Posts Tagged ‘vision’
Posted on March 17th, 2011 by Jessica G.
Damage at Fukushima power station; image by digitalglobe.com.
With the multi-layered disaster faced in Japan right now, it’s hard to look past the immediate needs and concerns to the future impacts of of the earthquake, tsunami, and nuculear reactor meltdowns.
There’s been much comparison of the dangers of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant to the disaster at Chernobyl, which happened a quarter of a century ago. While the situation in Japan appears to be less dire (although much is still unknown), scientists were able to learn much from the longterm effects of the Chernobyl meltdown that may come into play as the recent crisis unfolds.
Listening to NPR as I commuted home Monday night, I learned that a number of the Chernobyl emergency workers that were exposed to high doses of radiation developed cataracts. This connection was unknown prior to the Russian meltdown. There are mitigating factors for the Japanese: the exposure to radiation has thus far been relatively light, and there are treatments available to limit or slow the growth of cataracts.
To put it in perspective, an increased probability of developing cataracts in the future may be a minor concern to those struggling to make it through the crisis. But once the dust settles, long-term impacts will begin to reveal themselves.
Cataracts are a leading cause of blindness—I encourage any reader to stay attuned to the common warning signs:
- Painless blurring of vision
- Frequent prescription changes for corrective lenses
- Glare and haloes
- Colors looking dull and brownish
- Poor night vision
- Both sensitivity to light and finding lighting too dim
My heart goes out to the people of Japan as they fight to stay safe and cope with the loss of loved ones. I’m making a donation to the American Red Cross to help in any small way that I can. And as part of our commitment to the global community, VSP is helping double those dollars by matching up to $10,000 in employee contributions to relief funds.
File under: cataracts, Disaster Relief, Environment, Eye Safety | Tagged: cataracts, Chernobyl, disaster, emergency worker risk, eye health, Fukushima Daiichi, Japan, meltdown, radiation, vision, VSP Vision Care
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Posted on February 16th, 2011 by Liz B.
Cleveland Rocks! Check out this clip from VSP Provider Peter Mogyordy, OD as he discusses 3-D effects on vision, especially with new technologies like the Nintendo 3DS handheld gaming system.
File under: 3-D | Tagged: 3-D video games, 3D games, autostereo, children, eye strain, motion sickness, Nintendo, Nintendo 3DS, Peter Mogyordy, stereo, video games, vision, warning
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Posted on February 14th, 2011 by MaryBeth
MaryBeth R. is a member of VSP's Marketing Team and is an avid sports fan
If you follow sports, especially the NFL, you know the topic of concussions is a hot one these days. Many players have had their careers cut short after suffering too many (remember Troy Aikman and Steve Young?), and active players are being affected at alarming rates (Super Bowl MVP Aaron Rodgers fell prey twice this past season). Why is this such a serious issue? Increasing evidence shows that multiple concussions can lead to lingering neurological effects. Former NFL quarterback Jim McMahon says he knows he had five concussions during his career and today suffers from memory loss.
Unfortunately, diagnosing a concussion isn’t as easy as you might think. Coaches don’t always recognize the signs and players eager to get back into a game try to hide symptoms. A new vision test, called the King-Devick (K-D) test, is about to change that.
The K-D test involves the athlete reading single-digit numbers displayed on index-sized cards. A baseline test is given at the start of the season. Any increase (worsening) in the time needed to complete the test suggests a concussion has occurred, particularly if the delay is greater than five seconds compared to the individual’s baseline test time.
While other sideline exams test cognitive or memory skills and rely on the administrator to make subjective decisions, the K-D test is objective, researchers say. It reveals impairments of eye movement, attention, language and other symptoms of impaired brain function. It looks at rapid eye movements and other signs that are frequently abnormal following a concussion.
Are you an athlete or a parent of an athlete? Make sure you’re taking the necessary steps to protect your vision.
File under: eye health, Eye Safety, sports | Tagged: concussion test, concussions, football concussions, Jim McMahon, K-D Test, King-Devick test, national football league, NFL, protect vision, rapid eye movement, sports and vision, steve young, test, troy aikman, vision, VSP Vision Care
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Posted on September 29th, 2010 by Lisa P.
