UV ALERT!

Categories: Cataracts, Eye Health, Sunglasses, Sunglasses for Kids

A New Breed of Fish Art

Categories: Uncategorized

At first glance, the fish sculptures appearing in a new ad campaign for Costa Sunglasses look a bit robotic. But upon closer inspection, you can see what really makes this fish art so unique — the fish mounts are built entirely out of parts from Costa sunglasses! The company hired artists to build three species out of sunglasses including a tarpon, blue marlin and largemouth bass and they used nothing but pieces and parts of sunglasses to make them — lenses for scales, frames for gills, etc.

The artists used a mix of lenses, hinges, frame arms, nose pads, side shields and retainer-cord segments from hundreds of Costa sunglasses to create the mounted fish sculptures.

Each fish was built using a lens color and frame that you’d typically wear to catch that particular species. The blue marlin model glows with dozens of Costa’s 580 blue-mirror lenses as scales and silver and black frame arms as fins. Side shields and retainer cords add realistic detail to the body of the billfish.

Green-mirror lenses, nose pads and hinges work together to create a lifelike bass. For the tarpon’s scales, the artists used more than 150 Costa 580 silver-mirror and gray lenses. The fish also features frame arms to shape the fins and mouth, with a Costa ‘C’ logo accentuating its eye.

“You use every part of the Costa sunglass technology to help you catch a fish — the lens color and material, the frame fit, – so we used every part of the sunglasses to create the fish models,” said Tim Cole, creative art director at McGarrah-Jessee, Costa’s ad agency who produced the concept. “We meticulously calculated the amount of sunglass parts needed for each fish — they’re built to scale – and then worked with experienced model makers to bring the vision to life.”

Model makers McConnell & Borow/PropArt in New York were tapped for the job. The firm specializes in creating award-winning miniature sets, props, displays and editorial illustrations using a variety of materials such as acrylic, wood, metal, glass, plaster, clay, resin — and now, sunglasses.

“The most challenging and interesting part in building these fish sculptures is that we were working with materials (the sunglasses) that are made to be wiped clean and not hold dirt or smudges. We had to find adhesives that would work with the ‘stick repellency’ of the materials along with wiring that would hold, while not showing through in the finished product” said Mark Borow, owner of McConnell & Borow, Inc./PropArt. “We’ve worked in a lot of different mediums before to build models, but I can honestly say building fish sculptures out of Costa sunglass parts has been one of my most unique and rewarding experiences.”

“We were founded by fishermen, and its avid fishermen who still work here,” said Al Perkinson, Costa’s vice president of marketing. “Fishing is at the heart of everything we do – it’s why we work so hard to build the best sunglasses on the planet for anglers. So it was no surprise that the inspiration for our latest brand campaign came directly from the fish.”

Costa plans to donate the fish sculptures to fishing and outdoor advocacy groups later this year.

For more information, call 800-447-3700 or visit Costa Del Mar.

Article from: http://www.bdoutdoors.com/story/costa-sunglasses-fish-art/

How Protecting Your Eyes Pays Double For Fishermen

Categories: Eye Exams, Eye Health, Eye Injuries, Eye Problems, Eyeglasses, Frames, Sunglasses

Spring is here! It’s the time of the year to get outside and enjoy all the beautiful things the Pensacola area has to offer. For some of us that means one thing, it’s time to go FISHING. We have to remember that Florida is called the “Sunshine State” for a reason, and it’s imperative that you protect your eyes from the sun.

Why?

Those of us who enjoy fishing need to take extra precaution. Just a short time on the water can be very dangerous to our eyes. Not only do we have to worry about UV rays from the sun, but when you add the reflection of the sun off of the water, fishermen are at even more risk.

Polarized lenses payoff in more ways than one.

Wearing sunglasses can help, but wearing sunglasses with polarized lenses really helps. Polarized lenses don’t only protect your eyes; they give you a far greater ability to see into the water. For fishermen, this can be crucial. There are many kinds of polarized lenses out there, but if you want the best, look at the Costa Del Mar 580 lenses. According to Costa Del Mar, the 580 lens removes yellow light, which is the cause of poor on water vision. It raises the red, blues and greens giving you sharper contrast, purer vision, and in the end, more fish. Not to mention, the sunglasses look good.

