Latinos In America

A fat-soluble vitamin essential for growth and bone development in children, for vision, for healthy skin and mucous membrane surfaces, for reproduction and the integrity of the immune system.

Vitamin A consists of several active compounds, including alpha-carotene, beta carotene, retinal, retinol, retinoic acid and the carotenoids. Natural sources of vitamin A are egg yolks, fish-liver oils, liver, cream, butter, green leafy and yellow vegetables, pineapples, prunes, cantaloupes, oranges and limes. The richest sources include cod-liver oil, butter, butterfat in milk and egg yolk. Vitamin A can also be synthetically produced.

Early in the 20th century, Englishman Frederick Gowland Hopkins discovered a growth-stimulating substance inn milk. Later, a German researcher named Stepp identified a substance he had labeled “minimal qualitative factors” as a lipid. In 1913, E. V. McCollum and Marquerite David demonstrated an essential growth factor for rats in butter and egg yolk, which they called “fat soluble A.”

Simultaneously, Osborn and Mendel, working in New Haven, Connecticut, found a similar fat soluble substance in cod-liver oil and butter.

Moore, an English scientist, demonstrated that beta-carotene obtained as a colored substance from plants was transformed in the human body to a colorless form of vitamin A, which was then stored in the liver. It was not until 1930 that Karrer and his group in Switzerland determined the chemical structures of vitamin A and beta-carotene. In 1935, Wald defined a biochemical in the retina that he termed retinene, later renamed retinal.

Douglas Adams is the owner of All Wellbeing.com , a website dedicated to increasing knowledge of health related issues.

For high quality health care products click here.

Developments in the field of contact lens technology are producing ever better contact lenses that are increasingly convenient to wear throughout the whole gamut of vision conditions and lifestyles. Bifocal contact lenses are today available to correct presbyopia, a common problem in the over-40 age group.

Presbyopia is a vision condition in which they eyes are not able to focus clearly on near objects. It usually begins after the age of about forty when the lenses in the eye start reducing in flexibility. Presbyopia affects around 90 million adults in the USA alone and about one in four patients passing through an optometrist’s door will suffer from it.

Symptoms of presbyopia include difficulty in reading, difficulty in seeing in low lighting conditions and, occasionally, headaches.

Traditionally these vision problems were addressed with the old-fashioned reading glasses. Or existing eyeglass wearers could opt for bifocal eyeglasses. However the use of modern contact lenses for use with presbyopia has some distinct advantages beyond their cosmetic appeal. For example they can be well suited to other aspects of a wearer’s lifestyle such as sporting activities, exercising or using a computer.

Recently, contact lenses for correcting presbyopia have become available in more convenient types such as disposable or frequent replacement varieties. Today these are very popular lens types providing obvious benefits for the wearer.

HOW CONTACT LENSES CORRECT PRESBYOPIA

From a technical perspective, there are three distinct ways by which contact lenses can be used to correct presbyopia, each with advantages and disadvantages for particular types of patient. But the important thing here is that there is a choice and each wearer is likely to find one method best suited to their unique situation. The different contact lens methods are as follows:

MONOVISION

The monovision technique involves using in one eye a lens for seeing near objects and in the other eye a lens for seeing distant objects. Many people find that monovision works very well for them. It relies on the brain’s ability to selectively process and combine information from the best available sources in order to provide the clearest possible vision. In some instances, the optometrist might employ a bifocal lens in one eye and a normal distance lens in the other. The main problem associated with monovision is the apparent loss of depth of vision for some patients.

BIFOCAL CONTACT LENSES

As with traditional bifocal eyeglasses, each lens in bifocal contact lenses possesses two powers – one for seeing near objects, the other for distant objects. Some types of bifocal lenses when magnified look a little like a bull’s eye with an central inner zone surrounded by the outer zone. The drawback to this type of lens is that in certain conditions of reduced lighting, the vision might not always be as sharp in certain areas.

MULTIFOCAL CONTACT LENSES

Multifocal contact lenses work very much like the progressive lenses for eyeglasses. These lenses possess several zones of differing power in order to assist the eye gradually as it changes its focus on different objects at different distances. Therefore these lenses are designed to function well for seeing near, intermediate and distant objects. Their drawbacks are typically the same as for bifocal contact lenses, with occasional loss of visual acuity.

