In This Issue: June 2023
- Post a Selfie on National Sunglasses Day
- Cataract Awareness Month
- Eye Care Tip of the Month: Fireworks Eye Safety
- Don’t Flush: Recycle Your Contact Lenses
Post a Selfie on National Sunglasses Day
The Vision Council is urging everyone to post a selfie wearing sunglasses on June 27 to their favorite social media outlet. If you participate, please use these hashtags: #SunglassSelfie, #SolarFlair and #NationalSunglassesDay, and tagging @TheVisionCouncil on Facebook and Instagram and @OpticalIndustry on Twitter.
The goal is to celebrate National Sunglasses Day, an annual event to remind everyone of the importance of wearing sunglasses to protect your eyes from the sun’s harsh ultraviolet (UV) rays. Overexposure to UV light can lead to corneal damage, pterygium (surfer’s eye), cataracts, macular degeneration, eye cancer and even photokeratitis (sunburn of the eye).
At Nevada Eye Physicians, we carry both prescription and non-prescription sunglasses in our optical centers that block 99-100% of UV rays. Visit one of our locations nearest you to check out our inventory!
Cataract Awareness Month
Cataracts are a normal occurrence in an aging eye: your transparent eye lens begins to cloud over with the gradual build-up of naturally-occurring proteins in the eye. Instead of allowing light to enter properly, the cloudy lens creates a foggy appearance to everything you see. This process does not happen overnight. It is typically a slow development that makes it increasingly difficult to see things clearly and perform daily tasks. Here are some symptoms to look for:
- Hazy/blurry/cloudy vision
- Glare and starbursts with night driving
- Dull appearance of colors
- Vision takes on a yellowish/brownish tint
- Eye sensitivity in bright light
We can identify cataracts during eye exams. It’s possible to live with cataracts for years if they aren’t affecting your lifestyle. When the time is right, cataract surgery is very effective in restoring clear vision and it’s considered a safe procedure. During surgery, we remove the cloudy eye lens and replace it with a clear Intraocular Lens (IOL). We offer a variety of IOL options to help you achieve vision that supports your hobbies and lifestyle – including lenses that provide clear vision at all distances so you may not need glasses after surgery. Contact us today at (702) 896-6043 to schedule an appointment to stay proactive with your eye health.
Eye Care Tip of the Month: Fireworks Eye Safety
Oooohhh…aaahhhhh…
Fireworks: scientists say that the reason we love them so much is because they scare us, activating an area of nerves in the brain that detects fear (the amygdala). After the flash of mesmerizing lights comes the resounding boom, stimulating a surge of dopamine in our bodies. The lure of this euphoric sensation is why fireworks are so appealing and why so many people take risks to entertain family and friends.
June is Fireworks Eye Safety Month. Emergency rooms are flooded with fireworks-related injuries each year (11,500 in 2021). These injuries occur from all types of fireworks – even seemingly harmless sparklers which actually burn at 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit. An estimated 14% of those injuries in 2021 were to the eyes: penetration injury, corneal scratches, burns, detached retinas, ruptured eyeballs, infections.
Here are a few tips to keep your eyes safe around fireworks:
- Wear safety glasses when lighting fireworks.
- View fireworks from 500 feet away.
- Stand to the side of fuses when lighting them and don’t relight duds.
- Never point fireworks at other people or pets.
- Keep a bucket of water or hose nearby.
Seek medical attention immediately if you sustain an eye injury. Do not care for eye injuries yourself (don’t rub, apply pressure or ointments, rinse, remove objects, take aspirin or ibuprofen, etc.). View more fireworks safety tips at cpsc.gov/fireworks.
Don’t Flush: Recycle Your Contact Lenses
Bauch + Lomb launched the One by One recycling program in 2016 to encourage people to recycle contact lenses and other eye care materials. They recently announced that a total of 65.8 million units (397,194 pounds) of materials have been recycled since the program’s inception. According to the company, “this is equivalent to the weight of three commercial-sized airplanes.” This amazing feat was made possible through a partnership with TerraCycle. Learn more about the environmental impact of flushing contact lenses by clicking here. The infographic below will give you a quick overview of how to recycle your lenses.