Sight & Sun Eyeworks carries an entire line of Costa Del Mar frames for you to choose from. We can even order polarized lenses with your prescription to make your sunglasses customized to your eyes! Come in and see us at any of our four locations: Pensacola, Perdido, Gulf Breeze and Navarre!

Be safe, enjoy the water, and get out there and catch some fish!

Save Your Vision Month: Healthy Vision at the Computer

Categories: Blindness, Computer Eyeglasses, Contact Lenses, Eye Exams, Eye Health, Eye Problems, Eyeglasses, LASIK, Low Vision, The Human Eye, Visually Impaired - Tags: Appointments, blurred vision, Cataracts, Contact Lenses, Contacts, electronic eyeglasses, Eye Exam, Facebook, intense eye pain, macular degeneration

People who sit in front of a computer for long periods of time often encounter a variety of uncomfortable symptoms. Headaches, neck strain, backaches and wrist pain are common, but, sadly, the most prevalent symptoms of prolonged computer use-eye strain, blurred vision and dry eye-are often overlooked. In fact, eye and vision problems are the most frequently reported health care problems among computer users.

Computer Vision Syndrome

These symptoms contribute to computer vision syndrome, which the American Optometric Association defines as “the complex of eye and vision problems related to near work that are experienced during or related to computer use.”

Sitting at a computer generally causes a person to look straight ahead for long stretches, work in a dry office or home environment, and to blink less often. These factors can lead to vision problems. Additionally, computer use requires specific vision skills, which add further demands to the visual system and contribute to eye and vision discomfort. These skills include:

Ocular motility — the ability of the eyes to move in various positions.

Accommodation — the ability of the eyes to focus clearly at various distances.

Vergence — The ability to move the eyes in (convergence) or out (divergence).

Computer work places various demands on the visual system. Each of these factors can play a part in computer vision syndrome.

Screen resolution — Better resolution offers greater clarity and usually leads to improved comfort. Adjust the resolution to the highest resolution your monitor will support. If the increased screen resolution makes items too small, try increasing the font size (DPI) to compensate.

Screen contrast — Adjust the contrast between the characters on the monitor and the background so the letters are easily read. Adjust the brightness of the monitor to an intensity that is comfortable to your eyes–not too bright and not too dim. Adjust both brightness and contrast for the best clarity.

Screen glare and reflections — Minimize reflected glare on your monitor by using window treatments, dimmer switches on lights and glare reduction filters. Look for glare reduction filters that have received the American Optometric Association Seal of Acceptance. Proper adjustment should eliminate any reflected images from the monitor screen. To reduce glare, eliminate bright light sources from your peripheral vision and position your monitor perpendicular to windows or other bright light sources.

Image refresh rates and flicker — A higher refresh rate for your monitor is best. The image on the screen should not flicker at all. (This is not a concern with LCDs.)

Working distances and angles — It is important to work at a distance that is comfortable for you and where the image on the screen is clear. Having to move your head to an awkward angle to see the screen clearly suggests that your prescription may need adjustment.

General eyeglass prescription may not be adequate — Computers are usually further and higher than a typical reading task. Glasses for most people wearing bifocals are not adjusted for this new distance or angle and therefore often are not adequate for using the computer.

Repetitive and stressful tasks — Difficult tasks are challenging. Don’t forget to take occasional breaks and let the eyes look far away while resting.

While decreasing time spent at a computer may not be an option, there are ways to maximize healthy vision for comfortable use of the computer.

Have a regular comprehensive eye exam to ensure your eyes are healthy and that you have the correct eyeglass or contact lens prescription (if necessary). Be certain to tell your optometrist about the computer work you do.

Wear glasses that are specifically designed to function comfortably at the computer. The lenses you wear for day-to-day activities may not be the best for working at the computer.

• Rest the eyes
• Blink forcefully
• Use a humidifier
• Instill artificial tears

After you have had a comprehensive eye examination, there are a number of things that you can do to arrange and use the elements of your workstation to eliminate or minimize discomfort.

