses, look for ones that block out 99 to 100 percent of both UV-A and UV-B radiation.
Give your eyes a rest. If you spend a lot of time at the computer or focusing on any one thing, you sometimes forget to blink and your eyes can get fatigued. Try the 20-20-20 rule: Every 20 minutes, look away about 20 feet in front of you for 20 seconds. This short exercise can help reduce eyestrain.
Clean your hands and your contact lenses—properly. To avoid the risk of infection, always wash your hands thoroughly before putting in or taking out your contact lenses. Make sure to disinfect contact lenses as instructed and replace them as appropriate.
Practice workplace eye safety. Employers are required to provide a safe work environment. When protective eyewear is required as a part of your job, make a habit of wearing the appropriate type at all times, and encourage your coworkers to do the same.
Source: www.cdc.gov
Image: Orangeacid
Tags: eye care tips, eye disease, Eye examination, Macular degeneration, Sify Health
Have a comprehensive dilated eye exam. You might think your vision is fine or that your eyes are healthy, but visiting your eye care professional for a comprehensive dilated eye exam is the only way to really be sure. When it comes to common vision problems, some people don’t realize they could see better with glasses or contact lenses. In addition, many common eye diseases, such as glaucoma, diabetic eye disease, and age-related macular degeneration, often have no warning signs. A dilated eye exam is the only way to detect these diseases in their early stages.
During a comprehensive dilated eye exam, your eye care professional places drops in your eyes to dilate, or widen, the pupil to allow more light to enter the eye—the same way an open door lets more light into a dark room. This process enables your eye care professional to get a good look at the back of the eyes and examine them for any signs of damage or disease. Your eye care professional is the only one who can determine if your eyes are healthy and if you’re seeing your best.
Know your family’s eye health history. Talk to your family members about their eye health history. It’s important to know if anyone has been diagnosed with an eye disease or condition, since many are hereditary. This information will help to determine if you’re at higher risk for developing an eye disease or condition.
Eat right to protect your sight. You’ve heard that carrots are good for your eyes. But eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables—particularly dark leafy greens, such as spinach, kale, or collard greens—is important for keeping your eyes healthy, too.i Research has also shown there are eye health benefits from eating fish high in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, tuna, and halibut.
Maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight or obese increases your risk of developing diabetes and other systemic conditions, which can lead to vision loss, such as diabetic eye disease or glaucoma. If you’re having trouble maintaining a healthy weight, talk to your doctor.
Signs of Diabetic Eye Disease
Wear protective eyewear. Wear protective eyewear when playing sports or doing activities around the home. Protective eyewear includes safety glasses and goggles, safety shields, and eye guards specially designed to provide the correct protection for the activity in which you’re engaged. Most protective eyewear lenses are made of polycarbonate, which is 10 times stronger than other plastics. Many eye care providers sell protective eyewear, as do some sporting goods stores.
Quit smoking or never start. Smoking is as bad for your eyes as it is for the rest of your body. Research has linked smoking to an increased risk of developing age-related macular degeneration, cataract, and optic nerve damage, all of which can lead to blindness.ii, iii
Be cool and wear your shades. Sunglasses are a great fashion accessory, but their most important job is to protect your eyes from the sun’s ultraviolet rays. When purchasing sunglasses, look for ones that block out 99 to 100 percent of both UV-A and UV-B radiation.
Give your eyes a rest. If you spend a lot of time at the computer or focusing on any one thing, you sometimes forget to blink and your eyes can get fatigued. Try the 20-20-20 rule: Every 20 minutes, look away about 20 feet in front of you for 20 seconds. This short exercise can help reduce eyestrain.
Clean your hands and your contact lenses—properly. To avoid the risk of infection, always wash your hands thoroughly before putting in or taking out your contact lenses. Make sure to disinfect contact lenses as instructed and replace them as appropriate.
Practice workplace eye safety. Employers are required to provide a safe work environment. When protective eyewear is required as a part of your job, make a habit of wearing the appropriate type at all times, and encourage your coworkers to do the same.
Source: www.cdc.gov
Image: Orangeacid
Tags: eye care tips, eye disease, Eye examination, Macular degeneration, Sify Health
Thursday, October 6, 2011
tips for eye beauty
Eyes are one of the most important organ in the human body and vision is one of the most wonderful gift. But often many people neglect the importance of eye care and do not pay proper attention towards eye care.
Given below are some eye care tips for beautiful and attractive eyes.
Dip a cotton pad in a cup of water overnight. Strain this in the morning and add 1 cup of plain water to this. Splash the eyes with this water or wash them with the help of an eyecup.
Dip a pad of cotton wool in rose water to which 2-3 drops of Castor oil is mixed. Place these soaked pads on the eyelids for 15-20 minutes. Eye burns and other problems will be reduced.
Splash the eyes with a weak n very liter tea solution, thoroughly strained and cooled for 2 to 3 minutes.
Place Cotton pads dipped in a cold tea solution for an hour on the eyelids for 10 to 15 minutes and relax.
Dark Circles - Natural eye care, removing dark circles
Grate 3 pieces of cucumber and squeeze them through a muslin cloth and extract the juice. Dip cotton pads in this juice for 2 minutes and place on eyelids and darkened areas. Relax for 15 minutes for best results continue for 2 to3 days.
Take 1 teaspoon of Tomato pulp,1 pinch of Turmeric powder, half teaspoon of lime juice and 1 teaspoon of gram flour. Make a paste of the above ingredients and apply gently on the eye lids and the darkened areas and let it remain for half an hour. Remove gently with moist cotton pads after half an hour. Repeat this for a week
Deep Sunken Eyes - Herbal treatment
Mix 1 teaspoon of honey with half teaspoon of almond oil. Apply the above mixture gently on the eyes at bedtime. Repeat this for a week.
Soak 5 Almonds overnight. Peel them and mix it with a glass of milk eat the almonds by chewing well. Repeat this in the morning for 21 days should definitely help.
Puffy Eyes
Slice a raw Potato and circle the closed eyes with these halves. Or else grate a raw Potato and place on Muslin cloth and squeeze. Place these on the eyes and relax for 15-20 minutes.
Place cotton pads dipped in chilled milk before boiling on the eye lids while relaxing for 10-15 minutes.
In a small bowl of chilled water add few drops of Vitamin E oil. Dip cotton pads for 5 minutes in this and place on the eyes while relaxing for 20 minutes everyday.
Eyecare Instructions for people using computers and computer professionals
Spending long hours in front of television or computers is part of peoples life today. Especially if you are a computer professional, there is usually no escape from it. This causes many eyes and vision related problems in future. Here are some useful eye care tips for computer users.
