Kennedy & Perkins And The Lions Club – Partners For Eyesight
Pictured from Left to Right: Nanette Hammond, James Bennett (Secretary of New Haven Lions Club Chapter) Richard Kennedy, Jennifer Rich, Deirdre Kavanagh.
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The Eyes Have
Here is a copy of a recent article from Shore Magazine about Kennedy & Perkins.
Great Golfer Glasses
The opticians at Kennedy & Perkins know golf and know that the right lenses and the right settings can improve your vision both on and off the golf course. We have lenses that will enhance terrain and reading segments for better vision from the tee box to the scorecard. Come in and let us show you the lens options that can help improve your game today!
April is Women’s Eye Health And Safety Month
Women have a higher risk than men for most eye diseases, Yet one in four has not had an eye exam in last two years. It is an unfortunate fact of life that women are more likely than men to have eye-related problems. Two-thirds of blindness and other visual impairments worldwide occur in women.
Glaucoma, cataracts, and Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) are more likely to be an issue for women. There are various reasons for this: women generally live longer than men and women have hormonal fluctuations during their lives that negatively affect their eyes. Here are other reasons why women tend to have more eye problems:
- Birth control/Hormone Replacement Therapy: These may cause blood clots and strokes which can cause vision Birth control/HRT can also increase women’s chances of cataracts and dry eye.
- Pregnancy: There are several changes that take place in a woman’s body during pregnancy, some visibly obvious and some not. The eyes are not left out. Dry eye syndrome, light sensitivity, prescription changes, and eye puffiness are the most common eye problems seen in pregnant women.
- Menopause: Women who undergo menopause may experience dry eye syndrome and uveitis (eye inflammation).
- Breast cancer: Drugs taken to treat or prevent breast cancer can increase your risk of cataracts, eye bleeds, itchy eyes, and light sensitivity.
- Autoimmune diseases: Women are more likely to experience lupus, multiple sclerosis(MS), rheumatoid arthritis, and Sjögren’s syndrome (this destroys the glands in the eye and mouth that produce moisture). These diseases can impact the eye negatively.
- Smoking: If you need another reason to quit smoking, think about your eyes. Smoking greatly increases your probability of eye diseases.
What Is The Most Common Cosmetic Related Eye Injury?
If it’s happened to you, take solace that you are not alone. The most common cosmetic related eye injury is a jab to the eye with a mascara wand. While most of the time it’s an embarrassment and even time consuming washing the eye with lukewarm water to clean out the makeup. Mascaras can trigger an allergic reaction, causing redness and swelling along eyelids too. Mascara’s that are more than two months old can contain a decent amount of bacteria adding to your injury. Then there are the times where everything has to stop due to the pain, most commonly a corneal abrasion. If this has happened to you recently, click here to schedule a comprehensive exam and let us take a look at your eyes. Afterall, we want you to have the prettiest eyes possible, especially the parts that aren’t supposed to have mascara. Contact Lenses and Halloween
Contact lenses can be great fun at Halloween. They can truly complete the costume. However, every year over 13,000 people are treated in emergency rooms due to contact lens injuries, many of them from injuries sustained over the Halloween celebrations. Contact lenses are medical devices. This isn’t just our opinion. The sale and fit of contact lenses are controlled by Food & Drug Administration.
The sale of unprescribed contact lenses have been illegal in the United States since 2005, yet many a gas station or costume shop still manages to import and sell them, without knowing how to properly fit them, or knowing whether the devices were manufactured to be safely worn. Even under the best supervision, injury and infections can occur. Even if you have been to an ophthalmologist or optometrist and received a prescription, be sure to only buy costume contacts from retailers who require a prescription to purchase the lenses and who only sell FDA-approved contact lenses.
If you are set on wearing contact lenses as part of your costume, schedule an eye exam with us and let us measure your eyes in order to properly fit contacts.
Let’s make this a fun and safe Halloween for everyone! The Once In A Century Solar Eclipse
Seems everyone is getting very excited for the coming complete solar eclipse on Monday, August 21st at 2:45 PM. The New Haven area is almost 640 miles from seeing the total eclipse, so you better plan on a crowded trip down to South Carolina if you want to see the sun totally blocked out. Our area will be almost 70% blocked out at the height of the eclipse. Do you want to see the eclipse?
DO NOT LOOK DIRECTLY INTO THE SUN…. even during an eclipse!
Here are a few tips we gathered from NASA as to how to look at an eclipse.
A solar eclipse occurs when the moon blocks any part of the sun. On Monday, August 21, 2017, a solar eclipse will be visible (weather permitting) across all of North America. The whole continent will experience a partial eclipse lasting 2 to 3 hours. Halfway through the event, anyone within a roughly 70-mile-wide path from Oregon to South Carolina will experience a brief total eclipse, when the moon completely blocks the sun’s bright face for up to 2 minutes 40 seconds, turning day into night and making visible the otherwise hidden solar corona — the sun’s outer atmosphere — one of nature’s most awesome sights. Bright stars and planets will become visible as well.
The only safe way to look directly at the uneclipsed or partially eclipsed sun is through special-purpose solar filters, such as “eclipse glasses” (example shown at left) or hand-held solar viewers. Homemade filters or ordinary sunglasses, even very dark ones, are not safe for looking at the sun. To date five manufacturers have certified that their eclipse glasses and handheld solar viewers meet the ISO 12312-2 international standard for such products: American Paper Optics, Baader Planetarium (AstroSolar Silver/Gold film only), Rainbow Symphony, Thousand Oaks Optical, and TSE 17.