I spy, with my little eye, a new contest from VSP!
Today we launch our brand new “EyeSpy” contest, which gives one lucky person the chance to walk away with a 16GB SlideHD Flip Video Camera. Created to promote the importance of proactive vision care, our EyeSpy challenge is to see how much money you can save with VSP vision insurance.
It’s easy to enter. Just do the following:
- Visit See Much More, find the answer to the question: What is the average amount of money a VSP member can save annually on an exam and glasses?
- Visit VSP’s Facebook Page, click on the “Sweepstakes” tab, fill out the form and enter the savings amount for your chance to win.
- Grab a rabbit’s foot, four leaf clover or whatever luck-giving apparatus you prefer and wait for the winner to be announced on October 6.
The EyeSpy contest will begin today, September 29 and will run through Wednesday, October 6. To qualify, you must be a fan of VSP Vision Care, at least 18 years of age and a legal U.S. resident. The winner will be selected at random by VSP at the end of the contest.
This contest has ended.
File under: Contests, eye health, Fun | Tagged: eye health, flip camera, saving money with vsp, seemuchmore, slideHD Flip Camera, vision, vision insurance, VSP, VSP Vision Care
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Posted on September 17th, 2010 by Lisa P.
Michael O. is Sr. Technical Writer for Eyefinity/OfficeMate
I love working in the eyecare industry because I am so deeply indebted to it.
Most people don’t believe me when I tell them that I have worn hard contact lenses since I was a month old. You see, I was born with cataracts, and after undergoing four corrective surgeries as an infant, I am now aphakic. For those of you who follow this blog but are not doctors, aphakia is the technical term for having the natural crystalline lenses in one’s eyes surgically removed. While contact lenses are still the standard method of optical correction, these days, a cataract patient’s natural lens may be surgically replaced by a synthetic intraocular lens (IOL). Thirty years ago, IOLs were far too risky and expensive, thereby making contact lenses my only option.
Many people take sight for granted. You have no idea how precious sight is until your contact lenses are accidentally thrown out on Christmas Eve, or you can’t drive because you dropped a contact down the drain. Work can be interrupted. Vacations can be ruined. The possibility of suddenly not being able to see, which probably doesn’t occur to many people, keeps me on my toes.
The miracles of modern medicine and advances in eyecare have afforded me the opportunity to live a normal life. Of course, normal to me involves cleaning and securely storing my contact lenses every night and fussing with reading glasses everywhere I go. These are small prices to pay, however, considering that in past eras, my sight couldn’t have been saved at all.
It pleases me to write documentation for a company that supports what I would consider to be a noble industry, and I am proud to work with optometrists and ophthalmologists who have helped improve the daily lives of millions of people like me.
File under: eye health, Eyefinity/OfficeMate Blog | Tagged: aphakia, cataracts, contact lended, Eyefinity/OfficeMate, hard contact lenses, intraocular lens, ophthalmologists, optical corection, optometrists, sight, vision, VSP, VSP Vision Care
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Posted on July 6th, 2010 by Liz B.
Can eating carrots improve your vision? That question is the next eye health myth Bill Nye and Dr. Roger Phelps tackle in the latest VSP EyeFiles series. Watch as Bill and Dr. Phelps uncover the answer and also discuss other delicious eye healthy foods that should be added to any diet like kiwi, whole grains, salmon, dark chocolate, red wine, tuna, sunflower oil, spinach, egg yolks, and kale.
File under: eye health, Top Posts | Tagged: Bill Nye, dental vision, Eye, eye health, eye insurance, eye problems, eye sight, eye test, eyefiles, eyeglasses, eyewear, glasses, mens glasses, prescription glasses, The Science Guy, Top Posts, vision, vision benefits, vision problem, Vision Service Plan, VSP, VSP EyeFiles, VSP Vision Care, wearing lenses
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Posted on May 12th, 2010 by Lisa P.
Guest Blogger Lori F.