Is Your Work Station Properly Arranged?

       Feet should be flat on the floor (or on a slightly angled foot rest) with knees bent close to or greater than 90 degrees.

Chair seat should support the legs without excessive pressure on the back of the thighs.

The back should be snug against the seat to fit your spinal contour. Thigh-to-trunk angle should be 90 degrees or greater.

Wrists and hands should extend nearly straight from the elbow to the home row of the keyboard.

A commonly preferred work surface height for keyboard use is about 26″ as opposed to the conventional 29″ of most tables or desks.

Place the monitor 20″-26″ from your eyes, depending on the size of the monitor and individual vision conditions.

The monitor and keyboard should be straight ahead.

The top of the monitor should be slightly below horizontal eye level. Tilt the top of the monitor away from you at a 10 degree to 20 degree angle. The center of the monitor should be 10 degrees to 20 degrees below your eyes. This is 4?-9? below your eyes at a distance of 24″

Keep the monitor free of fingerprints and dust. Both can reduce clarity.

Place document holders close to the screen within the same viewing distance. Keep the keyboard and monitor in line.

Adjust the keyboard tilt angle so that wrists are straight.

Although the visual system faces considerable challenges when using a computer, most issues can be solved. Remember that problems with the use of the computer cause needless discomfort and may rob productivity. Heeding the suggestions made here along with those made by your doctor of optometry, will enable you to use your computer comfortably and productively.

This article is from the website of the American Optometric Association, Save Your Vision Month: Healthy Vision at the Computer, http://www.aoa.org/x4670.xml.

Use Your FSA (Flexible Spending Account) Before It’s Too Late

Categories: Computer Eyeglasses, Contact Lenses, Eye Exams, Eye Health, Eyeglasses, Flexible Spending Account, FSA, LASIK, Prescription Eyeglasses, Prescription Sunglasses - Tags: Cafeteria Plan, Flexible Spending Account, FSA

Eight Ways to Protect Your Eyesight

Categories: Cataracts, Diabetes, Eye Diseases, Eye Exams, Eye Injuries, Eye Problems, Macular Degeneration, Safety Eyewear, Sunglasses - Tags: Cataracts, Diabetes, Don't Smoke, Eat Healthy, Exercise Frequently, Eye Diseases, Eye Injuries, Harmful Ultraviolet (UV) Rays, Hazy Vision, High Blood Pressure, macular degeneration, Obese, Reduced Color Vision, Routine Eye Exams, Safety Eyewear, Smoker, Sunglasses

Legal Blindness

Categories: Glaucoma, Legal Blindness, Stroke

Patients ask all the time if they are legally blind without their glasses. I know what they really want to know is how to measure their vision. By definition, legal blindness is WITH YOUR GLASSES ON…

Legal blindness: The criteria used to determine eligibility for government disability benefits and which do not necessarily indicate a person’s ability to function.

In the US, the criteria for legal blindness are:

• Visual acuity of 20/200 or worse in the better eye with corrective lenses (20/200 means that a person at 20 feet from an eye chart can see what a person with normal vision can see at 200 feet);

or

• Visual field restriction to 20 degrees diameter or less (tunnel vision) in the better eye.

Note that the definition of legal blindness differs from country to country and that the criteria listed above are for the US.

Ok, so what that means is you can be totally blind in one eye, but if the other eye can see 20/100 or better with your glasses on, you are not considered legally blind.  From a practical standpoint, one eye blind and the other best corrected to: 20/20 you are considered normal; 20/50 your ability to drive comes into question; 20/80 you are not legal to drive in most states.

Another key point is the visual field restriction.  Visual field measures your side vision.  The two most common reasons for this kind of legal blindness are glaucoma and stroke.  What it looks like is tunnel vision; you can see great straight ahead, but things sneak up on you from the side.  Tunnel vision is very dangerous when driving, walking across the street, etc.

So when you ask me if you are legally blind when you take your glasses off, the answer is no, but you sure see better with them on!

That is all for now.

