Posts Tagged ‘vision’
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 1st, 2010 by Jill N
In 1972, Dr. Marvin Poston was the first African American named "Optometrist of the Year" by the American Optometric Association, the highest professional award from the AOA.
VSP is known for quality service – whether providing eyecare to underprivileged through our number of charitable programs, ensuring patients have access to high-quality vision services or providing doctors with the tools they need to maintain successful private practices. This dedication to service can be directly attributed to the core philosophies of VSP’s founders, one of whom was Dr. Marvin R. Poston.
In 1935, Dr. Poston was the first African American student admitted to the study of optometry at University of California, Berkeley. It took another 23 years for the second African American student to follow in his footsteps and graduate from the Berkeley School of Optometry. Dr. Poston later became the first African American licensed to practice optometry on the West Coast.
Nearly 55 years ago, Dr. Poston, along with several of his fellow optometrists, formed California Vision Services, now known as VSP Vision Care. The company originally was the first to offer a prepaid, vision benefit that provided high quality, cost-effective eyecare. VSP has since grown to become the largest not-for-profit visions benefits provider in the nation, covering 1 in 6 Americans.
Dr. Poston’s optometry practice flourished for four decades in Oakland and Danville, California but his reach extended far beyond those who visited his offices. Befitting one of the founders of a company that prides itself on community support, Dr. Poston began his own tradition of community outreach by establishing vision-screening programs for under-served children and adults. The Children’s Vision Center of the East Bay, the West Oakland Health Group and the East Bay Skill Center are just a few of the organizations that benefited from his efforts.
Dr. Poston received numerous honors during his career, including the Optometric Man of the Year award by the Alameda Contra Costa Optometric Society and Optometrist of the Year by the California Optometric Association and the American Optometric Association. He was also appointed to three terms on the California State Board of Optometry by governors Edmund G. “Pat” Brown and Ronald Reagan. In each of these areas, Dr. Poston was the first African American ever to be honored.
“He was a man of great integrity,” says Norm Jacoby, O.D., a former colleague from Encino, California. “He was very soft-spoken and intelligent, and you listened when he spoke. Marvin was conscious of what new graduates needed when getting started in private practice and that they needed all the help they could get.”
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File under: VSP in the Community | Tagged: African American, Alameda Contra Costa Optometric Society, American Optometric Association, Berkeley, Berkeley School of Optometry, Black History Month, CA, California, California Governors, California Optometric Association, California State Boad of Optometry, California Vision Services, Calistoga, charitable eyecare, Children's Vision Center of the East Bay, Danville, diversity, Dr. Marvin R. Poston, East Bay Skill Center, Edmund G. Brown, Encino, high-quality vision services, Marvin R. Poston, Norm Jacoby, Not-For-Profit, Oakland, OD, Optometric Man of the Year, Optometrist of the Year, optometry, optometry students, Posten Crest Vineyard, prepaid vision benefits, private practice eye doctors, Professional Health Management & Planning Services, Ronald Reagan, SeeLia, SeeZar, Sight for Students, The Changing Face of the American Wine Industry, University of California, vision, vision benefits, vision benefits provider, VSP Mobile Eyes, VSP Vision Care, West Oakland Health Group, Wine Business Monthly
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Posted on January 6th, 2010 by Jessica G.
File under: Frames & Lenses, Fun, eye health | Tagged: contact lens, eyecare, eyes, eyewear, history, innovation, lenses, vision, VSP Vision Care
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Posted on January 4th, 2010 by Liz B.
Focus on Vision, a Dutch company, produces very low cost adjustable glasses for the developing world. The company says it can produce its Focusspec glasses for about $4 a pair, a price its founders say will fall substantially, once the glasses are made in large volume. -Michel de Groot for The International Herald Tribune
Interesting article from the New York Times, discussing the staggering cost of poor eyesight around the world … “A study published in a World Health Organization journal in June estimated the cost in lost output at $269 billion a year.” Wow.
The article goes on to highlight several efforts to distribute inexpensive glasses throughout the world on a large scale including technology such as self-adjusting glasses (see Vernon D’s post about this technology).
Here is an excerpt of the article by Douglas Heingartner and a link for the full deal …
VEGHEL, the Netherlands — With AIDS, malaria and other diseases costing millions of lives every year, worrying about the vision of people in the developing world may seem like an indulgence.
But supplying glasses for the world’s poor may be one of the most valuable investments around. Hundreds of millions of people — some put the estimates as high as two billion — do not have the corrective lenses that would allow them to lead better, more productive lives.
A study published in a World Health Organization journal in June estimated the cost in lost output at $269 billion a year. Moreover, tackling vision problems early can help prevent later blindness.
Read entire article
Via New York Times
File under: Frames & Lenses, Technology | Tagged: blindness, corrective lenses, Douglas Heingartner, Eyesight, inexpensive glasses, New York Times, self-adjusting glasses, vision, vision problems, World Health Organization
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Posted on December 16th, 2009 by Liz B.
File under: eye health, healthcare | Tagged: development of eyes, Dr. Richard Besser, eye diseases, eye exams, eye health, eyecare, eyes, GMA, Good Morning America, healthcare, importance of regular eye exams, myopia, National Eye Institute, nearsighted, nearsightedness, PhD, Susan Vitale, vision, vision benefits, VSP Vision Care
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Posted on November 9th, 2009 by Liz B.
Joel Kestenbaum O.D. is a VSP provider in Long Island, NY.
In recognition of Diabetes Awareness Month, Dr. Joel Kestenbaum has shared some thoughts regarding diabetes and eyecare. VSP is a proud National Strategic Partner of the American Diabetes Association. Join the fight. STOP Diabetes.
One of the first lessons I learned in optometry school was that diabetes was a leading cause of blindness. We were taught that early diagnosis was the key to preserving good eyesight. We were also taught that educating our patients about the effects of diabetes on the eye was extremely important. So here are a few tidbits to think about.
There are many early signs of diabetes, many of which are common eye complaints. Styes, double vision, light sensitivity, fluctuating vision, glare and frequent changes in eyeglass prescriptions are just a few early signs. These and other signs can also affect people who have had diabetes for a long time. Getting annual eye examinations by a qualified specialist can detect problems that may be vision threatening. Early detection can lead to early sight saving treatment. Read more »
File under: diabetes | Tagged: American Diabetes Association, diabetes, Diabetes Awareness Month, eye diseases, eye health, healthcare, private practice eye doctors, STOP Diabetes, vision
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Posted on November 3rd, 2009 by Liz B.
Joel Kestenbaum O.D. is a VSP provider in Long Island, NY.
Today we welcome VSP provider Joel Kestenbaum, O.D. from Long Island N.Y. His guest blog gives an overview of those annoying floating spots we sometimes see …
Often patients either complain of or casually mention that they see little floating spots in front of their eyes. They are described as worms, dust, feathers, spiders, mites, flies on a wall, or just plain floaters. What makes these floaters and why do we see them?
Did you ever put your hand in front of a beam of light and see its projection on a screen? Lets think of the inside of the eye just like the inside of a movie theater. If you stand up and get in the way of the projection, you are seen as a shadow on the screen. In the same way, if something gets in the way of the beam of light coming into the eye, the image is projected onto the retina, the eyes’ movie screen, and seen as a floater with a particular shape.
Where do floaters come from? This is a complicated question and there are two basic answers:
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File under: Private Practice Doctors, eye health | Tagged: floaters, private practice eye doctors, retina, seeing spots, vision, vitreous humor
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