Think Globally, Wink Locally

These old eyes

What should you know about aging eyes and eyesight?

First and foremost our eyes are one of the most important organs in our body.   Unfortunately eyeballs and vision always seem to be taken for granted until there is a problem.

Physical changes in our eyes occur as we age which can cause a decline in vision over time.  It is more common to start needing a better light source to view both distance and near objects.  I hear my patients comment that they need more light for reading and other near tasks. Driving during the day is more comfortable and night driving becomes more difficult. 

There are eye diseases that are more common as we get older.  Many of these diseases are actually treatable if they are caught in their early stages.  The problem is that frequently we don’t “feel” like there is anything wrong so we just keep going about our business while changes in our health develop.  Failing eyesight is one of the last indications of an ocular problem.

Cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration and retinal detachments are the most common diseases I see but there are many others that can cause severe vision loss if not detected quickly.  I highly recommend yearly eye checkups along with regular health checkups to focus on monitoring our overall health.

If you have diabetes, hypertension or have had strokes or heart attacks you may need to be seen more frequently.  Also, certain medications you take for these and other diseases can cause severe dry eyes.  If you are taking hypertension medication, antihistamines/decongestants, hormones, antidepressants, antipsychotic medicines, pain relievers, dermatologic medicines, gastrointestinal medicines or chemotherapy medicines you should be having your eyes checked often for any eye changes that may occur due to taking these types of medications.

Take home messages:

*Have your eyes checked yearly with a glaucoma check and dilation

*Wear sunglasses when you are outside

*If you have loss or dimness in your vision, double vision, increased headaches, a sudden increase in floaters, flashes of light in your vision, eye pain, discharge in the eye, swelling, and redness contact your eye doctors office right away

*Most eye diseases do not hurt.

I will be blogging more about our eyes aging in the near future.  

 

Real eye disease Real vision loss

I hate to start this post by harping but for crying out loud HAVE YOUR EYES CHECKED YEARLY!  I have had 3 patients in the last few weeks who have had eye conditions that were treatable if they had just come in just a little sooner....but they didn't.

Let me go a little eye geek on you.  Don't worry I'll keep it simple.  You have 2 eyeballs.  You want to maintain them for as long as you live since seeing is a big part of your existence.

Today I will be talking about glaucoma simplified.

Glaucoma: this is increased eye pressure that damages the optic nerve and therefore can cause severe vision loss if not treated promptly. 

You have a drain in your eye kind of like a drain in a bathtub.  If the drain gets plugged up the fluid in the eye backs up and causes the eye pressure to rise.  Now imagine all the little blood vessels that supply the retina and optic nerve with food an oxygen getting crushed due to the increased pressure.  Well, they can't deliver an adequate amount of O2 so the tissues start to die.  Unfortunately you won't be able to feel this unless you have a very rare type of glaucoma called angle closure glaucoma.  I won't get into this right now.

If glaucoma is diagnosed very early on vision most likely can be saved.  There are special eye drops that are used usually just once a day.  It opens the drain (kind of like draino you use in a bathtub to unclog the drain) and allows the pressure in the eye to lower.

Bottom line: get your eyes check EVERY year even if your eyes feel "fine".

Remember you only have one set of eyes and I can't give you new ones if your old ones start to wear out.

Hydration is key not just during hot weather

 By: Dr Liz

I would like to take this opportunity to remind you (especially during the warm Summer months) to drink water often.

I saw this great article about hydration and the importance of water intake rather than other liquids.  I am not sure who wrote it so I can't give proper credit to the source.

Understanding the Importance of Hydration

Water and Hydration

75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated. (Likely applies to half the world population)

In 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is often mistaken for hunger.

Even mild dehydration will slow down one's metabolism as much as 3%. One glass of water will shut down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of the dieters studied in a University of Washington study.

Lack of water is the number 1 trigger of daytime fatigue. Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day is capable of significantly easing back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.

A mere 2% drop in body water is capable triggering fuzzy short-term memory trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or on a printed page.

Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, plus it is capable of slashing the risk of breast cancer by 79%, and one is 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer.

Water is free. Unlike a daily 20 oz bottle of carbonated soft drink that will cost you $1.00 a day, tap water costs you nothing. That's $350.00 in savings per year!

Water assists to prevent bladder infections. Studies indicate that men who consume more than 10 glasses of water per day are less likely to develop bladder infections than those that did not. Water also helps keep your heart functioning.