Lori F. is a Disaster Response Team Member and Marketing Coordinator with VSP in Rancho Cordova, CA. When Tennessee was devastated with heavy rain and flooding, Lori immediately reached out to VSP Network Doctors in the area to see what her team could do. The following are just a few responses from them that shed some light on the damage caused to their professional and personal lives.
Doctor David J. Shen sat in his practice while a foot of water was being pumped out of his first floor office. Fortunately for him, most of his inventory was not significantly affected. He knew Downtown Franklin, TN and surrounding areas were overflown with flood waters so he immediately began to clean up his practice and was determined to provide patients with some level of vision care and quickly as possible.
Photo Source: Reuters
When VSP’s Disaster Response Team reaches out to our providers, more times than not, their personal lives are also affected. This is the case for Doctor John Anderson. His practice didn’t incur any damage from the flood but his home basement wasn’t so lucky. When he bought his home three years ago he didn’t think he needed to purchase flood insurance because he lived outside the flood zone. However, Dr. Anderson was thankful that we were reaching out to his community and was amazed by the quick response time.
Photo Source: Reuters
Disaster relief services are still available for those who have lost or damaged their glasses from the Tennessee flooding or any type of natural disaster. Find out how to get help.
VSP’s Disaster Response Team was formed in 2007, and since then, we’ve responded to 56 natural disasters throughout the country. We’re currently reaching out to Doctors in Oklahoma and Kansas affected by the tornadoes. My heart goes out to communities affected by natural disasters but it feels good knowing we can provide assistance when they need it most.
File under: Disaster Relief, VSP in the Community | Tagged: disaster, disaster relief services, eye exam, eye health, eyewear, private practice eye doctors, Tennessee flooding, vision, VSP, VSP Vision Care
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Posted on April 24th, 2010 by Liz B.
Question: If you could ask Bill Nye about any eye care related topic, what would it be?
VSP is working with Bill Nye (yes, the Science Guy!) on a series of videos that look at eye health topics and myths. As we get ready to shoot the videos this week, we’d love to hear what eye-related myths you’d like Bill to explore. Just comment to this post with your eye-related question, and Bill Nye just might confirm or debunk yours.
File under: eye health, Fun | Tagged: Bill Nye, Bill Nye the Science Guy, eye exams, eye health topics, eye videos, eye-related myth, eyecare questions, eyecare videos, eyehealth, eyes, Myths, Top Posts, vision, VSP Vision Care
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Posted on April 19th, 2010 by Sara J
File under: Frames & Lenses | Tagged: BBC, British Soldier blinded, Craig Lundberg, eye health, eyecare, eyeglasses, frame, glasses, innovation, Lance Corporal, medical technology, special glasses, tongue, vision
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Posted on April 15th, 2010 by Sara J
Sara J. is a member of Altair's sales team.
Were you aware that VSP’s eyewear companies Marchon and Altair encompass a total of 26 brands including Calvin Klein, Joseph Abboud, Coach and Disney? With such a diverse product offering, Marchon and Altair have a strong marketplace presence and something to offer every consumer. With that in mind, there’s been an exciting update to VSP.com- an Eyewear Gallery!
The new Eyewear Gallery is one comprehensive location for many of the Marchon and Altair brands offered by VSP doctors. You can search frames by specific brand or style category such as Sport, Technology, and Kids, among others.
You can also click through to view style samples for the collections and take a look at the latest trends. This year’s trends of retro style and pop colors such as reds and purples can be seen in many of the style samples.
It’s a great resource whether you’re a patient getting ready to visit your VSP doctor and looking for a new frame, or a VSP doctor looking for new styles to provide your patients.
The best part is that this is just the beginning. More will be coming to the Eyewear Gallery soon, so be sure to check in often! Check out the new Eyewear Gallery today and let us know your thoughts!
File under: fashion, Frames & Lenses | Tagged: Altair, eyeglasses, eyewear, Eyewear gallery, frame, glasses, Marchon, name brand sunglasses, sunglasses, sunwear, trendy sunglasses, vision
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