After every 20 to 30 minutes of work, look at a distant away object and blink several times. This will help in better focusing
Blink frequently. People tend to reduce blink rate while working on computer. This can lead to dry eyes. Try to blink 12 to 15 times every minute.
Exercise you eyes at frequent intervals. Eye exercise is simple. All you need to do is just blink several times, then close your eyes and role them in clockwise and anti clockwise direction. While doing this, inhale and exhale slowly and open your eyes slowly after doing this.
Rub your palms against each other till them become warm. Cover your eyes with your warm palms for about a minute. Palming is another great way to relax and soothe your eyes.
Splashing water on you face during breaks can keep you refreshed. This also helps in cooling your eyes.
A few minutes of walk during breaks will refresh your body and mind. It is also good for your eyes as walking increases blood supply to your eyes.
Fix an anti glare screen on to your monitor or use anti glare glass while working on computers. Also position the monitor and lights in such a manner that glare from the screen is minimum.
Given below are some eye care tips for beautiful and attractive eyes.
Dip a cotton pad in a cup of water overnight. Strain this in the morning and add 1 cup of plain water to this. Splash the eyes with this water or wash them with the help of an eyecup.
Dip a pad of cotton wool in rose water to which 2-3 drops of Castor oil is mixed. Place these soaked pads on the eyelids for 15-20 minutes. Eye burns and other problems will be reduced.
Splash the eyes with a weak n very liter tea solution, thoroughly strained and cooled for 2 to 3 minutes.
Place Cotton pads dipped in a cold tea solution for an hour on the eyelids for 10 to 15 minutes and relax.
Dark Circles - Natural eye care, removing dark circles
Grate 3 pieces of cucumber and squeeze them through a muslin cloth and extract the juice. Dip cotton pads in this juice for 2 minutes and place on eyelids and darkened areas. Relax for 15 minutes for best results continue for 2 to3 days.
Take 1 teaspoon of Tomato pulp,1 pinch of Turmeric powder, half teaspoon of lime juice and 1 teaspoon of gram flour. Make a paste of the above ingredients and apply gently on the eye lids and the darkened areas and let it remain for half an hour. Remove gently with moist cotton pads after half an hour. Repeat this for a week
Deep Sunken Eyes - Herbal treatment
Mix 1 teaspoon of honey with half teaspoon of almond oil. Apply the above mixture gently on the eyes at bedtime. Repeat this for a week.
Soak 5 Almonds overnight. Peel them and mix it with a glass of milk eat the almonds by chewing well. Repeat this in the morning for 21 days should definitely help.
Puffy Eyes
Slice a raw Potato and circle the closed eyes with these halves. Or else grate a raw Potato and place on Muslin cloth and squeeze. Place these on the eyes and relax for 15-20 minutes.
Place cotton pads dipped in chilled milk before boiling on the eye lids while relaxing for 10-15 minutes.
In a small bowl of chilled water add few drops of Vitamin E oil. Dip cotton pads for 5 minutes in this and place on the eyes while relaxing for 20 minutes everyday.
Eyecare Instructions for people using computers and computer professionals
Spending long hours in front of television or computers is part of peoples life today. Especially if you are a computer professional, there is usually no escape from it. This causes many eyes and vision related problems in future. Here are some useful eye care tips for computer users.
After every 20 to 30 minutes of work, look at a distant away object and blink several times. This will help in better focusing
Blink frequently. People tend to reduce blink rate while working on computer. This can lead to dry eyes. Try to blink 12 to 15 times every minute.
Exercise you eyes at frequent intervals. Eye exercise is simple. All you need to do is just blink several times, then close your eyes and role them in clockwise and anti clockwise direction. While doing this, inhale and exhale slowly and open your eyes slowly after doing this.
Rub your palms against each other till them become warm. Cover your eyes with your warm palms for about a minute. Palming is another great way to relax and soothe your eyes.
Splashing water on you face during breaks can keep you refreshed. This also helps in cooling your eyes.
A few minutes of walk during breaks will refresh your body and mind. It is also good for your eyes as walking increases blood supply to your eyes.
Fix an anti glare screen on to your monitor or use anti glare glass while working on computers. Also position the monitor and lights in such a manner that glare from the screen is minimum.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Bionic eye helps the blind enter new dimensions of sight ...........
The American-made Argus implant ('bionic eye') restores partial vision to those blinded by retinitis pigmentosa. The second generation of the implant will hit the European market this summer.
Germany's national health care system has agreed to cover the Argus, and the United Kingdom and France are likely to follow. With a 100,000 US dollar (70,000 euro) price tag, whether or not the implant will be able to restore sight to tens of thousands of Europeans won't be determined by the success of the product, but by the ability of the manufacturer and medical community to convince other healthcare systems to pay for it
Officials are likely to have a hard time denying a blind person the chance of partially restoring their sight. Terry Byland from Los Angeles went blind in his forties. Standing outside the Riverside Braille Club, east of Los Angeles, he says: "The first time I touched that door with this cane I hit it right in the middle of the door each time. There was no guess work about where I was going."
Terry Byland is a member of the lively Riverside Braille Club. Most club members are well adjusted to life without sight. They gather on Tuesdays for exercise, bingo and choir practice. Before losing his sight, Terry sold machinery. Shortly after he was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, his eyesight disappeared, leaving him scared and frustrated.
Eye works like a camera
In many ways, the eye operates like a camera. For those suffering from retinitis pigmentosa, like Terry, seeing becomes impossible because of deteriorating photoreceptors in the retina - the equivalent of having a layer of camera film missing. The light enters through the lens and illuminates the film or the retina and transmits the picture of the outside world to the brain.
The Argus, the artificial retina, communicates with the brain through electric impulses, just like a full functioning retina would. A small video camera attached to a pair of glasses sends its picture to a computer the size of a deck of cards in the user's pocket. The computer translates the image into electric impulses and wirelessly communicates the information to electrodes implanted on the back of the eye.
The result is a highly-pixelated black and white picture. "Describing what they see is very challenging. But what we can do is measure their performance on tasks," explains Brian Mech of Second Sight Medical Products in Los Angeles. He has been a leader on the Argus development team for over a decade. "They can tell if people are approaching or leaving, into what direction they are moving."
Enhanced features
Terry Byland was one of two patients to receive the first generation of the implant during the earliest of the clinical trails. His feedback allowed for the following version to be enhanced, and new features were added. "I'd give anything to have the new version, but the FDA won't allow that," says Byland.
