Contact Lens Safety Month

October is Eye Injury Prevention Month which I have already covered this month. There are several worthy causes to observe like Breast Cancer Awareness, Domestic Violence and Mental Health this month. As an optometrist, October is contact lens safety month so I will cover this. This month is dedicated to helping educate the public on the best ways to protect their eyes when wearing contact lenses through proper care. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 41 million Americans wear contact lenses.

Contact lenses can be safe and effective in helping people see clearly. When improperly used they can also cause significant eye and vision problems.

Whether you wear contact lenses to improve vision or as part of a costume, it is important to do so under the guidance of an eye care professional. As Halloween is near the FDA wants to remind the public that consumers need a prescription for contact lenses including those used for "decorative" or "cosmetic" purposes.

Some of the possible consequences of wearing contact lenses improperly are:

• Corneal ulcers
• Eye infections
• Pink eye
• Corneal abrasions
• Keratitis
• Dry Eyes
• Giant papillary conjunctivitis 

Proper handling tips for contact lens wearers:

• Never share your contact lenses
• Don’t sleep with contact lenses in
• Never reuse old contact lens solution
• Only use eye drops while wearing contact lenses if they are specifically recommended by your eye doctor
• Clean and store contacts properly
• Always wash your hands before handling your contact lenses
• Replace your contact lens case at least every three months
• Don't store your lenses in tap water, and don't swim or shower in your lenses either. Only proper contact lens solution.

Sources:

www.eyecarebusiness.com

www.invisionmag.com

www.midwesteyeconsultants.com

www.fda.gov

 

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The Eyes Have It Quiz Answers

 

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The Eyes Have It Quiz

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Eye Injury Prevention Month

Eye injury prevention month is observed in October, even though we should be aware 365 days a year. Eye injuries range from eyestrain to chemical burns. Most people believe that most eye injuries occur on the job. Especially in factories and construction sites. Most of all trauma to the eye takes place in the home when doing tasks such as:

·         Home repairs

·         Yardwork

·         Cooking

·         Cleaning

·         Improper care of contact lenses

·         Projectile toys

That is not to say there are no workplace eye injuries. One thousand eye injuries occur in American workplaces every day.

Protests, riots, and urban warfare are increasingly leading to vision-threatening eye injuries worldwide.

Another 40% of eye injuries are related to sports or outdoor activities. Basketball, hockey, and baseball cause the most eye injuries, followed by water activities and racquet sports. The most common eye injuries in sports include:

1.      Blunt trauma injuries

·         Orbital blow-out fracture

·         ruptured globe

·         detached retina

2. Penetration injuries

3. Radiation injuries

4. Corneal Abrasion

5. Bee stings

A great many of these injuries can be prevented by wearing protective eyewear. Protect your eyes before it's too late. Depending on the activity simple devices can save your sight.

• a helmet
• a face shield
• sunglasses
• goggles

 

 

Sources:

www.aao.org

www.nei.nih.gov

www.familydoctor.org

www.preventblindness.org

 

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Does Light Mode Versus Dark Mode Make a Difference?

 

Light and dark modes are color schemes most commonly used for text, background, GUI (graphical user interface) elements, and web design. Modern devices like computers, cell phones, and tablets offer users the choice of light mode or dark mode. The concept is called contrast polarity. This is the difference between the text color and the background colors.

Positive contrast polarity, more commonly known as light mode refers to the font being dark on a light background.

Negative contrast polarity in dark mode denotes the combination of light or white text on a dark or black background.

Pros and cons of dark mode:

Pros:

• Longer battery life

• Reduce blue light exposure

• Reduce glare

• Decrease in eyestrain in low light conditions 

Cons:

• In bright light, text appears washed out

• Long pieces of context or text are more challenging to read

• Prolonged use of dark mode can cause discomfort when using a device in light mode 

Pros and cons of light mode:

Pros:

• Better for visual acuity tasks

• Smaller fonts are easier to see

• There is more overall light so the people contracts more

Cons:

• Long-term costs associated with myopia

• Hard to read for people with cloudy ocular media

As you can see there are pros and cons to each mode. The debate about which interface to use or which is better will continue. It is best to use common sense when deciding.

1. If a particular mode causes discomfort, change it!
2. Use the 20-20-20 rule.
3. See your eyecare professional if you find you have problems with your vision in any mode.

Sources:

www.allaboutvision.com

www.nngroup.com

www.forbes.com

www.phonearena.com

www.CNET.com 

 

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