Posts Tagged ‘UV protection’
Posted on February 23rd, 2010 by Liz B.
Joel Kestenbaum O.D. is a VSP provider in Long Island, NY.
In today’s guest blog post from Dr. Joel Kestenbaum of Optix Eyecare in Long Island, NY, he discusses protective eyewear and winter sports …
The 2010 Winter Olympics are upon us. Lets take a look at the common attributes most Winter Olympians have:
- Athletic ability
- Drive and determination
- Support of family and friends
- Excellent vision
If you look at all the skiers, snowboarders, speed skaters, lugers and bobsledders, they are all wearing some sort of protective eyewear. How do they know which lenses to wear? What if it is cloudy, sunny, snowing, sleeting, raining, foggy, nighttime, or early morning?
Think Safety First
You can be certain that the lenses in an athlete’s goggles are made of polycarbonate. For fast-moving winter sports, this material is much more impact-resistant than glass or conventional plastic. The frame also needs to be lightweight and flexible reducing the likelihood of the lens breaking or popping out in a bad fall. Prescription lenses can be made for inserts that sit behind the shield of the goggle or some goggles are actually made to wear over a regular pair of eyeglasses.
Think Visual Efficiency Next
Black, gray, or smoke lenses
Best for bright conditions – they dim the bright sunlight to ease the strain on your eyes. Depending on the intensity of the tint, these lenses do darken your vision but gray does not alter color. These lenses are best for wide-open areas, especially on sunny days. One should not ski or snowboard in trees or trails with dark lenses.
Amber Lenses
Amber is a color in between a light brown and a dark yellow lens. Amber blocks blue light, greatly increases contrast. This color is a good choice for seeing moguls out on the slopes. Amber is best for under cloudy skies or on dimly lit trails but is not recommended for sunny days.
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File under: Uncategorized | Tagged: 2010 Winter Olympics, amber lenses, clear lenses, Dr. Joel Kestenbaum, eye exams, eyecare, eyewear, glare, gray lenses, interchangable lenses, lenses for different weather conditions, Nike, protective eyewear, red lenses, sunglasses, sunwear, UV protection, Vancouver, vision, Winter Olympics, winter sports, yellow lenses
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Posted on February 3rd, 2010 by Liz B.
Learn more about the importance of wearing sunglasses – even on cloudy, overcast days – on VSP’s Eyecare Discovery Center and The Vision Council’s Under the Sun Guide.
File under: Eye Safety, eye health | Tagged: cataracts, Eye, Eye Safety, healthy eyes, public service message, skin cancer, sunglasses, ultraviolet sunlight, UV, UV protection, Vision Council
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Posted on January 27th, 2010 by Melissa W.
What we call a “rainbow” is the spectrum of light energy from the sun that we can see. At each end of this visible light are other forms of invisible energy— from radio waves to x-rays. Some of this energy is in the form of ultraviolet waves, or UV. UV is not normally visible, but you might have seen its purplish glow from a special “black light” bulb that makes things glow in the dark.
While we can’t see ultraviolet radiation, it can see—and harm—us if we are not careful. Even on an overcast day, UV light from the sun can cause sunburn of our skin and the cornea of our eyes, which is called “photokeratitis.” Over a long time, it can increase your chance of cataracts (a clouding of the lens of the eye) and damage to your retina that might lead to total blindness.
Team Type 1's Kori Seehafer wearing Nike sunglasses.
Sunscreen protects your skin from overexposure to UV rays. Proper lenses can safely block UV radiation and protect your eyes.
Be Glare Aware!
Glare, or extreme brightness, can be distracting and even dangerous. The direct rays of the sun are the most powerful source of glare and UV radiation, but glare can also be reflected off roads, buildings, water, and snow. Special “polarized” lenses reduce or eliminate glare and reflections. They work by selectively absorbing the reflected glare while transmitting useful light from the scene.
Source: eyedidntknowthat.com
File under: Get Fit, Team Type 1 | Tagged: Team Type 1, UV protection, wellness
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Posted on October 14th, 2009 by Sara P
Sara P. is a member of Altair's sales team.
I’ve recently developed an addiction to sunwear. I’ve got a full rainbow spectrum to choose from and I have no intention of slowing down. It’s a recent obsession so I’m only at 8 pairs but the rate at which I’ve acquired them is getting a bit scary.
I have gone through accessory addictions in the past (shoes, purses, one weird phase of collecting argyle socks) but this one is turning into a dangerous one for me because a) I work in the industry so am constantly being exposed to the latest and greatest and b) I can make the argument that it’s actually for my own good: “Hellooo, the lenses are polarized, which means UV protection, which means I’m protecting my eyes…what, you don’t think my precious eyes need protection?!”
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File under: Fun, Technology | Tagged: sunglasses, sunwear, sunwear technology, UV protection
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Posted on October 13th, 2009 by Liz B.
Liz B. is a member of VSP's Corporate Public Relations team.