The American FDA, or Food and Drug Administration, has yet to give the green light to the Argus, even though European health officials have already granted approval. The FDA is notoriously tough, but all in the name of safety. Others, particularly those holding the purse strings, have a different set of questions. For example, how much will the implant affect the lifestyles of those who receive it?
Terry Byland does not wear his glasses everywhere. For instance he points out, they don't work properly inside the Riverside Braille Club. "I've had them here before," he says, "and the contrast value here is lousy. What I mean by that is you walk in there and it is mostly all vanilla. There's not that much dark and light to work with. And without that the camera doesn't work that well."
People like Terry Byland who have been blind for a long time already have ways to compensate, like listening for the traffic of cars to stay in the lines of a pedestrian crossing. On the other hand, those who have recently lost their sight might not be so good at these new skills and may find the implant very useful.
Mind meets machine
The next generations of bionic eye might be different. The Argus II currently has 60 electrodes, but the team is hoping to develop that further eventually produce an implant with around two thousand electrodes. Adding electrodes is similar to adding pixels to a digital camera - more pixels means a better image.
Argus II glasses connected to a mini-computer
But there's a limit: "It turns out that God or nature is a much better engineer than man," warns Mech of Second Sight Medical Products, referring to the human eye. "At least when it comes to this part, because we could never build electrodes that are as efficient as our photodetectors."
While the Argus is an improvement, it has its technological limitations and is only applicable to a certain group of visually impaired. Since it's people with retinitis pigmentosa who are only approved to receive the device, Argus candidates make up a small fraction of those with advanced vision loss.
The real technological feat of this device is often overlooked, however. It's the first machine that interfaces directly with the brain to be made available to the public. So while possibilities of restoring sight may be limited, the possibilities of mind meets machine are something to look forward to.
Author: Annie Gilbertson
Editor: Guy Degen
Why Your Eyes Hurt After Staring At Your Smartphone
We all know how when you stare at your iPhone or Blackberry for too long, your eyes start to strain and your head starts to hurt.
Scientists have figured out why, and it has to do with our eyes' inability to focus on a smartphone's small screen AND adjust to how far away the content is from our eyes.
The study, published in the Journal of Vision, shows that this problem could lead to the visual discomfort, headaches and fatigue that come from staring at a small screen or stereo 3D device for too long.
“When watching stereo 3D displays, the eyes must focus -- that is, accommodate -- to the distance of the screen because that’s where the light comes from," study researcher Martin S. Banks, professor of optometry and vision science at the University of California, Berkeley, said in a statement. "At the same time, the eyes must converge to the distance of the stereo content, which may be in front of or behind the screen."
Banks and his colleagues had 24 adults look at objects placed in front of a screen or behind a screen. They found that for short distances, the adults felt more uncomfortable when they looked at objects placed in front of the screen, while at long distances, they felt more uncomfortable looking at objects placed behind a screen.
Another study, published in the journal Optometry and Vision Science, shows that people's eyes have to work harder to read tiny text on a smartphone screen because they have to point in the right direction at the same time, USA Today reported.
The researcher for that study, SUNY College of Optometry professor Dr. Mark Rosenfield, said that he came up with the idea for his study by noticing people on the train who held their phones right in front of their eyes in order to read the screens, ABC News reported.
To avoid this sort of eye strain, Rosenfield suggested on ABC News looking into the distance every once in awhile to allow the eyes to relax.
Scientists have figured out why, and it has to do with our eyes' inability to focus on a smartphone's small screen AND adjust to how far away the content is from our eyes.
The study, published in the Journal of Vision, shows that this problem could lead to the visual discomfort, headaches and fatigue that come from staring at a small screen or stereo 3D device for too long.
“When watching stereo 3D displays, the eyes must focus -- that is, accommodate -- to the distance of the screen because that’s where the light comes from," study researcher Martin S. Banks, professor of optometry and vision science at the University of California, Berkeley, said in a statement. "At the same time, the eyes must converge to the distance of the stereo content, which may be in front of or behind the screen."
Banks and his colleagues had 24 adults look at objects placed in front of a screen or behind a screen. They found that for short distances, the adults felt more uncomfortable when they looked at objects placed in front of the screen, while at long distances, they felt more uncomfortable looking at objects placed behind a screen.
Another study, published in the journal Optometry and Vision Science, shows that people's eyes have to work harder to read tiny text on a smartphone screen because they have to point in the right direction at the same time, USA Today reported.
The researcher for that study, SUNY College of Optometry professor Dr. Mark Rosenfield, said that he came up with the idea for his study by noticing people on the train who held their phones right in front of their eyes in order to read the screens, ABC News reported.
To avoid this sort of eye strain, Rosenfield suggested on ABC News looking into the distance every once in awhile to allow the eyes to relax.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Who Are Accepted To Get The optometry Course
Most of college students joining a good optometry course should have a college diploma. To become accepted in the plan, a minimum of three years associated with pre-optometric learning is needed. Licensed optometry curriculum usually takes four many years of study to finish. For entrance within optometry college, you must complete the actual Optometry Entrance Check.
This test determines the knowledge associated with science and also the educational capability. This particular check is usually taken following the sophomore or even junior 12 months from the college student. This provides all of them plenty of time in the event that required, to consider again the evaluation for a greater result. College students must have to take programs within mathematics, chemistry and biology, biochemistry, physics, English prior to deciding on the college. Additional programs running a business, mindsets, sociology, background and talk are needed additionally. Several students choose to finish scientific disciplines bachelor’s diploma due to the powerful science practice given.
Once recognized within an optometry curriculum, courses in vision scientific disciplines, optics, pharmacology, systemic diseases as well as biochemistry and biology tend to be taken. The actual programs give clinical training in the diagnosis as well as treatment of eye problems, and also class study within health as well as visual sciences.
Being an optometrist, it is crucial to become oriented at length, to have excellent communication skills, tough business sense as well as self-discipline.
To do investigation with regard to career, optometrists generally have a master’s degree or even Ph.D. within wellness education, visible science, health management, neurophysiology, wellness connection and info, physical optics or open public health. If an optometrist likes in order to focus in ocular illnesses, contacts, major care, loved ones exercise, pediatric optometry, vision therapy or even elderly optometry, they have to have to go to postgrad medical residency that normally takes twelve months. Find out more about this particular career at http://www.optometryjobboard.com.
This test determines the knowledge associated with science and also the educational capability. This particular check is usually taken following the sophomore or even junior 12 months from the college student. This provides all of them plenty of time in the event that required, to consider again the evaluation for a greater result. College students must have to take programs within mathematics, chemistry and biology, biochemistry, physics, English prior to deciding on the college. Additional programs running a business, mindsets, sociology, background and talk are needed additionally. Several students choose to finish scientific disciplines bachelor’s diploma due to the powerful science practice given.