Dr. Jill Anderson

Dr. Jill Anderson has been practicing optometry since 1995. She had her own practice from 1997 – 2010 and has recently joined us here at Sight & Sun Eyeworks. She received her degree as a Doctor of Optometry from the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Optometry. She is a highly skilled Contact Lens Specialist.

Veterans Day 2011

Categories: Uncategorized

11.11.11: That’s the date today. All 11′s. the eleventh day of the eleventh month of the eleventh year. That’s kind of cool. Many people have set out to have special events on days like this, particularly getting married. Most women seem to do that so their brand new spouse will have no trouble remembering their anniversary date. Yeah, good luck with that.

However, something also that’s pretty cool about the 11.11.11 date is today is Veterans Day. Here at Sight & Sun Eyeworks, we LOVE our veterans. We proudly wear red shirts on Fridays and give to many of the local and national charities such as Wounded Warrior Project & USO.

And what I have found is that some people confuse Veterans Day with Memorial Day. Here’s a quick break-down of the two very important days that we celebrate:

• Memorial Day: This day is set aside to remember all of those brave and courageous men and women, who in the face of combat, laid down their lives for the greater good of our country. These men and women were often husbands and wives, fathers and mothers and at the very least, sons and daughters. These Airmen, Soldiers, Seamen & Marines were told told to protect and defend our great nation and unfortunately & regrettably lost their lives. This day is set aside for them and them alone – our fallen heroes.
• Veterans Day: On this day, we celebrate ALL who have served, past & present. Regardless of branch & time of service, we honor them. In today’s time, we have an ALL VOLUNTARY military. There is no requirement to serve – none. When the young men and women are sworn in to defend this country and Constitution, it is by their choice and theirs alone. So today, we honor them.

 

One of the things I teach my seven year old son to do is when we see a veteran or a military retiree is to stop what we’re doing, walk over to the gentlemen and I say, “Landon, let’s thank this real live hero for what he has done for our great country.” And I shake hands with the soldier and have my son do the same as we say “Thank you “.

So should you be out enjoying a lunch, shopping at the store or just walking in a park and you see someone in uniform or maybe one of those ubiquitous navy blue hats that say “retired”, shake their hands, look them right in the eyes and say, “Thank you”. That is the very least we can do for them. And trust me, it means a ton to them that you would even take the five seconds out of your day to do that.

And while we honor the veterans on this day, we also honor them every day by giving them 20% off services everyday. This includes pair of glasses & professional fees.*

Below is just an excerpt from Wikipedia on Veterans Day.

Veterans Day, formerly Armistice Day, is an annual United States holiday honoring military veterans. It is a federal holiday that is observed on November 11. It coincides with other holidays such as Armistice Day or Remembrance Day, which are celebrated in other parts of the world and also mark the anniversary of the signing of the Armistice that ended World War I. (Major hostilities of World War I were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 with the German signing of the Armistice.)

History

The U.S. President Woodrow Wilson first proclaimed an Armistice Day for November 11, 1919. In proclaiming the holiday, he said

To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations.

The United States Congress passed a concurrent resolution seven years later on June 4, 1926, requesting that the President Calvin Coolidge issue another proclamation to observe November 11 with appropriate ceremonies. An Act (52 Stat. 351; 5 U.S. Code, Sec. 87a) approved May 13, 1938, made the 11th of November in each year a legal holiday; “a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated and known as ‘Armistice Day’.”

In 1953, an Emporia, Kansas man named Alvin King the owner of a shoe repair shop, had the idea to expand Armistice Day to celebrate all veterans, not just those who died in World War I. King had been actively involved with the American War Dads during World War II. He began a campaign to turn Armistice Day into “All” Veterans Day. The Emporia Chamber of Commerce took up the cause after determining that 90% of Emporia merchants as well as the Board of Education supported closing their doors on November 11 to honor all veterans. With the help of U.S. Representative Ed Rees, also from Emporia, a bill for the holiday was pushed through Congress. President Dwight Eisenhower signed it into law on May 26, 1954.

Celebration

Because it is a federal holiday, many American people have the day off from school or work for Veterans Day. A Society for Human Resource Management poll in 2010 found that 21 percent of employers planned to observe the holiday in 2011.

