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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

OCULARISTRY

What is an ocularist?

An ocularist is a carefully trained technician skilled in the arts of fitting, shaping, and painting ocular prostheses. In addition to creating it, the ocularist shows the patient how to handle and care for the prosthesis, and provides long-term care through periodic examinations.

How long have artificial eyes been around?

Artificial eye-making has been practiced since ancient times. The first ocular prostheses were made by Roman and Egyptian priests as early as the fifth century B.C. In those days, artificial eyes were made of painted clay attached to cloth and worn outside the socket.

It took many centuries for the first in-socket artificial eyes to be developed. At first, these were made of gold with colored enamel. Then, in the later part of the sixteenth century, the Venetians started making artificial eyes out of glass. These early glass eyes were crude, uncomfortable to wear, and very fragile. Even so, the Venetians continued making them and kept their methods secret until the end of the eighteenth century. After that, the center for artificial eye-making shifted to Paris for a time; but by the mid-nineteenth century, German glass-blowers had developed superior techniques, and the center for glass eye-making moved to Germany.

Shortly thereafter, glass eye-making was introduced in the United States. During World War II, the imported German glass used for glass prostheses became unavailable in this country. As a result of this shortage, the U.S. Government, in conjunction with a number of American firms, popularized the techniques for making artificial eyes out of acrylic plastic.

The popularity of this method has continued to increase over the years, and today the vast majority of patients wear ocular prostheses made of acrylic.

What's the difference between "stock" and "custom" eyes?

"Stock" or "ready-made" ocular prostheses are mass-produced. Since a "stock eye" is not made for any particular person, it doesn’t fit any particular patient. A "custom" ocular prosthesis, on the other hand, is made by your ocularist to fit you and you alone.

How often do you have to see an ocularist?

The ocular prosthesis, like hard contact lenses, needs to be polished regularly in order to restore the acrylic finish and insure the health of the surrounding tissues. It is generally recommended that infants under 3 years of age be seen every 3 months; patients under 9 twice yearly, and all other patients at least once a year.

Does medical insurance pay for artificial eyes?

If insurance coverage is available, most ocularist offices will assist you in every possible way to obtain full benefits of your policy. However, it should be noted that the patient, or in the case of children, a parent or guardian is always responsible for payment...and in the case of HMO'S it is always necessary to obtain a referral before work can begin.

What is the American Society of Ocularists?

The American Society of Ocularists (ASO) is a professional organization which was established by a group of skilled American ocularists in 1957. Their purpose was to promote high standards through research and education in the field of ophthalmic prosthetics. Today the ASO maintains quality ocularistry through its formal education, training and continuing education programs.

How do I find a good ocularist?

In most states, there are no laws governing ocularists. When choosing an artificial eyemaker, you should consult your state regulations and look for the following credentials:

• Membership in the American Society of Ocularists
• Certification by the National Examining Board of Ocularists

How does a person learn to become an ocularist?

There are no schools that teach ocularistry. A person must learn how to make artificial eyes through an apprenticeship with an approved ocularist (a Board Approved Diplomate Ocularist). The ASO Apprentice Program requires that the apprentice must study all aspects of ocular prosthetics, and spend five years (10,000 hours) in practical training. The apprentice must also successfully complete 750 credits of related study courses offered by the Education Program of the ASO. Upon successful completion of all requirements, the title, Diplomate of the American Society of Ocularists, is awarded.

Does the Society arrange apprenticeships?

Apprenticeships are not arranged by the American Society of Ocularists. A person seeking training must contact ocularists in their area and locate someone who is able to hire and train an apprentice. For people willing and able to relocate, we suggest attending one of the bi-annual conferences to meet ocularists from different parts of the country.

Can I apprentice with any ocularist?

To qualify for the Society’s apprenticeship program, you must train with a Board Approved Diplomate Ocularist (BADO).

I already make artificial eyes. Do I have to become an apprentice?

Persons who are already working as ocularists may apply to the Society’s Associate program.

Aren’t there classes I can take somewhere to learn to become an ocularist?

The American Society of Ocularists is the only organization that offers educational training in ocularistry. Classes are offered at the Society’s bi-annual meetings, and are designed to prepare ocularists to take their certification exams.

I’m in school now. What courses should I take to increase my chances of becoming an apprentice?

The sciences provide a good base, in addition to taking extensive courses in art, sculpting, communicative skills and applied psychology.

Who certifies ocularists?

The National Examining Board of Ocularists (NEBO) is an independent entity whose directors come from the following participating organizations:

• American Academy of Ophthalmology
• American Board for Certification of Orthotics and Prosthetics
• American Society of Ocularists
• Canadian Society of Ocularists
• Public Member

NEBO awards the title, Board Certified Ocularist (BCO), to those ocularists who successfully complete a comprehensive two-part written and practical examination. All BCOs must complete continuing education requirements and be recertified by NEBO every six years.