Posts Tagged ‘Eyes’

Were undateable scientists the inspiration behind Transitions® lenses?

By The Refresh You Staff Category: Eyes , Refreshing Stories

Back in the 1960s, some geeky scientists at Corning said to themselves, “Wouldn’t it be great if our regular everyday nerd glasses could magically darken and lighten all by themselves depending on the lighting conditions? Just imagine the comfort and convenience of THAT! Think of how many more dates we could get!”

Seeing as how they were pretty smart, the scientists developed photochromic glass, and it worked like this: With exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation found in sunlight, the glass would darken as embedded microcrystalline silver halides absorbed the light. Conversely, once the UV was removed, the glass would gradually return to its clear state.

When this photochromic glass was incorporated into eyeglasses, it worked pretty well. And it did indeed result in more dates for the scientists. Certainly, their dates were duly impressed with the scientists’ new invention and how cool their glasses were.

By the mid 1970s, the scientists had scored quite a few dates, but there was a problem: The speed of the transition from dark to light left a lot to be desired. Sometimes, if the scientists would go from outdoor to indoor light (like at a scientist pool party, for example), their lenses would take so long to lighten, they wouldn’t even notice their dates laughing and snickering at how ridiculous they looked.

Clearly, the scientists knew there was work to be done if they wanted to keep scoring dates. Over the next few decades, the scientists made significant improvements in the speed of the lighter-darker-lighter transition. They also abandoned glass in favor of strong, lightweight plastics. Their work was a success.

The result, of course, was more dates.

Then in 1991, a company called Transitions Optical became the undisputed leader in the field. Not only did their scientists improve the transition speed even more, but they also placed an emphasis on fashion and safety: Even with 100% UV protection, it really was possible to have great-looking indoor glasses that also functioned as great-looking outdoor glasses. And vice versa. Were they true sunglasses? No, but the quick transitions worked well in most light conditions, and the comfort and convenience was undeniable.

Even better, the scientists made sure that Transitions lenses could be used in virtually any frame, style, size and prescription. So the transition was fast, and they looked fantastic.

You probably can guess what happened: More dates.

As people everywhere quickly realized how the previously undateable scientists had continued to score lots of dates, the lenses became mainstream and popular. Soon, everyone everywhere was scoring more dates.

Then the scientists joined up with some marketing consultants, got all legal with that circle “R” thing in their name (Transitions®) and evolved their family of products into three distinct product lines:

Transitions® VI, the company’s primary line of comfort lenses.
Transitions® EXTRActive, a line of lenses that gets even darker outdoors but doesn’t fully lighten indoors, perfect for most outside activities.
Transitions® SOLFX, a true sunglass lens that darkens according to light conditions but does not lighten enough for indoor situations or night-time uses.

The result? More dates. Even for the marketing consultants.

Today, the benefits and fast-change technology of Transitions® lenses are available at good optical stores like Davis Duehr Dean. Offering full UV protection and the ultimate in convenience, Transitions® lenses have evolved from geeky science experiment to totally cool technology-based fashion.

So that’s the story of how some undateable scientists invented something cool, and in the process, helped everyone. If you’d like to check out Transitions® lenses for yourself, stop by a nearby Davis Duehr Dean location.

Pediatric vision screening, eye exams and how early detection helps prevent cases of “My kid can’t see!”

By The Refresh You Staff Category: Eyes , Refreshing Experts

Take a minute and think about the different aspects of your child’s health care:

Scheduled checkups with a pediatrician? Check.
Immunization schedule? Check.
Routine visits with a dentist? Check.
Eye exam? Hmmm. Let’s see. Well, sure. Doesn’t the pediatrician handle that? Maybe a school nurse? Or is that more for an eyecare professional?

When it comes to our kids’ eye health and good vision, sometimes it isn’t clear who is responsible for what.

Indeed, most parents rely on family practice providers or their kids’ pediatricians to indicate when an eye exam might be necessary. That’s certainly a good place to start, but should parents take an extra step and schedule comprehensive eye exams for their children?

To find out, we asked two ophthalmologists from Davis Duehr Dean: Sarah Groessl, MD and Mansoor Movaghar, MD. Both offer significant expertise and experience in Pediatric Ophthalmology, a subspecialty you won’t find at strip-mall optical stores and discount retail chains.

“Generally, without a reason to do so, parents don’t need to schedule a comprehensive eye exam for their children,” says Dr. Groessl. “However, every child needs to be screened for potential vision problems. If something is revealed in a screening, no matter how minor, that’s when a thorough eye exam should take place.”

Dr. Movaghar explains how multiple screenings increase the likelihood of discovering a problem with a child’s vision. “Pediatricians and primary care providers do screenings from a medical standpoint, looking for problems and establishing baselines. Sometimes a school nurse might identify a problem. Healthcare professionals at a community health fair may notice something. Parents often know when something isn’t quite right or when their own family history might play a role. I even had a case where a babysitter for a child discovered a significant problem while playing a peek-a-boo-type game. For the most effective detection, we all must work together. Any given screening might not be perfect in detecting a problem, but the odds improve greatly with multiple screenings.”

“The key is early identification,” says Dr. Groessl. “When that happens, a child can get in to see us, and often the solutions are much easier and far less invasive than if more time elapses. That’s why good screenings are important. Generally, screenings should start when a child reaches three years old and continue during all subsequent well-child checks.”

It’s easy to see the ripple effect of less-than-optimal vision. Certainly, school performance is affected if a child is unable to clearly see things like blackboards, smartboards, posters, video monitors and books. Imagine the difficulty in reading (and improving reading comprehension) if a vision impairment prevents proper recognition of letters and their shapes. In fact, things like motor skill development and even social development can be affected, too. Simply, a vision problem can lead to a learning problem, and from there, a constant struggle to catch up.

So what can parents look for when evaluating their children? According to Dr. Movaghar, “It’s very important to look for misalignment. Pediatricians look for this, but parents can, too. The medical term for this condition is strabismus, and when we catch it early, the treatments are very effective.”

Dr. Groessl agrees. “The earlier we can catch an eye muscle imbalance the better, because the longer a problem goes undetected, the harder it is to correct. Some types of asymmetry, especially in early stages, are difficult for parents to see, but primary care providers can usually spot it and refer a child to us.”

In addition to misalignment, be sure to tell your doctor if your child has or displays any of these conditions:

A history of prematurity or learning difficulties
Delayed motor development
Excessive blinking or frequent eye rubbing
Failure to maintain eye contact
Inability to maintain a fixation while looking at objects
Poor eye tracking skills

Finally, make sure your child’s doctor knows about any family history that might play a role, as there definite family traits that kids inherit beyond just eye color.

For most kids, refractive correction (otherwise known as glasses) is the most effective solution. In cases of strabismus, a treatment program of eye patches is very effective—sort of like physical therapy for the brain. In a relatively small number of cases, surgery is necessary to correct a vision problem. But in every case, time is never an ally.

“When parents work together with healthcare providers, we can identify problems right away and begin treatment,” says Dr. Movaghar. “With a team-centered approach, starting at an early age, your child can count on a lifetime of good vision.”

To schedule an eye exam for your child or family members of any age, call the Davis Duehr Dean location nearest you.

Dry eyes: Finding effective relief for the most common eye problem in the world.

By The Refresh You Staff Category: Eyes , Refreshing Experts

If you experience the irritation of dry eyes — and many people do — here’s a great way to impress (or totally freak out) your friend or significant other. Just use this line:

“I believe I have a case of keratitis sicca.”

Impressive, no? Doesn’t that sound cool?