Non-essential federal government offices are closed. No mail is delivered. All federal workers are paid for the holiday; those who are required to work on the holiday sometimes receive wages for that day in addition to holiday pay. The holiday is often celebrated by having a ravioli meal. This tradition dates back to the ending days of World War I when President Woodrow Wilson, aware that the returning soldiers would be longing for home cooked meals, invited 2,000 soldiers to the White House and helped his staff chefs cook them ravioli, which had just become a mainstay in mainstream American kitchens due to commercial canning. Free meals for Veterans are offered in many fast food and casual dinner restaurant chains. In his Armistice Day address to Congress, Wilson was sensitive to the psychological toll of the lean War years: “Hunger,” he remarked, “breeds madness.”

*Discount may not be combined with any other offers and may not be used on contact lens.

Tommy L Neel is the Web Developer for Sight & Sun Eyeworks and a former United States Marine.

October is World Blindness Awareness Month

Categories: Blindness, Cataracts, Glaucoma, Macular Degeneration, World Blindness Awareness Month - Tags: blindness, Cataracts, centralized vision care information, eye issues, eye problems, glaucoma, macular degeneration, seeking health care information, self educational videos, unnecessary vision loss, visual impairment, World Blindness Awareness Month, World Sight Day

Did you know that nearly 180 million people in the world suffer from blindness or visual impairment*?

In observance of World Blindness Awareness Month in October, Sight & Sun Eyeworks of Pensacola wants to remind everyone that unnecessary vision loss could largely be prevented if patients had access to sight-saving information and resources. Also, October 11th is World Sight Day, a health observation that is recognized by health organizations around the globe.

In honor of World Blindness Awareness Month taking place in October, SSEW encourages everyone to become more empowered about their eye health by browsing our vast collection of eye problem & eye health self educational videos. These high quality videos cover a wide range of eye issues that can occur (symptoms and treatments), as well as plethora of information to help you learn and prevent certain issues.

According to a 2005 study by Neilson/Net Ratings, a global leader in media and market research, the internet is considered the most trusted source for health information after physicians.  As the number of Americans seeking health care information on the Internet grows, SSEW plans to match that trend by providing website visitors centralized vision care information, written in language that is clear and easy for them to understand.

Contained within our site, you will learn more about the leading causes of blindness such as cataracts, glaucoma or macular degeneration, learn about any one of our 12 doctors on staff and even share important health topics with family and friends through our convenient social media buttons – Facebook, Twitter, E-Mail and others.

*According to the World Health Organization.

Transitions, Progressives, emPower!, Oh my!!!

Categories: emPower! Electronic Eyewear, Progressives, Transitions - Tags: automatic sunglasses, distance viewing, Dr. Jill Anderson, no line bifocal, self adjusting bifocal, transition lenses, Transitions

Transitions, Progressives, EmPower, Oh my! Optical terms can be quite confusing.  Let’s see if we can clear three of them up.

Transitions are automatic sunglasses. When the UV rays from the sun touch the transition lenses they darken.  When the sun no longer touches the lens, it lightens.  Transitions work great for going in and out of doors hands free; they “transition” automatically.

Progressives are a no line bifocal. When you look through the top of the lens your distance viewing is clear, when you look through the middle of the lens the intermediate (computer distance) is clear, when you look through the bottom of the lens the near vision is clear. Progressives “progress” in power from your distance to reading in a more natural flow than a lined bifocal.

EmPower are self adjusting bifocal. EmPower is the latest technology for a no line bifocal. With a simple touch on the side of the glasses, you can increase or decrease the power of your bifocal to meet your needs. (It is really cool how it works with an electrical circuit and liquid crystals!)

It won’t be long for emPower to include the Transition technology so you could have it all; an automatic sunglass no line bifocal with a self adjusting button.

That is all for now.

Dr. Jill Anderson

Dr. Jill Anderson has been practicing optometry since 1995. She had her own practice from 1997 – 2010 and has recently joined us here at Sight & Sun Eyeworks. She received her degree as a Doctor of Optometry from the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Optometry. She is a highly skilled Contact Lens Specialist.