Bifocal lenses are available in two basic design types, ‘Translating’ and ‘Simultaneous’, the essential characteristics of which are as follows:

TRANSLATING BIFOCAL LENSES

Another name for the translating lens type is an ‘alternating lens’. Gas Permeable bifocal lenses are regularly of this type. Their usage is very much like that of traditional bifocal eyeglasses. The wearer will look through one zone for distance vision then ‘translate’ to look through the other zone for near vision. Both zones aren’t looked through at the same time.

SIMULTANEOUS BIFOCAL LENSES

The majority of soft bifocal contact lenses on the market are of the ‘simultaneous’ type. As the name implies, with simultaneous lenses the wearer actually looks through the various powers of the lenses at the same time. What happens is that the brain steps in and ‘suppresses’ the power or powers, which aren’t needed at that particular time in order to see clearly. There exist further subdivisions of this lens type, but we won’t go into the details in this brief overview.

As with all contact lens selection and wear, choosing the right type of bifocal lens depends equally as much upon the wearer’s unique lifestyle as his unique vision characteristics. For example a patient who regularly undertakes sporting activities will have different needs from one who only needs to wear them socially or for use at work.

However, the success of adopting bifocal contact lenses relies very much on the expectations of the wearer who should realize that, almost by definition, bifocal lenses are very much a compromise and that he or she is never going to regain the acuity of vision in all environments that they had when younger. In most cases this is perfectly acceptable and bifocal lenses have now earned their place in the optometrist’s ever-expanding repertoire.

BY DR. BIANCA TAVARES

Dr. Tavares is a medical consultant with wide-ranging experience and interests in both traditional and complementary medicine and health care.

She has a particular passion for disseminating quality medical information to the people who matter – the patients – and acts in an advisory capacity to numerous journals and health related web sites. Her writing about eye health and bifocal contact lenses can be found regularly at Contact Lens Advisor.

This article is copyright by Dr Bianca Tavares. It can be reprinted freely online as long as the entire article and this resource box are included.

Grief is very hard to deal with, eventually we’ll all have to go through the death of a loved one and it can engulf our lives and the lives of our other loved ones. I have made this site because I know first hand the pain of losing a loved one and wanted to share my advice with others going through this. My sister was murdered in 2002 and my mother died in 2004 due to liver failure. No matter how your loved one died, it’s always painful, but sudden deaths, homicides and suicides often leave loved one’s with many questions. The first few days, weeks and months are often the hardest, we may feel disbelief, numbness and ask why. Some of us cannot cry and do not cry for some time, this is completely normal and does not mean you are not grieving your loved one, you are in shock and your body does these things to protect us from the emotional pain. In the first days you may seem foggy, feel numb mentally and physically, you’ll feel lightheaded and dizzy and may even vomit. You’ll have trouble sleeping and eating, some people eat for comfort, others can’t eat a drop. It’s important to drink plenty of fluids, as shock and crying can dehydrate you and make you sick. The funeral arrangements can be awfully hard, you should take a friend of the family along for support and have someone who can do things that your just not able to. Don’t be afraid to ask for help or for time alone if you need it. You’ll also feel tremendous physical pain, it may feel as though someone is sitting on your chest and it’s hard to breath, your stomach may tighten up and cause pains. You might have problems with going to the bathroom, or even go the other way and go too much. If your loved one’s death was caused by homicide, a lot of states have a grief counselor, take advantage of this, they are trained to help families through the difficult days ahead, and if there is a trial for the killer, these counselors will attend the trial with the family and offer support and advice as to what to expect.

Although it might be hard, try to get into some kind of routine after the funeral, what worked for me after the murder of my sister was re-decorating my bedroom, I painted and got new pictures to hang. It helps to keep active, but also allow yourself some time to grieve, try not to swallow and push down the painful feelings, they will help you heal, and you may get sick physically if you hold in your intense feelings. Guilt is a common feeling also, we have to learn to let those feelings go, they do you no good and it cannot change a thing. The pain will lessen in intensity as time passes, but you will always grieve for your loved one. During Holidays is especially tough, try to do something to honor your loved one, maybe bring something special to the cemetery, light a memorial candle, or set a spot at the table. I have a special necklace I wear that my mother gave me and my sisters one year, my sister was buried with hers on, and because it symbolizes both my mother and sister (my mother passed away also in 2004) it gives me comfort and I feel as though their close when I wear it. It’s been 4 years since my sister’s passing, and 2 years since my mother’s, but not one day goes where I don’t think about them a few times a day, I still miss them terribly and it’s still very painful, but I’m now able to laugh and smile at the great times and memories we shared. Please check out the links I’ve listed, they are very good grief sites and also my sister and Mother’s memorial sites.