You have most likely heard that our bodies are not capable of lasting more than two to three days without water, though that you would be capable of going weeks without food. Water is required for very basic physiologic functions such as regulating blood pressure and body temperature, hydration and digestion (The body requires about 1.5 milliliters of water to absorb every calorie ingested).

All humans really need to drink more water. The human body is about 60% water. Your muscles and your brain are about 75% water. Your blood is about 82% water. And your bones are about 25% water, drinking coffee and other drinks with caffeine do not count because caffeine is a diuretic, which makes the body rid itself of water. Your body requires water to survive and function properly.

A person requires water to sustain their physical and the physical body's many vital chemical reactions and maintain correct body temperature. Water also rehydrates you for the reason that during a workout, water is lost as perspiration (and expired air), and this is capable of leading to dehydration if fluids are not replaced. Another plus, drinking water before and during physical

activity is capable of enhancing your athletic performance. It also assists the body to eliminate waste, which in turn is capable of reducing long-term risk of colon cancer.

According to a survey, nearly three quarters of Americans are aware of the recommendation of drinking eight 8 oz servings a day, though only 34% actually drink this amount of water each day. Most humans consume only about 6 servings of water a day and nearly 10% declared that they do not drink water at all.

Carbonated juices

All types of soft drinks are very acidic, especially colas. In order to neutralize a glass of cola, it takes 32 glasses of high pH alkaline water. It is clearly known by the medical profession that disease loves acid. In fact, a physician from Loma Linda University declared in a speech that if we were capable of getting our cells to maintain a normal pH (slightly alkaline), cancer would not be capable of growing in the human body.

Active girls who drink cola drinks are five times more likely to have had bone fractures than girls who do not drink soda, according to a study published by Grace Wyshak of the Harvard School of Public Health and Harvard Medical School.

A survey of 460 ninth and tenth grade girls found a correlation between drinking soft drinks and having broken bones. Girls drinking carbonated beverages were three times more likely to have a broken bone than girls not drinking them. Prior research has found that caffeine leaches calcium out of bones, leading to increased incidences of osteoporosis in the long term. This study attributes immediate damage to the phosphoric acid in colas. For more than a century our scientists have known that workers exposed to phosphorus suffered more broken bones. Sixteen-year-old girls currently consume an average of two-plus 12-ounce soft drinks daily. For boys, intake tops three 12-ounce soft drinks daily.

Francisco Contraries, M.D., of the Contraries Cancer Clinic in Tijuana, Mexico stated, "Cancer is like a plant cell; it can't live in an oxygen-rich environment. Cola drinks make our bodies poor in oxygen. Cancer is the second cause of death in America. The average American is consuming 800 or more soft drinks annually". Be more responsible for your own life. Doctors have no responsibility for another's health."

A three-year study of over 1,000 men with a history of kidney stones showed that there was a clear-cut difference in the group's experiences, with much less renal colic in the men who had avoided soft drinks. Of those who continued to use soft drinks, there was also a big difference in outcome depending upon the nature of the soft drink consumed. Soft drinks acidified with phosphoric acid were the worst offenders. Colas of all kinds, of course, are well known for their high phosphoric acid content.

The soft-drink industry as a whole has consistently portrayed its products as being "positively" healthful, saying they are 90% water and contain sugars found in nature. M. Douglas Ivester, Coca-Cola's chairman and CEO, said, "Actually, our product is quite healthy. Fluid

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replenishment is a key to health....Coca-Cola does a great service because it encourages people to take in more and more liquids." New York Times. 26 May 1998

It is a fact however, that soft drinks pose health risks both for the reason that what they contain (for example, sugar and various additives) and what they replace in the diet (beverages and foods that provide vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients).

Nutritionally, soft drinks are low in value. Their food energy comes solely from refined sugar. Every element of nutritional importance, except calories, is zero. "Soft drinks have much in common with hard liquor", claimed the co-discoverer of insulin, Dr. Charles Best.

Coffee

Coffee has over 1000 chemicals per cup of coffee, and 500 of them are known carcinogens. Caffeine is a "pesticide" given off by the bean to keep the bugs from eating it. Each cup of coffee contains about 120 mg of caffeine. Were that amount injected directly into your veins, you would physically die. It is a lethal dose. The rush you get from your coffee is your body speeding up your metabolism to rid itself of this poison, and your body steals water from everywhere to help flush the caffeine out. Please note that the International Olympic Committee had outlawed the use of caffeine for its events until recently. Caffeine's harmful diuretic effects appear to outweigh any potential performance benefits. To protect themselves from the caffeine, women's bodies use calcium to neutralize it. You lose about 5 milligrams of calcium for every 165ml of coffee, or two cans of caffeinated juice.