Once recognized within an optometry curriculum, courses in vision scientific disciplines, optics, pharmacology, systemic diseases as well as biochemistry and biology tend to be taken. The actual programs give clinical training in the diagnosis as well as treatment of eye problems, and also class study within health as well as visual sciences.
Being an optometrist, it is crucial to become oriented at length, to have excellent communication skills, tough business sense as well as self-discipline.
To do investigation with regard to career, optometrists generally have a master’s degree or even Ph.D. within wellness education, visible science, health management, neurophysiology, wellness connection and info, physical optics or open public health. If an optometrist likes in order to focus in ocular illnesses, contacts, major care, loved ones exercise, pediatric optometry, vision therapy or even elderly optometry, they have to have to go to postgrad medical residency that normally takes twelve months. Find out more about this particular career at http://www.optometryjobboard.com.
Friday, January 7, 2011
New Sunderland group helps blind people play tennis
Tennis ball
A soundball costs four times more than a regular tennis ball
A North East man is helping blind and visually impaired people fulfil their dreams of playing sport.
Paul Martin, from South Shields, has set up The North East Visually Impaired Tennis Club.
"Sound Tennis" enables those who are completely blind or with minimal sight play the game, by using a tennis ball which makes a noise when bounced.
The group, the only one in the region, meets at Silksworth in Sunderland on Friday evenings.
A soundball costs four times more than a regular tennis ball
Paul Martin was born with congenital cataracts
Paul Martin was born with congenital cataracts and had over 36 operations between the age of two and eight.
He lost his right eye during an operation and was given and artificial eye. Now, aged 35, he only has 15-20% vision in his left eye.
He attended the Royal National College for the blind in Hereford to study sports, and has always been a competitive sportsperson.
Helping somebody do what they want to do, that is what I lovePaul Martin
Mr Martin said: "I got involved because I am visually impaired myself and I was looking for something new and something to compete in because I love competitive sport.
"When I found out about blind tennis, I thought it sounded interesting and something good to do.
"The visually impaired world is very small in the North East and meeting other people out there is great. Helping somebody do what they want to do, that is what I love."
The group is the only one in the region to play sound tennis, with the only other group at Metro Blind Sports in London.
Tennis for blind and partially sighted people uses the normal rules of tennis but players use a short tennis or junior racquet.
Paul Martin
Paul Martin was born with congenital cataracts
The tennis ball is called a soundball, as it has ball bearings inside so that the ball can be heard by the players when it is bounced.
Someone who is visually impaired is allowed two bounces before they hit the ball.
Anyone totally blind or severely blind can have up to three bounces before they hit the ball back over the net.
Mr Martin is the treasurer of the group and believes it is important to raise awareness and help visually impaired people play sports.
He said: "I have always been interested in sports and I love competing. I've competed in football, athletics and cricket, it's just something I have a love for.
"It's a competitive sport. Anybody out there who enjoys sport would understand that it doesn't matter if you're an able person, or you've got a disability of any sort.
"If you love sport or do anything and it's something you enjoy, you know you want to do it."
The North East Visually Impaired Tennis Club takes place on Friday's at Silksworth from 6-7pm and costs £2.50.
For more information visit Silksworth Sports Complex and Ski Slope
Tennis ball
A soundball costs four times more than a regular tennis ball
A North East man is helping blind and visually impaired people fulfil their dreams of playing sport.
Paul Martin, from South Shields, has set up The North East Visually Impaired Tennis Club.
"Sound Tennis" enables those who are completely blind or with minimal sight play the game, by using a tennis ball which makes a noise when bounced.
The group, the only one in the region, meets at Silksworth in Sunderland on Friday evenings.
A soundball costs four times more than a regular tennis ball
Paul Martin was born with congenital cataracts
Paul Martin was born with congenital cataracts and had over 36 operations between the age of two and eight.
He lost his right eye during an operation and was given and artificial eye. Now, aged 35, he only has 15-20% vision in his left eye.
He attended the Royal National College for the blind in Hereford to study sports, and has always been a competitive sportsperson.
Helping somebody do what they want to do, that is what I lovePaul Martin
Mr Martin said: "I got involved because I am visually impaired myself and I was looking for something new and something to compete in because I love competitive sport.
"When I found out about blind tennis, I thought it sounded interesting and something good to do.
"The visually impaired world is very small in the North East and meeting other people out there is great. Helping somebody do what they want to do, that is what I love."
The group is the only one in the region to play sound tennis, with the only other group at Metro Blind Sports in London.
Tennis for blind and partially sighted people uses the normal rules of tennis but players use a short tennis or junior racquet.
Paul Martin
Paul Martin was born with congenital cataracts
The tennis ball is called a soundball, as it has ball bearings inside so that the ball can be heard by the players when it is bounced.
Someone who is visually impaired is allowed two bounces before they hit the ball.
Anyone totally blind or severely blind can have up to three bounces before they hit the ball back over the net.
Mr Martin is the treasurer of the group and believes it is important to raise awareness and help visually impaired people play sports.
He said: "I have always been interested in sports and I love competing. I've competed in football, athletics and cricket, it's just something I have a love for.
"It's a competitive sport. Anybody out there who enjoys sport would understand that it doesn't matter if you're an able person, or you've got a disability of any sort.
"If you love sport or do anything and it's something you enjoy, you know you want to do it."
The North East Visually Impaired Tennis Club takes place on Friday's at Silksworth from 6-7pm and costs £2.50.
For more information visit Silksworth Sports Complex and Ski Slope
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Eye Care Professionals
Jan 04 2011
In caring for the eyesight, most of us think that all eye care specialists are the same. Yet in fact, in Optometry there are various fields of specialization concerning the eye’s vision, visual systems and the human vision information processing. Therefore there isn’t only a sole eye care consultant who is able to properly care and treat all issues concerning the eyes.
The most common eye care specialist is the Optometrist. The optometrist identifies common eye diseases and disorders. If the patient only require routine check-ups or new prescription for glasses and contact lenses, then an Optometrist is licensed to do the job and perform refractive vision correction on us.
An Ophthalmologist, on the other hand, is a medical doctor with specialization in surgical eye care. To become specialize in this career is a lengthy one. It requires four college years and medical school years, then another four to six years of residency, internship or training which is a total of 12-14 years. Given that the patient has a specific problem with the eyes such as diseases, trauma or infection, they needs to seek the services of an ophthalmologist. Who will perform a complete eye examination on the patient, then recommend the treatment or surgery necessary depending on the conditions.
