We recently partnered with Wright and Bailey designer eye wear. Wright & Bailey London Limited proudly carries forward the legacy of Wright & Bailey, a name synonymous with exquisite design, superior quality, and unparalleled customer service. With decades of heritage behind them, they continue to redefine eyewear fashion with timeless pieces that seamlessly blend luxury and functionality.
A distinguished eyewear brand dedicated to designing and crafting their own collections, blending timeless sophistication with romantic vintage aesthetics.
Their offerings are designed to cater to a diverse clientele, providing frames that enhance both style and comfort. Each piece reflects their commitment to craftsmanship and their passion for delivering a unique and personality led customer experience.
At Wright & Bailey London, they take the passion and creativity of their forefathers seriously. Their commitment to quality, craftsmanship, and timeless elegance sets them apart in the industry.
Whether you prefer classic sophistication or trendy designs, the range has something for everyone. Follow this link to their London based website or come see the range in our practice.
It’s February. Naturally, we are feeling the love—and for us, that includes an important lifelong relationship with your eyes! There’s no better time than now to share these seven ways to show your eyes love this month and beyond.
Love your Eyes
01
Eat a well-balanced diet.
A healthy diet isn’t just good for our bodies, it’s good for our eyes too. Eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables is key. Be sure you’re adding dark leafy greens like kale and spinach, plus servings of fish high in omega-3 fatty acids to your diet, for example.
02
Keep your eyes hydrated.
Along with drinking plenty of water to help keep your eyes hydrated, natural eye drops can help too. Our eyes can easily dry out for a variety of reasons, from lack of water to seasonal allergies to the weather.
We always stock safe rewetting drops or artificial tears to help alleviate the symptoms of dry eyes.
Not only should you treat yourself to stylish sunglasses, treat your eyes to some pampering. Both cucumbers and sweet potato slices can help reduce swelling and dark circles.
No veggies in sight? Try putting a cool cloth or chilled teaspoons on your eyes to reduce puffiness and pesky dark circles.
04
Quit smoking.
Simply put, if you are a smoker, your eyes are two more reasons to quit. Research shows smoking increases your risk for certain eye diseases, including
cataracts, optic nerve damage and age-related macular degeneration.
05
Give your eyes a break.
Remember to let your eyes rest throughout the day. Thanks to more and more screen time for most of us, eye strain is common. Apply the 20-20-20 rule to help reduce the effects of eye strain.
To clarify, take a 20-second break from the screen every 20 minutes by focusing on something about 20-feet away.
06
Schedule your comprehensive eye exam.
Out of all the ways to show your eyes love that we’ve covered, this is the best idea yet! The only way to actually make sure your eyes are healthy is with a comprehensive, annual eye exam. This also ensures your corrective eyewear prescription is current.
7. Invest in a good pair of sunglasses.
Sunglasses with UV protection are a must all year. The sun may not be as direct in the winter, but nonetheless, the sun’s rays can still cause damage.
Fortunately, good UV protection sunglasses are available year-round.
What is Keratopigmentation (Eye Tattooing)? And why is it not recommended by most Eye Care Professionals?
Achieving a change in eye colour is an aesthetic goal desired by many people, which is why, up to now, the use of contact lenses to achieve it temporarily is quite common. However, in recent years several unconventional surgical techniques have emerged without sufficient scientific evidence that offer the possibility of permanently changing eye colour, and one of them is Keratopigmentation.
Keratopigmentation is a cosmetic procedure to permanently change eye colour by inserting specially coloured pigments into a laser-created tunnel in the cornea.
What determines the colour of the eyes?
First of all, it must be taken into account that eye colour is a genetic trait that is determined by the amount and distribution of melanin in the iris (coloured tissue found in the front part of the eye and whose central opening is the pupil). In other words, what will determine whether certain eyes are darker or lighter than others are the amount of pigment (melanin) that each person has in the iris.
Thus, people with a greater amount of melanin in the front layers of the iris have eyes between brown and black, and, conversely, the less amount of said pigment there is, the lighter the color of the eyes: blue, green or honey color.
Warnings against Eye Colour-Changing Surgeries!
There are two eye colour-changing surgeries that are trending on social media: iris implant surgery and a laser surgery that inserts pigment into the cornea. Both of these surgeries carry serious risks for vision loss and complications. Patients contemplating these procedures for cosmetic reasons alone must weigh these serious risks against the potential gain.
Iris implants have been used for patients who are missing part or all of their iris, the coloured part of the eye, due to injury or a birth defect. Surgery involves inserting an artificial iris made of silicone through a slit that has been cut into the eye at the edge of the cornea. Then the artificial iris is unfolded inside of the eye and adjusted to cover the natural iris.
Patients who have the procedure for medical reasons also risk complications from implant surgery, but the benefits of gaining an iris may outweigh their risks. In some cases, these devices have been inappropriately adapted for cosmetic use. Instead of repairing a defect, they are placed on top of a normal, intact iris to change iris colour. Serious complications have been reported in patients receiving iris implants for cosmetic reasons, even requiring removal of the implant.
Potential complications of cosmetic iris implant surgery include:
Reduced vision or blindness;
Light Sensitivity;
Elevated pressure inside the eye that can lead to glaucoma, a potentially blinding disease;
Cataract, or clouding of the eye’s naturally clear lens;
Injury to the cornea, the clear outer area of the eye that focuses light and makes vision possible. If severe enough, a corneal transplant may be needed;
Inflammation of the iris or areas around it, leading to pain, blurred vision and tearing.