If unfortunately you have to attend a trial, please take advantage of the many programs in your state. As I said earlier, these grief counselors and victim associates are there to help you and to answer any questions about the trial. We had a few meetings with our DA before the trial to talk about anything that may be brought up at the trial, and what may be emotionally hard to hear. The defense’s attorney does not care about the feelings of the victims families and may say awful things about the victim and/or your family, if such things come up, you are free to leave the courtroom, but keep in mind that you may not be able to re-enter (this was the case with my sister’s trial so it would not distract jurors) If there is a Jury, you may notice some glancing at you to see reactions, they urge you not to show too much emotions while in session, and this can be extremely hard, if not impossible to do (I was asked to leave a few times during the trial) The whole thing will cause you to re-live the awful hours after you found out about your loved one’s murder, and it can be traumatic to say the least. I was very angry with the realization that criminals get more rights than their victims, as of right now, the killer of my sister is appealing saying that he did not get a fair trial, even though he got more than a fair trial. So be prepared for any appeals, most of them to appeal a few times but they rarely get second trials (so I’m told, keeping my fingers crossed!)

Many people consult with a counselor or psychiatrist and this is a really good idea, especially if you find yourself in a deep depression. If you feel as though you may hurt yourself, seek immediate help. Some may develop Post Traumatic Stress Disorder after a loved one’s death from homicide and this requires treatment

Sweet Memories

If you want to lose weight safely and quickly chances are you’ve heard of the astonishing weight loss effects of Hoodia Gordonii.

But what exactly is Hoodia, what does it do, and will it help you lose weight?

Here is a review of Hoodia Gordonii as well as what you need to know before you buy Hoodia.
What is Hoodia?

Hoodia Gordonii is a cactus of the “succulent” cactus family, which has grown for thousands of years in the Kalahari Desert region. Hoodia has been used by the indigenous Bushmen as a natural appetite suppressant and thirst quencher during their long hunting trips for generations.
How Does Hoodia work?

Scientists believe that the reason for Hoodia’s appetite suppressing abilities is a molecule called “P57″. Normally, when you eat the glucose in your body rises and eventually signals to your brain (the hypothalamus) that you are full. It is believed that “P57″ molecule in Hoodia mimics the effect that glucose has on your brain, telling part of your brain (the Hypothalamus) that you feel full. Consequently, you have no desire to eat.

It has actually been shown that pure Hoodia is 100,000 times more powerful than glucose in telling your brain to stop eating.
Does Hoodia Help People Lose Weight?

One of the first studies of Hoodia Gordonii was done in the UK on obese patients. Half of the volunteers were given Hoodia Gordonii, the other half were given a placebo. The subjects were allowed to read, watch television and eat.

After 15 days it was found that those taking Hoodia had reduced their calorie intake by 1000 calories a day. Despite having unlimited access to food, the Hoodia subjects lost weight.
Is Hoodia Safe?

Since Hoodia is a plant (versus a man-made chemical), it is completely natural and experts say it is safe to eat. Scientists have been studying Hoodia for almost 10 years and have not found any side effects. (Not to mention the San Tribesman who have been eating Hoodia for years with seemingly no ill effects).
The Downside

Even as public interest in Hoodia skyrockets, there is a downside: Not all Hoodia is created equal.

Because of the incredible surge in interest for Hoodia, many South African suppliers were simply unprepared for the demand (It takes 5 to 7 years for the Hoodia Gordonii plant to even reach maturity).

As a result the market has been flooded with ‘Hoodia Gordonii’ pills that are not as effective as real Hoodia. There have been reports of companies not putting the stated amount of Hoodia in their pills, using a ‘Hoodia plant substitute’ (not the real thing) or even filling their pills with silica, leaves, sawdust and other filler products that have none of the powerful Hoodia ingredients in them.
What Can You Do?

One way to tell if a Hoodia pill is real is to look for a document called the C.I.T.E.S. Certificate (The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora). Since the Hoodia plant is a protected plant species it can only be sold to an exporter who has this certificate.

Another way to tell if the Hoodia is pure is to look for a company that displays a current Alchemists Lab report which runs HPLS, TLC and Micropscopy tests that prove whether the Hoodia is genuine or not.

Confused? It can be confusing to do all the research yourself (even if you want to save yourself 1000 calories a day!). If you’re interested in 2 brands of Hoodia that fulfill the above requirements, you are welcome to check out Hoodia reviews at: http://www.freetobethin.com/article_Hoodia_Gordonii_Review.html.