There are particular eye care professionals in the United Kingdom called Ophthalmic Medical Practitioners. This is an occupation for qualified doctors, employed to carry out medical eye examination and to prescribe glasses on the premises of an Optometrist. These professionals have be medically trained and are required to hold a higher diploma, membership and/or fellowship in Ophthalmology from the Royal College of Ophthalmologists or equivalent qualifications as approved by the Ophthalmic Qualification Committee.
As outlined by the International Orthoptic Association, an Orthoptist’s job involves the evaluation and treatment of disorders in vision, eye movements, and eye alignment for both children and adults. This eye care specialist is the link between the patient and an ophthalmologist, assisting in the explanation and evaluation. The standard education of an Orthoptist in many countries including the USA is three years of college and two more post graduate college years. In Australia and some other countries, it requires a four years in a master’s degree.
The fabrication and fitting of ocular prostheses for people who have lot eyesight after traumas or illnesses is handled by an Ocularist. These Ocularist starts by taking an impression of the eye socket, then uses that impression to shape the plastic shell, painting the iris and finally fits the prosthetic eye. In addition, the Ocularist also show the patient how to care for and handle the prosthesis. Training and registration differs as there is no specific training program for Ocularist these days.
An Optician is a professional who specializes in the fabrication of ophthalmic lenses, spectacles, contact lenses, low vision aids and ocular prosthetics. A regulated profession in most places, an Optician uses different equipments in dispensing eye wear such as lensometer and pupilometer.
Ophthalmic Medical Personnel is the collective term for allied assistants in eye caring. Ophthalmic Assistants, as they are called in many countries, have trained for two to three years in applied science and works in hospitals or clinics with ophthalmologists or orthoptists. In USA, there are three categories: Certified Ophthalmic Assistant for entry level, Certified Ophthalmic Technician for intermediate level and for advanced level is the Certified Ophthalmic Medical Technologist.
No responses yet
Eye Serum
Jan 03 2011
Eye Serums have become quite popular in recent years. When people hear the word “serum” they think of an advanced treatment. It certainly has medicinal ring to it. It certainly sound more storied than say a “cream” or a “gel.” The answer is quite simple. It’s an under eye application that is used to treat the various signs of aging. Of course, dark circles are a common sign of aging that many people struggle with treating. Also included in this category would be eye bags, puffy eyes, and thinning skin. It’s a fact that the skin under the eyes loses its elasticity before skin on other parts of the body, and eye serums can help promote plumping of this skin and actually work to restore lost collagen.The only difference in the three of these anti aging applications on a technical level is viscosity. An eye serum is more viscous than an eye cream or eye gel. It usually is dispensed as a yellowish fluid, almost like the color of mucous. When I think of an eye cream, I certainly think of a firm, lotion-like texture.
An eye gel certainly leads one to believe the formula is dispersed in a clear, sticky manner, much like gel used in hair styling products. Well, this is not the case. Marketing minds use these terms with zero bearing on their viscosity and simply pump out products with either a serum, gel, or cream title to them. There is no correct answer as to what is best between creams, serums, or gels. While they all work to perform similar relief to the under eye area, each product depends on one thing – the formula. The main thing to keep in mind as you shop for an under-eye treatment is that you should read plenty of consumer reviews. With many of the products out there making over-the-top claims, it’s hard to decipher which products really work. There are many great eye cream review sites out there on the web, and in a future post I will examine different sites and go into great detail about what to look for.Specifically formulated to treat delicate eye area. Fine lines around the eyes (and mouth) will soften, smooth and become less noticeable. Your dark circles under eyes natural treatment could be just as simple as getting more sleep, eating better, or using a high quality skincare product especially made for that condition.
No responses yet
Turn your Home into A Better Place
Jan 02 2011
It is true that we love our home no matter how it is and therefore there is a quotation that says home sweet home. It means that no matter how our home seems to be we will still love it. The question is how much will you love it? The answer must be depends on how good it is or how suitable it is to us. Room that is too large like a castle won’t be called a home; that is because it will be more like a castle than a home and believe us that it won’t be fun having this kind of house and a house that is too small won’t be called a home because it will feels like a warehouse. That is why we said that size is not the factor that is going to determine the value of a home but the decoration is.
You need to decorate your home if you want t turn your home into a better place. That can be easily done but they say it needs a lot of money to do that. You need to buy area rugs to cover your living room and of course you need to buy furniture and stuff. All of them are important so you may not choose because living room without rugs will be the same as soup without salt. It will felt like nothing and if it is too expensive for you then there is actually a way to cut the expenses. You can turn your home into a better place if you look for cheap rugs. We don’t say that you have to turn your place into a better place with cheap looking rugs because that won’t manage to turn your home at all. You need to find good quality rugs with affordable price to do it.
No responses yet
Three Essential Points For Caring For Wooden Garage Doors
Jan 01 2011
Wooden garage doors are a top choice for homeowners. The designs available best match the charm and warmth of a home. And it does help that doors made of wood are more affordable than those made of any other material.
Just like any other major appliance or fixture in the home, wooden doors require some amount of care if you want your investment to last a long time. Don’t let the mass and size of your garage door intimidate you. You only need to have a keen eye on these three main areas:
1. The Moving Parts – Hinges, tracks, chains and other mechanical parts take a beating everyday. Less rust and dirt on the mechanism helps keep the system operate quietly and lessens the chance for major mechanical problems. Keep moving parts clean and well lubricated. All you need is your favorite all-purpose household lubricant or oil and an old toothbrush to reach into the tiny spaces. You can also spray some WD-40 on those parts that need to get un-stuck. Tighten up any loose screws. Make sure that the locking system works.
Check also the alignment of the door’s rollers against the tracks. Call the pros if the door does not completely close or open because of misalignment, a faulty panel, or if a part needs to be replaced. Keep in mind that a broken door not only makes your home vulnerable to theft, it may also cause unnecessary accidents to pets and people.
2. The Weather-Proofing Features – Peek in between and on the sides of the panels of the door. See if the weather stripping is still holding up. Pay particular attention to the bottom of the door. This part meets the pavement and weather stripping here gets the most beating. Replace worn out weather stripping as soon as you can.
Wooden garage doors, especially single-panel types, tend to droop in the middle part as the wood contracts and expands because of humidity changes throughout the year. But this can easily be fixed with a metal rod to act as a brace.
3. The Paint or Stain – The aesthetic charm of wood comes from being able to see and feel the grain even under the paint or varnish. But there’s more to the paint job than just helping your house look great. The paint layer protects the wood from moisture and harsh temperatures that cause cracks and sagging. It may seem like a thick enough coat but sunshine, rain and snow will bear down on the finish after a year or so. Warped wooden panels will in turn affect how the mechanical parts run.
