Vision Health Month

www.prairieeye.com Northgate Shopping Centre 2-1399 McPhillips Street (204) 336-0069 Sterling Lyon Business Park 212-1020 Lorimer Boulevard (204) 284-8808 Henderson Highway (McIvor Mall) 15-1795 Henderson Highway (204) 661-2020 3 CONVENIENT LOCATIONS TO SERVE YOU BETTER! • Comprehensive Eye Examinations • Infant & Pediatric Clinic • Dry Eye Clinic • Contact Lens Fitting & Examinations • Retinal Imaging • Dilated Fundus Examinations • Diabetic Eye Examinations • Senior Eye Examinations • Glaucoma & Cataract Evaluations • Visual Field Testing • Occupational Vision Testing & Forms • Pre & Post Operative Care/ Surgical Consultations SERVICES OFFERED MAIN LINE (204) 661-20/20 WE DIRECT BILL INSURANCES guided by your vision Dr. Owusu & Dr. Phipps and Associate Optometrists: Dr. Dhaliwal, Dr. Duplak, Dr. Kosowski, Dr. Lee, Dr. Peloquin, Dr. Tan, Dr. Warraich WINNIPEG FREE PRESS, FRIDAY MAY 24, 2019 D7 D r. Nadine Shelton, Doctor of Optometry and owner of nv eye care eye wear, stresses the importance of protecting your peepers against harmful ultraviolet rays. She offers some easy-to-follow advice — wear sunglasses, even on days when you don't think you need them. "Whether it's sunny or cloudy, you're still having UV passing through. In the same way, you can still get a sunburn whether it's sunny or cloudy," Shelton said. "In the winter, you get more glare off the snow. When there's water, you get more glare, too, so that can almost intensify the UV that's bouncing back at you." For people who are concerned about glare, they can opt to add a polarized filter layer to their sunglasses. "When you have light hit the lens, the polarized filter only allows horizontal or vertical rays to enter towards the eye, so it will block the glare that you get off windshields when you're driving. Some people find that really useful," Shelton said. "And for water sports, people say they just see reflection if they look at the water without sunglasses on, whereas if they have the polarized lenses, they can actually see into the water past the reflection." Sunglasses with UV400 protection can block both UVA and UVB rays, she added. "Prolonged exposure to UVB is what they think causes cataracts and macular degeneration," Shelton said. "You can also have freckles on the eye or growths on the eyeball that are usually more UV-related." For folks who wear prescription glasses, they can opt for clip-ons that are polarized or that have UV400 protection. Another option is to get a pair of prescription sunglasses, which will offer UV protection whether tinted or polarized. "If you have prescription glasses already, you can also get a Transitions™ tint put in the glasses," Shelton added. "Those are the glasses that go clear inside and go dark outside, and protect from the UV as well." Contact lens users can now benefit from a similar option since Acuvue recently came out with the first Transitions™ contact lens. "Their contact lenses are 100 per cent UV protection anyway, whether it's clear or darker, but this one will actually turn dark when you go out in bright sunlight," Shelton said. "So if you're doing sports where you don't want to wear sunglasses, this is a neat alternative where it will dim the glare for you." When it comes to tints, brown and grey are the most common choices for sunglasses. "Grey is going to make things darker than a brown colour. Brown tends to darken but also brighten (other elements) at the same time. Because it brightens, the brown will distort the colour a little bit whereas grey is more of a natural version of what you're seeing," Shelton explained. "If you take a pink or blue tint or a fashion tint, then you just want to make sure that it's UV- protected. If there's UV protection, it has to be marked with a sticker on it. If there's no sticker, I'd be a little bit wary." In contrast, if you purchase your sunglasses from an optical expert, they should be able to guarantee you'll have UV protection, along with a higher quality frame and lens. Sunglasses are important for people of all ages, even young children. "At this point, they think some of the damage UV light causes to the eye and the body is due to prolonged exposure," Shelton said. "So the more time outside unprotected, the more it can add up over time." Dr. Nadine Shelton, Doctor of Optometry and owner of nv eye care eye wear, says it's important to wear sunglasses, even on days when you don't think you need them. PHOTO BY JASON HALSTEAD They say hindsight is 20/20, but preventive measures can go a long way in stopping problems before they start. SUNGLASSES FOR ALL SEASONS BY JENNIFER MCFEE Contact lens users can now benefit from a similar option since Acuvue recently came out with the first Transitions™ contact lens.

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