Dear Readers:
Thank you for your support and comments to the VSP Blog! In appreciation and to help bring attention to the importance of vision health and of protecting your eyes all year round (see UV Protection – Protect Your Eyes), we’re giving a way a pair of Nike sunglasses on Twitter to one winner. It’s super easy to enter:
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File under: Contests, Fun, VSP Blog News, eye health | Tagged: contests and giveaways, eyecare, Nike Sunglasses, twitter, UV protection
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Posted on August 31st, 2009 by Liz B.
Parker, from the Coach Eyewear Collection
Popular lifestyle blog BlissTree is conducting a giveway contest featuring the latest Coach sunglasses! Six winners will be selected and entry is simple. Visit the BlissTree VSP Vision Care Coach Giveaway for all the details.
File under: Frames & Lenses, Fun | Tagged: Coach, contest, frame, lenses, see much more, sunglasses, sunwear, UV protection, vsp blog
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Posted on August 24th, 2009 by Sara P
Sara P. is an account executive for Altair Eyewear.
Everyone here is talking about the new VSP site seemuchmore.com. I’ve spent a great deal of time on there clicking every moving object, answering poll questions, and cruising around making sure I haven’t missed a single image, quote or fact. My favorite graphic is the hot air balloon with the money that drops down, because after all, who doesn’t want money dropping from the sky? I decided chronicling my journeys on the site would be a good way to highlight just a few of the things that caught my attention. And, maybe, inspire YOU to check it out too!
August 18, 2009: First look at seemuchmore.com. I was immediately intrigued by the color scheme, graphics and the concept behind the site. I watched the dad and son graphic for a few minutes, then clicked into the site. The plane image with the “See Eye Care Tips” banner was practically screaming to be clicked first, so I succumbed and my attention was immediately caught by the tip that popped up: “Wear sunglasses when exercising outdoors to protect your eyes from harmful UV rays.”
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File under: Frames & Lenses, Fun, Uncategorized | Tagged: eyecare, Harry Potter glasses, open enrollment, seemuchmore, sunwear, UV protection, vision benefit enrollment, vision benefits, VSP Vision Care
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Posted on August 14th, 2009 by Patti S
Patti S. is a member of VSP's Ophthalmic Services team
This is not a treatise on the benefits of the natural feeding of human infants, but rather the first installment of a two-part post containing my ideas of what constitutes optical nirvana when filling your child’s ophthalmic lens prescription. Well, maybe only fools like me achieve anything close to nirvana when considering the composition of the ultimate pair of lenses given the needs of the recipient. Having children of my own and obviously working in this esteemed industry, I have developed a vast array of opinions over the years. I am about to share a few more with you.
Before approaching your optician, bear in mind that lens material is the first consideration you must think about. I was going to say “should,” but I think “must” fits the bill far more accurately in this case. You want to provide an impact resistant (note the italics) material. There are no ophthalmic lens materials, of which I am aware, that are impact proof, just resistant, and that is a relative term. Two readily available materials spring to mind and will do so for nearly anyone concerned with children’s vision and eyewear. These are polycarbonate and Trivex. Both of these materials will not only provide your child with safer lenses than standard plastic (don’t even think about glass), but they will be lighter in weight and possibly thinner, depending on the correction. So, poly (in optical nerd jargon) and Trivex are a done deal. Consider this bit of advice indispensable law.
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File under: Eye Safety, Frames & Lenses, Uncategorized, eye health | Tagged: children's lenses, impact resistant lenses, kids' glasses, photochromic, polycarbonate, Transitions, Trivex, UV protection
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Posted on July 7th, 2009 by Patti S
Patti S. is a member of VSP's Ophthalmic Services division.
Real sunglasses are more than just darkly tinted lenses in a cool frame. Although these types of glasses may serve a function in terms of fashion and diminished light transmission, they are not sufficient, in my opinion, to act as genuine protective sunwear.
Truly protective sunwear should, at a minimum, include a tint with ultra-violet [UV] protection. Many materials, (e.g., polycarbonate), naturally absorb harmful UV rays and don’t require an additional coating. Tinted lenses, however, don’t reduce the disturbing affects of glare—they just reduce light transmission.
Polarized lenses do decrease glare and are an indispensable feature I want when buying my own sunglasses. Glare is created when light bounces off a surface. The more reflective a surface, the more glare is produced. A wet road produces more distracting and interfering glare than a dry one, but both surfaces do reflect light. Glare actually interferes with your vision and can obscure images, like children playing in the street or the rear bumper of the car you’re following.
Polarized lenses can be likened to microscopic venetian blinds for your eyes. They actually contain a filter that’s embedded with iodine crystals stretched so that they are oriented in one direction. When rotated correctly prior to insertion into your frame, they reduce visual interference from glare created from light bouncing off horizontal surfaces by preventing those scattered rays from reaching your eyes. Fishermen love them because they allow them to see into the water, not merely the bright reflection off the water.
There are many lens options you can add to polarized lenses, including anti-reflective coatings, variable tints, and a variety of colors. They are also available in almost any multi-focal or single vision design. Polarized lenses are more expensive than simple tinted lenses, but they serve a vital function in terms of your health and comfort as well as your own and others’ safety.
File under: Eye Safety, Frames & Lenses, eye health | Tagged: dark tints, eyeglasses, eyewear, glare, glare reduction, polarized lenses, sunglasses, tinted lenses, UV protection
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