Take note of any weathering or stripping on either side of the door. The lower part of doors are closer and more prone to damage caused by water and snow accumulating on the pavement. This part of the maintenance check is especially crucial if you live in an area known for extreme weather conditions.
Newly installed doors will start to show some wear and tear after a year. So it’s best to go through a regular run through of the mechanism, the weather stripping and the paint annually. Remember that the garage door not only helps hide the vehicle and the other stuff in your garage. It also forms part of the protective shell of your home.
No responses yet
Choosing the Perfect Pair of Glasses
Dec 27 2010
A lot of people choose thin metal-rimmed glasses, believing that they are “near invisible”, in the hopes that others won’t notice them. Glasses will either look sterile and functional, or they will look like a fashion accessory. With the exception of aviator-type frames, most metal-rimmed glasses look like the former. The face is your body’s focal point; therefore, your image is profoundly impacted by your eyeglasses.
Two things to take into consideration when choosing glasses as a fashion accessory are your eye color and your hair color. Frames can be chosen to enhance either or both. Certain colors for eyeglass frames can make green eyes look greener and brown hair look browner.
Generally, people never think of enhancing their hair color when they are choosing eyeglass frames. Occasionally, a person with silver hair will purposely select silver frames, but beyond this, not much thought is given to this connection. People with grey hair actually tend to wear gold-rimmed glasses, which is similar to wearing silver necklace with a gold bracelet.
There are several colors that may, unsuspectingly, drain color from the eyes. Individuals with blue eyes often select frames in some shade of blue, thinking that they will intensify the color of the eyes. Most often, however, the glasses compete with the eye color and make them appear less vivid. For technical reasons, wearing frames in a contrasting color will result in the eye color being intensified. Blue-eyed people, for example, should wear glasses in the red family, such as burgundy or rust, to enhance your eye color.
Choosing Glasses to Enhance Eye Color
Green Eyes: Colors from the yellow or purple families will intensify green eyes. Bright yellow glasses could go over the top, however. Green frames can sometimes accentuate green eyes, but usually not as effectively as purple ones. Recommendations: Mauve, orchid, lavender, periwinkle, purple, violet, red-violet, eggplant, jade green, racing green, emerald green.
Blue Eyes: Pick any color in the red or orange family, as these complementary colors will enhance your blue eye color. Blue frames are a possibility, but make a comparison with red frames to make certain the blue ones do not compete with the eyes for attention. Recommendations: True red, watermelon red, cherry red, fuchsia, magenta, burgundy, coral, apricot, brick, rust, Chinese red. Tones of blue that are compatible with your wardrobe could also be tested.
Brown Eyes: Purples and greens usually make brown eyes look their loveliest. However, you have a wide variety of colors from which to choose. You can wear black frames, horn-rimmed frames or even translucent frames. In general, to make the eyes look darker, choose eyeglass frames in a pale color. Dark purples and greens always look elegant with brown eyes. Recommendations: Plum, purple, violet, lavender, racing green, jade green, horn, emerald.
Grey Eyes: In order to make the eyes appear their palest, choose eyeglass frames in a dark color. These cool, mysterious eyes are the most beautiful when they appear to be quite pale. Recommendations: Black, charcoal black, deep burgundy, midnight blue, deep purple.
Hazel Eyes: Hazel eyes, like chameleons, tend to change color. They sometimes appear green or yellow, or even varying shades of brown. In general, to make the eyes look greener, try purples, violets or greens. To bring out brown tones, try horn-rimmed glasses. To bring out the yellow or gold tones, use deep shades of purple or violet. Recommendations: Violets, red-violets, purples, plum, horn, greens, blue-greens.
Choosing Glasses to Enhance Hair Color
Blonde Hair: Eyeglass frames in a dark color will lighten blonde hair. You can try wearing dark purples for green or hazel eyes, deep burgundy for blue eyes, or dark horn for brown eyes. Recommendations: Black or a dark color that will also enhance the eye color (see preceding portion of this chapter) at the same time.
Red Hair: Choosing eyeglass frames in shades of blue, green or blue green can complement red hair. Make sure the frames harmonize with your wardrobe, as well. Purples are also quite dramatic with red hair. Recommendations: Royal blue, Chinese blue, cobalt, turquoise, emerald, jade, bottle green, lavender, violet, purple.
Black Hair: Choose colors from the red-family to accent the natural blue undertones of true black hair. To make the hair appear darker, choose frames in a pale color, including pewter and various shades of white. Recommendations: Burgundy, black, red, fuchsia, white, greens, purples, blues.
Brown Hair: Shades of brown can range from mousy brown to deep chestnut. To make the hair appear darker, choose frames in a pale color that enhances your eyes (see above). To make the hair appear lighter, choose dark colors that enhance the eye color. Red tones will be enhance by blues or greens.
Grey Hair: Endless shades of “grey hair” exist, from partially grey to silver grey. The moment hair becomes noticeably grey, it is important to avoid brown or yellow frames. This includes gold, horn and mock tortoise shell, since these colors will dull the grey tones in the hair. Silver frames call attention to grey hair, particularly when the hair is only partially grey. Silver-grey hair will look more platinum and less grey with dark colors such as black, navy or midnight blue. Light colored frames can make previously dark hair, which is lighter due to greying, look darker.
No responses yet
Living Alone
Dec 27 2010
In this life we always move forward to a better day. That kind of development needs process and not all of this process is easy. For instance; when you need to learn how to walk then you must fall beforehand and this is not easy. We believe that you must be agreeing with us. In our live we cannot always rely on our parents so then we decide to move out and live alone by ourselves. This is a process of maturity and all of us must have experienced it even though we know this is not the best thing ever happened to our live.
The hardest part of living alone is managing money. We may work but sometimes it is only enough to pay bills so if you are having a problem like that then you need to manage your cash well so you can survive living alone. You can consider having personal cash advance loans at here. It is not hard to obtain because you can find it in the internet and all you need to do is filling some form. It is really easy and it may save the trouble of living alone. This is an alternative that we think worth to consider.
Jan 04 2011
In caring for the eyesight, most of us think that all eye care specialists are the same. Yet in fact, in Optometry there are various fields of specialization concerning the eye’s vision, visual systems and the human vision information processing. Therefore there isn’t only a sole eye care consultant who is able to properly care and treat all issues concerning the eyes.
The most common eye care specialist is the Optometrist. The optometrist identifies common eye diseases and disorders. If the patient only require routine check-ups or new prescription for glasses and contact lenses, then an Optometrist is licensed to do the job and perform refractive vision correction on us.
