El comienzo del nuevo curso está cerca y es importante pensar en la visión de su hijo, así como en todos los libros de texto que necesitará, en su uniforme, etc. Los estudios demuestran que uno de cada cuatro niños tiene un problema visual no...
Continue ReadingTo celebrate the opening of the Look Your Best fitness & lifestyle studio and allow people to try the revolutionary muscular stimulation technology (EMS) for themselves, they are running a competition on Facebook to win 12 free trial sessions. To enter the competition entrants need to go...
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HOT sunshine, sandy beaches and a sparkling sea are all recipes for a great summer, but can cause problems for your eyes. The experts from Specsavers Opticas have released the following advice for keeping your eyes in top condition this summer.
1. Protect your eyes from the sun
Leighton Griffiths, Store Director of Specsavers Marbella, says: ‘Excessive exposure to UV rays causes a painful irritation to the cornea at the front of the eye. In extreme circumstances this can lead to cancer of the cornea, age related macular degeneration, cataracts and even blindness.’
Everyone should wear sunglasses to protect their eyes from the sun. Check sunglasses comply with UNE-EN 1836:2006 + A1:2008 or bear the CE kite mark and are marked UV 400. If you already have sunglasses and aren’t sure if they offer the right protection, take them into your local Specsavers to be UV tested. Look for styles which are large, or wraparound to minimise light entering the eyes from the side.
On Wednesday 24th July Specsavers Opticas in Torrevieja will be holding an informative free event discussing the common ocular diseases Glaucoma, Cataracts and Macular degeneration. The one hour seminar will take place in the store on Avenida Rosa Mazon Valero (Opposite Habaneras Shopping Centre) at 11.00am. The seminar will discuss the causes, symptoms and risk factors of these conditions as well as prevention and treatment methods.
In addition to the seminar, there will be a radio roadshow from Sunshine FM, a performance from band The Notion and goodie bags, snacks and drinks for everyone. There will be face painting for children and the winner of the Moshi Monster competition will be announced. To enter the competition, children should draw their favourite monster and bring it to the store before 20th July.
This event will also be raising funds and collecting items for charity. As part of Specsavers’ on-going support of The Lions Club, they are asking all attendees to bring unwanted glasses into the store to donate to people in the Third World. A raffle will also be held to raise money for ALPE rehabilitation centre for disabled and disadvantage children.
The pressure of having a body fit for the beach always makes healthy eating more of a priority during summer months, but have you ever taken your eyes into consideration when choosing what foods to eat? Probably not, but a study has revealed that certain foods can help with Macular degeneration, so Specsavers are advising you to add these foods into your diet.
Leighton Griffiths at Specsavers Opticas Marbella explains: ‘The macula is the part of the retina that enables our most acute and detailed vision for tasks such as reading, driving, recognising faces and watching television, so it is important to protect it. It has been proven that eating a diet rich in antioxidants, especially carotenoids, is particularly beneficial.’
A study by America’s National Institute of Health, found that people eating the highest amounts of carotenoids have a 43% lower risk of developing macular degeneration than those who have very low amounts in their diet. Studies have also shown that people with higher than average intakes of antioxidants – beta-carotene, lutein and vitamins C and E – appear to have a reduced risk of developing cataracts. Foods such as pepper, broccoli, sweet potatoes, citrus fruits and dark green leafy vegetables, like spinach and kale, are rich in these antioxidants.
Multifocal contact lenses are designed to suit people who have difficulty with near and far vision.
If someone already requires glasses or contact lenses for distance vision, they may also need reading glasses to focus on objects in their near vision. In order to solve this they will tend to swap between two different types of glasses or use multifocal glasses. Multifocal contact lenses can replace multifocal glasses and provide the user with the flexibility and convenience contact lenses allow.
Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of severe vision loss for people over the age of 55 in the western world. AMD is a degenerative retinal eye disease that causes progressive loss of central vision. AMD affects the macula – the part of the retina responsible for clear vision needed for daily activities such as reading or driving.1
According to the World Health Organisation the only established modifiable risk factor is smoking. People who smoke more than double their risk of developing AMD yet this is not widely known. 1
For many years now the American public have been taking control of their health and solving problems with the medical system by using patient advocates. These individuals are contracted to fight any battles on the patients’ behalf, cut through red tape, explain diagnoses and options, seek second opinions and generally have the patients’ best interest at heart and be the strong yet calm voice during difficult situations.
However the concept has been slow to catch on in Europe, despite reoccurring frustrations with the health service and consistent reports of poor care, lack of information and no patient empowerment.
Personal experience and professional medical expertise led Cecilia Tacchi to decide to set up as the first patient advocate on the Costa del Sol.
Even though she was a native Spanish speaker, a qualified doctor and haematologist, she was surprised to find that during her pregnancy she was treated like she did not know what she was talking about, pushed into decisions she did not feel comfortable with and had to really fight to make her voice heard. She then experienced the frustration of a paediatrician who she did not feel was giving her son the care she wanted and many barriers were put in her way before they allowed her to change to a different doctor.
Today World Glaucoma Week starts, a campaign of awareness about this very common condition which is known as “the slient destroyer of sight”. With an estimated 60 million suspected cases of glaucoma worldwide, it’s Specsavers Opticas’ aim to raise awareness of this condition, as often people do not understand the severity of the disease, or who can be affected. To help you spot the signs of glaucoma, here is some information from Specsavers Opticas about one of the world’s leading causes of blindness, please share this with friends and family this week.
What is glaucoma and who is at risk? – Glaucoma is a build-up of fluid on the eye which increases pressure and in turn damages the optical nerve. If left untreated it can lead to permanent tunnel vision and blindness. Often there are no symptoms at all in the first stages, and vision loss usually occurs gradually with symptoms only becoming noticeable when severe damage has been done to the optic nerve. Unfortunately there is no cure for this vision loss, so it’s extremely important to have regular eye tests to diagnose the disease as early as possible.
Those over the age of sixty are more at risk of glaucoma, however babies and young adults can also suffer from the disease. People of African origin are more at risk of glaucoma at a younger age. Other high risk groups include anyone with family history of glaucoma, people who are severely short sighted and diabetics.
How is glaucoma diagnosed? – Although it can be difficult for the patient to identify the signs of glaucoma, an in-depth eye test is all that is required to catch the condition early. There are three ways that opticians look for signs of glaucoma;, through an Ophthalmoscopy (a visual examination of the optic nerve head), Tonometry (a measurement of the pressure within the eye) and Perimetry (a check of the field of vision). Not all eye tests include these elements, so ask your optician.
We've been contacted by Sharon Limb, a fully qualified Master Personal and Fitness Trainer with her own studio on the Golden Mile called "Pure Energy Personal Training" to let us know about a cool new fitness course to get you ready for summer. She told me "I am about...
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