Bottom Line? Hoodia looks like it offers something many other diet pills cannot: all natural, safe effective weight loss – without feeling deprived.

Vienna Miller is a contributing writer to Diet and Weight Loss Reviews.

For the latest weight loss tips and diet reviews, visit http://www.FreeToBeThin.com.

A skin allergy, or what is correctly called contact dermatitis, occurs when your skin comes in contact with something it is allergic to. There are many things that can cause contact dermatitis such as latex, hair dye, perfumes, make ups, bath powders and some household cleaning products. Latex skin allergies are becoming more common as latex is used in many products such as condoms, rubber bands, bathing suits and some toys. It is extremely important if you are allergic to latex that you advise your physician, dentist or any other healthcare worker so they do not use any latex based products on you. The most common skin allergens are poison ivy and poison oak. We all know someone who has come in contact with these in the garden at some point who have developed the painful and itching weeping blisters that accompany it.

Eczema is also considered a skin allergy. Eczema is generally an inherited trait and it usually starts in childhood. A eczema sufferer will have skin that is dry and itchy. There is sometimes also flaking and scaling of the skin and weeping blisters. Children who suffer from eczema are usually found to suffer from hay fever and asthma too.

Hives are another form of contact dermatitis that can be brought on from an internal allergen, such as an allergy to food or medicine, or from an external allergen such as contact with an animal, some plants (poison ivy or poison oak) or soap products. For some foods like chocolate, nuts, tomatoes, and berries can cause hives. Most hives appear quickly but are gone within 24 to 48 hours.

As with other types of allergies such as seasonal pollen, animal allergy or food allergy there is no cure for skin allergies. Most outbreaks of contact dermatitis can be treated with over the counter antihistamines. The best way to avoid an outbreak is to avoid what is causing the outbreak. You can look for non allergenic and fragrance free make up and beauty products. Those who suffer from eczema should avoid extremes of heat and cold and use heavy moisturizers on their skin to help protect and heal it.

This article courtesy of http://www.allergies-treatments.com

Most of us are fond of at least one product that has the effect of a stimulant and that eventually becomes an addiction. These products include exercise stimulant drinks (they come in cans and look like cola), fizzy aerated drinks, tobacco, betel nut, betel leaf, strong coffee, strong tea, mahuang (an ephedrine-like compound consumed in china), and alcohol.

Before I tell you why we shouldn’t consume these products, I’d like to deal with the question of why we do consume them in the first place.

There’s no one who doesn’t know that products like these, consumed in excess, can severely harm our bodies. Yet, we still find them hard to resist. The need to eat stimulant food is a simple human weakness that has existed for ages: humans (and many animals) have always indulged in foods that give a sort of emotional high. In clinical terms, this means rapid heart beat, a little sweating, dilation or constriction of the pupils of the eye, a warm flush on the face, and a sense of greater sensitivity, concentration and perception.

These sensations of ‘high’ die down within a few hours, and we are left feeling listless and low. This leads to a craving for that food again, to experience the high one more time. And there we are going round and round in a vicious circle.

The physiology of addictions is as follows:

When you eat an addictive food, it stimulates the hormone like substances found at the end of your nerves, which triggers an avalanche of similar stimulatory substances and you experiences a high. As the substances near the nerves are depleted, you get into the low phase, which leads you to crave that food again. This yo-yo phase of nerve stimulation and depletion leads to a pattern of addiction.

Consuming addictive foods is one of the oldest unhealthy food practices and, despite a revolution in health consciousness; it shows no signs of dying out.

Below are some side effects of certain addictive foods.

Alcohol Addiction: Erosion of stomach and intestinal lining, liver damage, nutritional deficiency.

Tobacco: Erosion of gum and tongue can lead to cancer of the buccal mucosa.

Betel nut: Leads to the discoloration of teeth, erosion of the lining of the mouth, and cancer of the mouth and upper tract. It also leads to heart problems among people who already have a weak heart.

Ma huang: It contains ephedrine and leads to heart problems.

Aerated drinks: High doses of caffeine.

Caffeine and xanthine: Found in tea, coffee. These become harmful only in very high doses; don’t consume more than five cups a day.

Mixed drug reactions: People who consume medications for the heart, hypertension and asthma have to be very careful about the interactions of the drugs with stimulant foods, as mixing the two can be fatal. After years of experience, all doctors know how difficult it is to break the food addictions of their patients. So like them, I can only advise a good compromise. If you can’t break the addiction, then at least you should practice moderation.