An Ophthalmologist, on the other hand, is a medical doctor with specialization in surgical eye care. To become specialize in this career is a lengthy one. It requires four college years and medical school years, then another four to six years of residency, internship or training which is a total of 12-14 years. Given that the patient has a specific problem with the eyes such as diseases, trauma or infection, they needs to seek the services of an ophthalmologist. Who will perform a complete eye examination on the patient, then recommend the treatment or surgery necessary depending on the conditions.
There are particular eye care professionals in the United Kingdom called Ophthalmic Medical Practitioners. This is an occupation for qualified doctors, employed to carry out medical eye examination and to prescribe glasses on the premises of an Optometrist. These professionals have be medically trained and are required to hold a higher diploma, membership and/or fellowship in Ophthalmology from the Royal College of Ophthalmologists or equivalent qualifications as approved by the Ophthalmic Qualification Committee.
As outlined by the International Orthoptic Association, an Orthoptist’s job involves the evaluation and treatment of disorders in vision, eye movements, and eye alignment for both children and adults. This eye care specialist is the link between the patient and an ophthalmologist, assisting in the explanation and evaluation. The standard education of an Orthoptist in many countries including the USA is three years of college and two more post graduate college years. In Australia and some other countries, it requires a four years in a master’s degree.
The fabrication and fitting of ocular prostheses for people who have lot eyesight after traumas or illnesses is handled by an Ocularist. These Ocularist starts by taking an impression of the eye socket, then uses that impression to shape the plastic shell, painting the iris and finally fits the prosthetic eye. In addition, the Ocularist also show the patient how to care for and handle the prosthesis. Training and registration differs as there is no specific training program for Ocularist these days.
An Optician is a professional who specializes in the fabrication of ophthalmic lenses, spectacles, contact lenses, low vision aids and ocular prosthetics. A regulated profession in most places, an Optician uses different equipments in dispensing eye wear such as lensometer and pupilometer.
Ophthalmic Medical Personnel is the collective term for allied assistants in eye caring. Ophthalmic Assistants, as they are called in many countries, have trained for two to three years in applied science and works in hospitals or clinics with ophthalmologists or orthoptists. In USA, there are three categories: Certified Ophthalmic Assistant for entry level, Certified Ophthalmic Technician for intermediate level and for advanced level is the Certified Ophthalmic Medical Technologist.
No responses yet
Eye Serum
Jan 03 2011
Eye Serums have become quite popular in recent years. When people hear the word “serum” they think of an advanced treatment. It certainly has medicinal ring to it. It certainly sound more storied than say a “cream” or a “gel.” The answer is quite simple. It’s an under eye application that is used to treat the various signs of aging. Of course, dark circles are a common sign of aging that many people struggle with treating. Also included in this category would be eye bags, puffy eyes, and thinning skin. It’s a fact that the skin under the eyes loses its elasticity before skin on other parts of the body, and eye serums can help promote plumping of this skin and actually work to restore lost collagen.The only difference in the three of these anti aging applications on a technical level is viscosity. An eye serum is more viscous than an eye cream or eye gel. It usually is dispensed as a yellowish fluid, almost like the color of mucous. When I think of an eye cream, I certainly think of a firm, lotion-like texture.
An eye gel certainly leads one to believe the formula is dispersed in a clear, sticky manner, much like gel used in hair styling products. Well, this is not the case. Marketing minds use these terms with zero bearing on their viscosity and simply pump out products with either a serum, gel, or cream title to them. There is no correct answer as to what is best between creams, serums, or gels. While they all work to perform similar relief to the under eye area, each product depends on one thing – the formula. The main thing to keep in mind as you shop for an under-eye treatment is that you should read plenty of consumer reviews. With many of the products out there making over-the-top claims, it’s hard to decipher which products really work. There are many great eye cream review sites out there on the web, and in a future post I will examine different sites and go into great detail about what to look for.Specifically formulated to treat delicate eye area. Fine lines around the eyes (and mouth) will soften, smooth and become less noticeable. Your dark circles under eyes natural treatment could be just as simple as getting more sleep, eating better, or using a high quality skincare product especially made for that condition.
No responses yet
Turn your Home into A Better Place
Jan 02 2011
It is true that we love our home no matter how it is and therefore there is a quotation that says home sweet home. It means that no matter how our home seems to be we will still love it. The question is how much will you love it? The answer must be depends on how good it is or how suitable it is to us. Room that is too large like a castle won’t be called a home; that is because it will be more like a castle than a home and believe us that it won’t be fun having this kind of house and a house that is too small won’t be called a home because it will feels like a warehouse. That is why we said that size is not the factor that is going to determine the value of a home but the decoration is.
You need to decorate your home if you want t turn your home into a better place. That can be easily done but they say it needs a lot of money to do that. You need to buy area rugs to cover your living room and of course you need to buy furniture and stuff. All of them are important so you may not choose because living room without rugs will be the same as soup without salt. It will felt like nothing and if it is too expensive for you then there is actually a way to cut the expenses. You can turn your home into a better place if you look for cheap rugs. We don’t say that you have to turn your place into a better place with cheap looking rugs because that won’t manage to turn your home at all. You need to find good quality rugs with affordable price to do it.
No responses yet
Three Essential Points For Caring For Wooden Garage Doors
Jan 01 2011
Wooden garage doors are a top choice for homeowners. The designs available best match the charm and warmth of a home. And it does help that doors made of wood are more affordable than those made of any other material.
Just like any other major appliance or fixture in the home, wooden doors require some amount of care if you want your investment to last a long time. Don’t let the mass and size of your garage door intimidate you. You only need to have a keen eye on these three main areas:
1. The Moving Parts – Hinges, tracks, chains and other mechanical parts take a beating everyday. Less rust and dirt on the mechanism helps keep the system operate quietly and lessens the chance for major mechanical problems. Keep moving parts clean and well lubricated. All you need is your favorite all-purpose household lubricant or oil and an old toothbrush to reach into the tiny spaces. You can also spray some WD-40 on those parts that need to get un-stuck. Tighten up any loose screws. Make sure that the locking system works.
Check also the alignment of the door’s rollers against the tracks. Call the pros if the door does not completely close or open because of misalignment, a faulty panel, or if a part needs to be replaced. Keep in mind that a broken door not only makes your home vulnerable to theft, it may also cause unnecessary accidents to pets and people.
2. The Weather-Proofing Features – Peek in between and on the sides of the panels of the door. See if the weather stripping is still holding up. Pay particular attention to the bottom of the door. This part meets the pavement and weather stripping here gets the most beating. Replace worn out weather stripping as soon as you can.