Sports Drinks

Sports drinks that contain a carbohydrate level greater than 8% or 2 gm/oz hinder the absorption of fluids into the body, thus having a perceived negative effect on the human body. Fruit juices have high levels of carbohydrates varying from 10% to 17%, so if one prefers to use fruit juice instead of water; it ought to be diluted with water by 50%.

Though whether to consume water or sports drinks really depends on three things:

The type

The amount of exertion you are getting,

The heat and your own body.

In general, water is unsurpassed. After all, humans and almost all other land animals except a few rare desert species have evolved to thrive on water, not sports drinks. However, in certain situations, usually when doing prolonged and strenuous activity in hot weather, you may sweat so much that your body's electrolyte balance is compromised. That is when sports drinks come in.

Hyponatremia is a metabolic condition in which there are not enough electrolytes in the body fluids outside the cells. It is a dangerous condition in which hikers sweat so much that their electrolytes go out of whack. It usually occurs when strenuous exercise takes place in extreme

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heat, and it is more common among ultra-endurance athletes and high-mileage long-distance hikers than among casual day hikers, although day hikers are capable of being affected in places where it is common for people to overextend themselves in severe heat. Drinking water alone does not solve the problem. In fact, drinking too much water after depleting your electrolytes actually makes things more serious.

Caffeinated drinks (tea, coffee, some sodas) are definitely a bad idea in hot weather, for the reason that they are diuretics. That means that they actually contribute to dehydration. They are not such a hot idea in cold weather either, for the reason that caffeine is capable of contributing to hypothermia.

The sports drinks vs. water debate rages on: water will always be an excellent fluid replacer for most recreational athletes who exercise for less than 60 to 90 minutes. Water is inexpensive, readily available, and what your body requires most. It settles comfortably and does a fine job of replacing sweat losses.

According to the Ohio State University Medical Center dietitian Beth Miller, there is no advantage to drinking sports drinks unless you are exercising for more than a solid hour.

Sports drinks are high in calories. Using them to "replenish" without exercising sufficiently are capable of actually leading to weight gain.

Obesity increases the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease and causes severe social and psychological problems in millions of Americans. Between 1971-74 and 1988-94, obesity rates in teenage boys soared from 5% to 12% and in teenage girls from 7% to 11%. Among adults, between 1976-80 and 1988-94, the rate of obesity jumped by one-third, from 25% to 35%. Hence the importance of proper hydration to prevent thirst being mistaken for hunger pangs.

Many beverages, including water, provide water for the body to prevent dehydration. However, many substances in beverages (as opposed to water) have a large effect on how well your body retains this water as well as other side effects. Without listing them all, there are obvious limitations to drinking alcoholic beverages (due to ethanol), soda (due to sugar and synthetics), etc. In addition, there are times due to hot weather or health conditions that preclude the consumption of certain beverages.

When your body enters a state of ketosis it is extremely important during this time to drink plenty of water to flush out the ketones in your system.

Ketones are produced by the liver through metabolism of fatty acids. They are produced to provide a ready energy source from stored lipids at times of low carbohydrate availability. Through ketone bodies are always present in your body, levels increase to meet your extra energy requirements when you are fasting or involved in prolonged exercise. Drinking water assists you to flush out the ketones from your system.

Water also assists in flushing other toxins out of your system, especially in the beginning when your body is still detoxing. Water assists in flushing out your kidneys, which is an extremely

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important part of healing. Water also dilutes the bile in the gallbladder. After years and years of low fat diets your gallbladder is not used to working all that hard anymore.

I hope this highlights the importance of water in ALL our everyday lives, especially those of us involved in intense exercise or sports which rely heavily on building muscle tissue which is basically constructed from water and protein http://bsa344.com/troop344/Understanding%20the%20Importance%20of%20Hydration.pdf

I want to itch my eyes out of my head!

By: Dr Liz

 

This has got to sound familiar to some of you....I know it is not easy to keep your hands away from your eyes but the more you rub, the more they itch.

Here are a few suggestions to help you get through allergy season this Spring:

• Change your contacts when prescribed. That is right.  I am talking to YOU!   Many contact lens wearers don’t change them often enough.  Come on now.  Contacts are not that expensive anymore..especially with rebates offered with nearly every brand on the market. If the contacts are tossed and new ones used when they are supposed to be, protein build up is less and allergies may be less irritating.