Keratopigmentation, also referred to as eye tattooing, is surgery performed on the cornea itself. The natural cornea is crystal clear and shows the color of the iris underneath it inside the eye. Keratopigmentation involves using a needle or a laser to create space in the cornea itself, into which a colour pigment is injected, permanently changing the cornea from clear to opaque and covering over the natural iris color inside.
Possible risks include:
Damage to the cornea that can lead to cloudiness, warpage, fluid leakage and vision loss;
Light sensitivity;
Reaction to the dye, which can cause inflammation, uveitisor blood vessel growth into the cornea;
Bacterial or fungal infection, which can produce corneal scarring and vision loss;
Uneven distribution of the dye;
Leakage of the dye into the eye;
Color fading due to the dye moving or leaking into the eye.
No surgery is free of risk. With purely cosmetic surgeries on the eye, it’s just not worth the risk when it comes to your good vision. – JoAnn A. Giaconi, MD
Guide Dog Awareness month let’s us celebrate these wonderful dogs and the people who train and take care of them.
You may be aware that guide dogs help those who are blind or have low vision, but do you know the most common breeds, or what they do when “off-harness”?
A guide dog is a specific type of service dog that is trained to assist people who are blind or have low vision. Guide dogs learn to stop at curbs and stairs, move around obstacles and sometimes to respond to simple commands like “Find the chair.” The dog’s handler decides where they are going and gives the commands, forming a team.
Paws on sidewalk and hand on harness, the team is ready to take on the world — together.
But remember, no matter how cute you find that furry face, you should not pet or distract a guide dog at work, or “in-harness.” For the team’s safety, working guide dogs should be left to focus on doing their job.
Now — Sit. Stay. And learn some fascinating facts about guide dogs:
1. Ancient bond. A first-century mural dating from the Roman ruins of Herculaneum and a 13th century Chinese scroll are believed to be among the earliest depictions of dogs leading people and the blind.
2. On alert. Guide dogs are trained to lead around obstacles, including hazards like low branches that may be above the height of the dog but not of its owner. The dogs learn to be responsible for a space two times as wide and up to three times as tall as themselves to keep their owners safe.
3. Popular pups. Labradors, golden retrievers, German shepherds and Labrador/golden crosses are common guide dog breeds, chosen for traits including size, intelligence and temperament.
4. Buddies indeed. On June 11, 1928, Morris Frank, who was blind, and his German shepherd guide dog Buddy made the papers when they safely crossed a dangerous street in New York City in front of reporters. Frank and Dorothy Harrison Eustis, who bred and trained Buddy, went on to start the first guide dog school in the United States.
5. Critical thinkers. Guide dogs are trained to display “intelligent disobedience” — they will actually refuse to obey an unsafe command from their owners if they see a danger their owners may have missed, such as a car that ran a red light.
6. Top dogs. Not all dogs will actually graduate from guide school. Only the most qualified — some programs estimate 75 percent — will complete the rigorous training.
7. Did you say, “Neil” or “heel?” Owners should choose guide dog names thoughtfully: suggestions include picking short, one- or two-syllable names that allow for faster communication and avoiding names that sound similar to a command — for example, “Kit” could be confused with “sit.”
8. They’re a team. Under legal protections in many countries, including the U.S., and with very rare exceptions (like around certain zoo animals!), guide dogs are allowed access with their owners anywhere that the general public can go.
9. Guide dogs let their hair — or fur — down, too. When guide dogs are “off-harness,” or not working, they can play, romp or sniff like any other dog. And just like humans, guide dogs eventually retire — usually after roughly eight to 10 years of service.
Perkins School for the Blind employee Tanja Milojevic sat down to explain why her guide dog, Nabu, is so important to her.
Most of the questions we receive on a daily basis are about Cataracts. Here are some interesting information that should answer a lot of questions:
Facts and Myths
MYTH: Only older people develop Cataracts.
FACT:While cataracts affects more people age 40 and older, cataracts can occur among young adults or children. Risk factors that may lead to getting cataracts at a younger age include:
*Eye infections
*Infection or inflammation during pregnancy (such as measles or rubella)
*Some medicines (such as long-term steroid use, cancer medication)
*Eye injuries
*Exposure to intense heat or radiation
*Too much exposure to non-visible sunlight (called UV or ultraviolet light)
*Various diseases, such as diabetes, arthritis, or metabolic disorders
*Smoking
*Family history of cataracts
*Nearsightedness (also called myopia)
MYTH: Taking aspirin can prevent cataracts
FACT: There are not enough facts or evidence to say whether aspirin prevents cataract. Aspirin in large doses can be harmful. Unless your doctor prescribes aspirin for an ailment, it’s best to avoid taking this medication on a regular basis.
MYTH: The best time to have cataract surgery done is when it is first diagnosed
FACT: Cataract removal is elective surgery, which means it is the patient’s choice when to undergo the procedure. Most people need surgery when the cataract causes enough vision loss to interfere with work, play or other day-to-day tasks, such as driving. Cataract surgery may also be done if the cataract is preventing treatment for another eye disease. You and your eye doctor should decide together when and if surgery is needed.
MYTH: Cataract can be treated with eye drops
FACT: Surgery is the only proven treatment for cataracts. Cataracts cannot be treated with medicines.
MYTH: Cataract surgery is dangerous
FACT: Cataract surgery is a delicate operation. Yet, it is one of the safest operations done today. More than 98% of surgeries are successful. Fewer than 2% of cases have complications such as inflammation, bleeding, infection and retinal detachment.