Wooden garage doors, especially single-panel types, tend to droop in the middle part as the wood contracts and expands because of humidity changes throughout the year. But this can easily be fixed with a metal rod to act as a brace.
3. The Paint or Stain – The aesthetic charm of wood comes from being able to see and feel the grain even under the paint or varnish. But there’s more to the paint job than just helping your house look great. The paint layer protects the wood from moisture and harsh temperatures that cause cracks and sagging. It may seem like a thick enough coat but sunshine, rain and snow will bear down on the finish after a year or so. Warped wooden panels will in turn affect how the mechanical parts run.
Take note of any weathering or stripping on either side of the door. The lower part of doors are closer and more prone to damage caused by water and snow accumulating on the pavement. This part of the maintenance check is especially crucial if you live in an area known for extreme weather conditions.
Newly installed doors will start to show some wear and tear after a year. So it’s best to go through a regular run through of the mechanism, the weather stripping and the paint annually. Remember that the garage door not only helps hide the vehicle and the other stuff in your garage. It also forms part of the protective shell of your home.
No responses yet
Choosing the Perfect Pair of Glasses
Dec 27 2010
A lot of people choose thin metal-rimmed glasses, believing that they are “near invisible”, in the hopes that others won’t notice them. Glasses will either look sterile and functional, or they will look like a fashion accessory. With the exception of aviator-type frames, most metal-rimmed glasses look like the former. The face is your body’s focal point; therefore, your image is profoundly impacted by your eyeglasses.
Two things to take into consideration when choosing glasses as a fashion accessory are your eye color and your hair color. Frames can be chosen to enhance either or both. Certain colors for eyeglass frames can make green eyes look greener and brown hair look browner.
Generally, people never think of enhancing their hair color when they are choosing eyeglass frames. Occasionally, a person with silver hair will purposely select silver frames, but beyond this, not much thought is given to this connection. People with grey hair actually tend to wear gold-rimmed glasses, which is similar to wearing silver necklace with a gold bracelet.
There are several colors that may, unsuspectingly, drain color from the eyes. Individuals with blue eyes often select frames in some shade of blue, thinking that they will intensify the color of the eyes. Most often, however, the glasses compete with the eye color and make them appear less vivid. For technical reasons, wearing frames in a contrasting color will result in the eye color being intensified. Blue-eyed people, for example, should wear glasses in the red family, such as burgundy or rust, to enhance your eye color.
Choosing Glasses to Enhance Eye Color
Green Eyes: Colors from the yellow or purple families will intensify green eyes. Bright yellow glasses could go over the top, however. Green frames can sometimes accentuate green eyes, but usually not as effectively as purple ones. Recommendations: Mauve, orchid, lavender, periwinkle, purple, violet, red-violet, eggplant, jade green, racing green, emerald green.
Blue Eyes: Pick any color in the red or orange family, as these complementary colors will enhance your blue eye color. Blue frames are a possibility, but make a comparison with red frames to make certain the blue ones do not compete with the eyes for attention. Recommendations: True red, watermelon red, cherry red, fuchsia, magenta, burgundy, coral, apricot, brick, rust, Chinese red. Tones of blue that are compatible with your wardrobe could also be tested.
Brown Eyes: Purples and greens usually make brown eyes look their loveliest. However, you have a wide variety of colors from which to choose. You can wear black frames, horn-rimmed frames or even translucent frames. In general, to make the eyes look darker, choose eyeglass frames in a pale color. Dark purples and greens always look elegant with brown eyes. Recommendations: Plum, purple, violet, lavender, racing green, jade green, horn, emerald.
Grey Eyes: In order to make the eyes appear their palest, choose eyeglass frames in a dark color. These cool, mysterious eyes are the most beautiful when they appear to be quite pale. Recommendations: Black, charcoal black, deep burgundy, midnight blue, deep purple.
Hazel Eyes: Hazel eyes, like chameleons, tend to change color. They sometimes appear green or yellow, or even varying shades of brown. In general, to make the eyes look greener, try purples, violets or greens. To bring out brown tones, try horn-rimmed glasses. To bring out the yellow or gold tones, use deep shades of purple or violet. Recommendations: Violets, red-violets, purples, plum, horn, greens, blue-greens.
Choosing Glasses to Enhance Hair Color
Blonde Hair: Eyeglass frames in a dark color will lighten blonde hair. You can try wearing dark purples for green or hazel eyes, deep burgundy for blue eyes, or dark horn for brown eyes. Recommendations: Black or a dark color that will also enhance the eye color (see preceding portion of this chapter) at the same time.
Red Hair: Choosing eyeglass frames in shades of blue, green or blue green can complement red hair. Make sure the frames harmonize with your wardrobe, as well. Purples are also quite dramatic with red hair. Recommendations: Royal blue, Chinese blue, cobalt, turquoise, emerald, jade, bottle green, lavender, violet, purple.
Black Hair: Choose colors from the red-family to accent the natural blue undertones of true black hair. To make the hair appear darker, choose frames in a pale color, including pewter and various shades of white. Recommendations: Burgundy, black, red, fuchsia, white, greens, purples, blues.
Brown Hair: Shades of brown can range from mousy brown to deep chestnut. To make the hair appear darker, choose frames in a pale color that enhances your eyes (see above). To make the hair appear lighter, choose dark colors that enhance the eye color. Red tones will be enhance by blues or greens.
Grey Hair: Endless shades of “grey hair” exist, from partially grey to silver grey. The moment hair becomes noticeably grey, it is important to avoid brown or yellow frames. This includes gold, horn and mock tortoise shell, since these colors will dull the grey tones in the hair. Silver frames call attention to grey hair, particularly when the hair is only partially grey. Silver-grey hair will look more platinum and less grey with dark colors such as black, navy or midnight blue. Light colored frames can make previously dark hair, which is lighter due to greying, look darker.
No responses yet
Living Alone
Dec 27 2010
In this life we always move forward to a better day. That kind of development needs process and not all of this process is easy. For instance; when you need to learn how to walk then you must fall beforehand and this is not easy. We believe that you must be agreeing with us. In our live we cannot always rely on our parents so then we decide to move out and live alone by ourselves. This is a process of maturity and all of us must have experienced it even though we know this is not the best thing ever happened to our live.
The hardest part of living alone is managing money. We may work but sometimes it is only enough to pay bills so if you are having a problem like that then you need to manage your cash well so you can survive living alone. You can consider having personal cash advance loans at here. It is not hard to obtain because you can find it in the internet and all you need to do is filling some form. It is really easy and it may save the trouble of living alone. This is an alternative that we think worth to consider.
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