• A healthier option for allergy patients are daily disposable contact lenses due much less protein build up. Even when lenses are cleaned as directed build up of protein, pollen, dust or other irritants can still occur which aggravates eye irritation, especially during allergy season.

• Don’t touch or rub your eyes; though it may feel good, it will make it worse.

• Wash your hands regularly with soap and water. That way, if you do touch your eyes, they won’t add even more irritants to the mix.

• Wash bed linens, pillow cases and towels on a regular basis to remove irritants and allergies.

•  Use less makeup when allergies are bad. Makeup is still an irritant.

• If your allergies are over the top, even with daily disposable lenses, switch to your eyeglasses. You all have some stylish eyeglasses you would wear out in public right??  If you don't swing by Wink Optical in Boulder Colorado..we can fix that in a hurry.  

• If you must wear your contacts, change into your glasses when you’re at home to give your eyes a break.

Note: If none of this helps and you are miserable please make an appointment to see me.  I may have to prescribe some strong allergy eye drops to help you through the tough times.

Ergonomic Vision Tips

By: Dr. Liz

 

How many times have you stood up from sitting for hours in front of your computer thinking to yourself "I need to find a better set up for myself?"  You find your neck, shoulders and even back hurts. 

Here are a few tips that might help your situation:

*Place your monitor directly in front of you about 20 to 26 inches away

*The center of your computer screen should be 4 to 9 inches below your straight-ahead gaze. This is especially important if you are using progressive lenses.  Perhaps you could mimic this situation by placing your computer on books or raising or lowering your chair.

*Be sure that your arms are parallel to the floor when you type and your feet flat on the floor and not crossed on top of one another.

*Maintain good posture at your desk: keep your back straight and your shoulders back.  This is the tough one to achieve for hours at a time.

*One last thing:  TAKE BREAKS!  Get up and walk around.  Not only are you giving your body a chance to stretch out from being in the same position but you are breaking your focusing system from locking in at just one focusing distance and clearing your head at the same time.

 

Wink Hosts Boulder Chamber Breakfast

By: The Wink Team

Wink Optical hosted a fantastic Boulder Chamber Breakfast last week.  We had 68 participants who are now exposed to Wink.  Everyone had a great time eating burritos from Santiago's on the Hill and donated baked goodies from Boulder Baked.  If you have not tasted the donuts and cookies from Boulder Baked give them a try.  They are worth every single calorie.

The case of the missing contact lens

By: Dr. Liz

 

I think all veteran contact lens wearers have had a contact lens that has gotten lost in their eye.  How many of you have panicked because you can’t immediately find the lens and have thought “ Oh no!!! The contact lens is lost behind my eye!” A contact lens that slips off the corneal surface of the eye and moves under the eyelid cannot go far. The conjunctiva, a clear lining that covers the inner surface of the eyelids, forms a small sac or pouch between the eyelid and the eye to contain the eyes tears.  The floating contact lens can only go as far as the edge of this sac, not behind the eyeball. Usually you can gently manipulate the contact lens back into place.  If the lens is difficult to retrieve just put some rewetting drops ( I like Optive by Allergan) in your eye to loosen the lens.  You should have an easier time pulling the lens down and out of your eye.  Once you have pulled the lens out put another rewetting drop in your eye to help soothe the eye after all of that poking and prodding.   If you are still having trouble finding the lens come in to see me.

 

Wink Optical: featured on design website

Hi from Wink,

 

Wink Optical in Boulder Colorado is proud to have been featured on the Kirei website.  Kirei Board is a large part of our overall design and is what we used on our walls in our eyeglass showroom.  http://images.kireiusa.com/Kirei-Board/Retail-Kirei-Board/Display-Options-Kirei-Board/5251193_c9TGQ#369865410_Fhcfd

What is kirei board you ask?  Kirei is a strong, lightweight, and eco-friendly substitute for wood.  It is manufactured from reclaimed sorghum straw that is woven together to make a durable board that can be used to make furniture, cabinetry and other interior design elements like we did at Wink Optical.

Come in to see what we have done with our design.  We would love to meet you or of course see you if we already know you!
 

It's a lot About the Fit

By Dr. Liz

Have you ever picked up your new glasses with their new prescription and thought that the it wasn't as much of an improvement as you had hoped for?  Perhaps you returned to the Doc to be rechecked only to have them tell you their Rx was spot on.

