Category Archives: Health Tips
Basic Elements of a Contact Lens Fitting
One thing about wearing glasses that is much easier than wearing contacts is the fitting process. Since the contact lens sits directly on your cornea, it’s very important that the correct measurements are taken and that it fits properly. If the fit of contacts is even a little off, you may experience problems while you wear them. Clear vision and comfort are the two most important elements of wearing contact lenses, and both are affected by the fit of the lenses in your eyes. Whether you seek out cheap contacts or the most expensive ones in the store, the correct fit is crucial. All contact lens fitting consist of a few basic elements.
Before the fitting for contacts even begins your eye doctor will test your eyes to determine the strength of corrective lens you need. Then, they will help you decide on the right type of contact lenses for you. They will ask you several lifestyle questions and your preferences regarding the wearing and hygiene schedules. After the testing is done and decision about which type of contacts to wear is complete, you’ll need corneal measurements taken. Contact lenses are not a one-size-fits all kind of product, and the size and curvature of the lens must be correct. The doctor will likely use a device called a keratometer to measure your cornea during the fitting. This takes pictures of your eye to determine the curvature and size of contacts you’ll need for a proper fit.
The doctor will also measure the size of your pupils to help ensure properly fitting contact lenses. The diameter of your iris is also recorded and in some cases a tear film evaluation is taken. This helps to determine if you have dry eyes, and the result may cause you to rethink the choice for contacts. If you have a problem with dry eyes, wearing contact lenses can be quite uncomfortable as the day rolls along. At the least, you will be given eye drops and instructions on how to keep your eyes and contacts moist.
Your eye doctor may also use a biomicroscope to get a highly magnified view of your cornea, so they can watch how a trial contact lens fits in your eye. If the doctor chooses to go with trial contacts, you’ll probably have to wear them for at least 15 minutes to get a true sense of how they fit. They can then give your eyes a detailed examination and determine if the contact lenses fit properly or not. It’s common for contact lens fittings to take at least two office visits, to ensure the right size and style has been selected. Once the fit is good, you’ll get your prescription and you can go get it filled. Cheap contacts are usually available through specials or promotions at many optical stores.
Whether you find cheap contacts or not, make sure you give your prescription details to the retailer preparing them for you, and double check at the end that it’s the right one.
How To Lose Stomach Fat: Change to Three Healthy Food Habits to Get A Flat Tummy
You are putting yourself at risk of getting one or more of a number of lifestyle diseases if you are carrying too much stomach fat. Here are some of them: high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart disease, joints and back problems, diabetes. There are others, but that list will do. So you have good reason to work on reducing your stomach fat. Besides, you may not be happy with the way you look and would prefer to have a flat tummy.
There are some things you can do right now to lose your stomach fat. It will not happen overnight but it will happen over time. The important thing is to start. The most important thing you can do is to change to some healthy food habits by replacing the fat storing food in your diet with fat burning food. While the best way to get a flat tummy is to follow a good diet and exercise, you can start by fixing your diet.
1. Cut down on food with high sugar content. The worst offender is soda and soft drinks. If you are drinking several of these each day you are adding to you stomach fat. When you have one of these drinks, the sugar in them quickly converts to blood sugar. The body has to control this sudden surge by releasing insulin, which is a storage hormone. Any excess energy or calories is stored in you abdomen. This means if you are not burning off the calories they are being stored on you stomach. Start drinking plain water or plain mineral water.
The same thing happens when you eat other foods that have a high sugar content – foods like cakes, cookies, candies and chocolates.
2. Highly refined carbohydrates such as white bread have the same effect as food with high sugar content. The body breaks this down very quickly in the same way as soda. The problem is not only that insulin stores fat but it also stimulates your appetite, so you are looking for more food soon after. You then eat or drink more and so the cycle continues.
3. Change to whole grain bread. This takes longer for the body to digest so it does not get that sudden surge in blood sugar. Also it has a high fiber content that makes you feel fuller and gives you more energy for longer. This applies to fruit, vegetables, nuts and protein.
These are some simple things you can do to start losing stomach fat now. It does mean changing some of your habits but that is the only way you will change your body shape – get a flat tummy – and protect your health. Start with these three things: replace soda with water; replace white bread with whole grain; replace cookies and cakes with fruit. One more thing – try to eat a little less.