The only safe way to look directly at the uneclipsed or partially eclipsed sun is through special-purpose solar filters, such as “eclipse glasses” (example shown at left) or hand-held solar viewers. Homemade filters or ordinary sunglasses, even very dark ones, are not safe for looking at the sun. To date five manufacturers have certified that their eclipse glasses and handheld solar viewers meet the ISO 12312-2 international standard for such products: American Paper Optics, Baader Planetarium (AstroSolar Silver/Gold film only), Rainbow Symphony, Thousand Oaks Optical, and TSE 17.
- Always inspect your solar filter before use; if scratched or damaged, discard it. Read and follow any instructions printed on or packaged with the filter. Always supervise children using solar filters.
- Stand still and cover your eyes with your eclipse glasses or solar viewer before looking up at the bright sun. After glancing at the sun, turn away and remove your filter — do not remove it while looking at the sun.
- Do not look at the uneclipsed or partially eclipsed sun through an unfiltered camera, telescope, binoculars, or other optical device. Similarly, do not look at the sun through a camera, a telescope, binoculars, or any other optical device while using your eclipse glasses or hand-held solar viewer — the concentrated solar rays will damage the filter and enter your eye(s), causing serious injury. Seek expert advice from an astronomer before using a solar filter with a camera, a telescope, binoculars, or any other optical device.
- If you are within the path of totality (https://go.nasa.gov/2pC0lhe(link is external)), remove your solar filter only when the Moon completely covers the sun’s bright face and it suddenly gets quite dark. Experience totality, then, as soon as the bright sun begins to reappear, replace your solar viewer to glance at the remaining partial phases.
Eye See Sharks
As we approach Shark Week next week, did you know that shark corneas are very similar to the ones we humans have? As such, shark corneas have been used as replacements in human eye surgeries. Want to see Shark Week in all its gory glory? Check out some new lenses at Kennedy & Perkins today.
Swim Season And Your Eyes
Now that Memorial Day Weekend has come and gone, we are all excited about jumping back into the swimming pool. Most all of us will remember to bring the sunscreen, which is a good thing, but what are you doing to protect your eyes at the pool?
Did you know UV radiation increases as much as 25% when you are in or near the water? That is why we sunburn so easily poolside. That same UV radiation can be damaging to your eyesight as well, increasing your chances of acquiring cataracts, macular degeneration, or even skin cancer around the eyelids. That is why we carry a wonderful array of sunglasses that filter out those damaging UV rays. We have a complete line of sunglasses in both Rx and non-Rx to choose from.
The sun isn’t the only thing your eyes need to worry about at the pool, however. Pool chemicals can do a number on your eyes. The tear film that coats your eyes is one of nature’s magical wonders in that it’s the water, protein, and lipid combine to protect your eyes and keep them from drying out too quickly. Chlorine and saline, however, wreak havoc on your tear film, leading to redness and itching. These chemicals can also lead to Dry Eye Syndrome. If you wear contact lenses swimming, you are providing a surface for bacterial growth that can lead to http://www.gulfportpharmacy.com/ambien.html complications such as corneal ulcers and in rare cases, vision loss.
This swim season we want to recommend you bring 3 things with you to the pool and 4 things back.
The first is a good sunscreen that blocks both UVA and UVB rays.
The second is a good pair of sunglasses that block 100% of UVA and UVB rays too.
SAVE 20% NOW DURING OUR ANNUAL SUNGLASS SALE!
The third thing is a pair of swim goggles available at any sports or convenience store. That 4th thing to bring home is a wonderful smile of a fun, safe, and memorable day in the water.May is Healthy Vision Month
In 2003, the National Eye Institute established May as Healthy Vision Month. During this annual observance, Americans are encouraged to make their eye health a priority and learn how to keep their eyes healthy and safe. Why is Healthy Vision Month important? Healthy Vision Month is important because more than 23 million Americans age 18 and older have never had an eye exam, according to a national survey conducted by National Eye Institute. The reason: Most say they don’t think they have an eye problem. In fact: Many eye diseases don’t have symptoms in their early stages, so without an eye exam, they can’t know. And there are worrying predictions: By 2030, 11.4 million people will have diabetic retinopathy, 4.2 million will have glaucoma, and 3.7 million will have age-related macular degeneration. Healthy Vision Month encourages people to take steps to protect their sight. So during May (and quite frankly https://slaterpharmacy.com/ every month of the year), we encourage you to follow these five simple suggestions:
- Live a Healthy Lifestyle: Maintain a healthy weight and eat foods like fish and dark leafy green vegetables to lower your risk of eye disease. And don’t smoke—it’s as bad for your eyes as it is for the rest of your body.
- Know Your Family History: Genetics are a factor in eye disease, including diseases that are the leading causes of blindness. Talk to your family members about their eye health history.
- Use Protective Eyewear: Safety glasses or goggles can protect your eyes at work and at play. Talk to us about the right protective eyewear for your sport or job.
- Wear Sunglasses: Protect your eyes by choosing sunglasses that block out 99 to 100% of both UVA and UVB radiation.
- Get a Comprehensive Dilated Eye Exam: It’s the best way to know if your eyes are healthy and you’re seeing your best. Schedule an exam with us today!