Well I've come to realize that, with regard to your corrected vision, the optician's skills are as important as mine.  Optics is a game of millimeters and having correctly selected and well adjusted frames can make the a huge difference in how you see.

Selecting a frame--especially for you progressive wearers--is more akin to a custom tailored suit than buying off the rack.  Thats why even though Wink has a lot of frames to choose from perhaps only 10% might work for your face, dimensions, prescription, etc.

We refer to our selling optician, Anthony, as our 'optical cop'.  He is obsessed with proper fit, lens material and, ofcourse, the aethetics of your eyewear.  Beyond the numbers he wants to know what you do for a living and for living.  He is even noticing your posture.

That's why you will never hear us say at Wink 'just pick something that you like and well measure up your lenses'.  The process of you seeing great starts with me but ends with Anthony.

 

By Brian: I'm with stupid...and I'm by myself.

What beautiful sunglasses I had made for myself. Retrospecs (the 'James' in rodeo white gold, even the nose pads!) with beautiful hand etched filigree of a bygone craftsmanship (indeed these had been made circa 1940). The lenses were Younger's Image Drivewear which are polarized and transition from a medium dark tint to a dark Serengeti type brown when exposed to direct sunlight. These were progressive (no line bifocals) lenses which Wink had set the seg height (where the change from distance correction to reading begins) low so I could really enjoy outdoor activities and driving in them. Approximate retail price $1,700.

I took very good care of them.  Used a hard case, cleaned them carefully and made sure I didn't leave them lying around.

Naturally they went on a recent trip with me and I fastidiously tucked them into a side pocket on a travel bag I use.  The plane trip was great and I sat in the first row behind first class...They even gave me free drinks.  I had stowed my travel bag under the seat in front of me as the plane landed ahead of schedule.  I am one of the first out the door with my carry on, my friend Scott picks me up like clockwork and we head to a local bar for dinner.

The next day is bright in the twin cities and I reach for my travel bag for my prized sunglasses.  Not there, not anywhere.  They had slid out of the side pocket when the plane decelerated upon landing what a sick feeling came over me with this realization.  Of course at this juncture it was Sunday so I wasn't going to have any luck with airport or United lost and found so all I could do is fume until I returned to the airport the next day for my return home. 

Hope springs eternal but I think we all know where this is going.  No glasses in lost and found, no way to know where the plane went next etc. etc.  Was I, who is in the optical business and hears these tales of woe every week, smart enough to have any form of identification in my eyeglass case?  I think not.  So my friends this post is to encourage you to include some form of identification with your eyeglasses.  Name and address in ink, a business card or slip of paper taped inside because not a week goes by that I don't miss those sunglasses or kick myself for this lapse in judgment.

HAPPIER TIMES WHEN WE WERE STILL TOGETHER

Sunglasses are not just a fashion statement

By: Dr. Liz

 

You may be the type of person who never leaves the house without your sunglasses during the warmer months. Not only are they great protection from the sun’s glaring rays, but they’re also a very important fashion accessory.  Did you know that sunglasses are just important in the winter as they are during the rest of the year especially at altitude?

Sunglasses play a big role in protective eye health. The UV rays from the sun are very strong all year round especially here in Colorado.  These rays don’t always feel that way especially during the chilly winter months.  Nevertheless we need to protect ourselves – eyes included – from their harmful affects.

 Over time UV rays can lead to diseases of the eyes such as cataracts (clouding of the lens inside the eye that causes decreased vision), macular degeneration (loss of central vision) or even cancer in or around the eye, that may require surgery.   Individuals with lighter skin or eyes may have a greater affect from sun exposure due to the lack of pigmentation.  Think of what sunburn does to your skin.  The same thing can happen to your eyeballs.

You know how bright the sun can be when it reflects off the snow and hits your eyes – it hurts, right? Add in the ultraviolet element and you have a greater chance of damaging your eyes.  Putting on a pair of polarized sunglasses (UV of course) with antireflective coating can not only help to avoid the discomfort of the sun’s bright and harmful UV rays that are reflected off your eyes, but you’ll also be protecting your eyes and decreasing the chance of developing certain eye disease as well. So you see, sunglasses work double-duty (or even triple-duty if they compliment your appearance – wink, wink).

And don’t forget the kids. Even though children look adorable and make us smile when they put on a pair of cute, child-sized sunglasses, their eyes actually need protection the same as everyone else’s. So don’t hesitate to pick them up a pair the next time you are shopping for yourself.