Linda Giles also writes on Ring worm Treatment. More info: Ringworm Cure

With the stresses associated with today’s lifestyles, people are trying harder and harder to find methods of relaxation that will not include sore muscles. One of the methods used is the ancient art of Tai Chi. Scientists have found this ancient art helps people cope with anxiety and depression even better than exercise. Tai Chi, the Americanized version of the Chinese Tai Chi Chuan is said to be the most concentrated form of meditation and yoga today. Tai Chi combines meditation, controlled breathing and stretching into a workout that can be done daily, weekly, or even a few times a week and still have a great effect on body and mind.

Traditional Tai Chi consists of the long form and short form. The long form has nearly one hundred ten positions, while the short form consists of less than forty. Stretches are believed to be able to help relieve pain and stress by forcing negative energy our and replacing it with positive energies. Classes and groups meet anywhere for daily to three times a week with their main focus on teaching the student to do Tai Chi properly so that the quality and length of life becomes greater than average. It is believed that with Tai Chi and a healthy lifestyle years can be added to your life.

Not just for those suffering from pains and aches, Tai Chi is also a method which can be used to relax and regenerate. A large part of the Tai Chi philosophy is meditation. Most Tai Chi masters will advise doing Tai Chi in a quiet area, inside or outside your home, where there is not a lot of noise. Meditation is an integral part of some of the forms. Clearing the mind and body of negative energies will also help attain the relaxation needed for a peaceful night’s sleep.

While Tai Chi is mostly a peaceful type of martial art, there is also a form of combative Tai Chi. This focuses on defense rather than offense. This form of martial art is adaptable to the young and old. Families often practice Tai Chi together. Along with classes and groups who teach Tai Chi, there are also DVDs and downloadable versions for those who wish to stay in the comfort of their own home.

Mike Anderson is a writer for Online-Psychic.biz and enjoys writing on topics that include New Age and enjoys to write on Healing.

What is Bipolar Depression?

The distinguishing characteristic of bipolar depression, as compared to other mood disorders, is the presence of at least one manic episode. Additionally, it is presumed to be a chronic condition because the vast majority of individuals who have one manic episode have additional episodes in the future. The statistics suggest that four episodes in ten years is an average, without preventative treatment. Every individual with bipolar depression has a unique pattern of mood cycles, combining depression and manic episodes, which is specific to that individual, but predictable once the pattern is identified. Research studies suggest a strong genetic influence in bipolar depression.

Bipolar depression typically begins in adolescence or early adulthood and continues throughout life. Bipolar depression is often not recognized as a psychological problem, because it is episodic. Consequently, those who have bipolar depression may suffer needlessly for years without treatment.

Treatment for Bipolar Depression

Effective treatment is available for bipolar depression. Without treatment, marital breakups, job loss, alcohol and drug abuse, and suicide may result from the chronic, episodic mood swings. The most significant treatment issue is noncompliance with treatment. Most individuals with bipolar depression do not perceive their manic episodes as needing treatment, and they resist entering treatment. In fact, most people report feeling very good during the beginning of a manic episode, and do not want it to stop. This is a serious judgment problem. As the manic episode progresses, concentration becomes difficult, thinking becomes more grandiose, and problems develop. Unfortunately, the risk taking behavior usually results in significant painful consequences such as loss of a job or a relationship, running up excessive debts, or getting into legal difficulties. Many individuals with bipolar depression abuse drugs or alcohol during manic episodes, and some of these develop secondary substance abuse problems. Therefore, it is advisable to treat Bipolar Depression at its early stage

For more information, visit http://www.DepressionInfoCenter.com

A fat-soluble vitamin essential for growth and bone development in children, for vision, for healthy skin and mucous membrane surfaces, for reproduction and the integrity of the immune system.

Vitamin A consists of several active compounds, including alpha-carotene, beta carotene, retinal, retinol, retinoic acid and the carotenoids. Natural sources of vitamin A are egg yolks, fish-liver oils, liver, cream, butter, green leafy and yellow vegetables, pineapples, prunes, cantaloupes, oranges and limes. The richest sources include cod-liver oil, butter, butterfat in milk and egg yolk. Vitamin A can also be synthetically produced.

Early in the 20th century, Englishman Frederick Gowland Hopkins discovered a growth-stimulating substance inn milk. Later, a German researcher named Stepp identified a substance he had labeled “minimal qualitative factors” as a lipid. In 1913, E. V. McCollum and Marquerite David demonstrated an essential growth factor for rats in butter and egg yolk, which they called “fat soluble A.”

Simultaneously, Osborn and Mendel, working in New Haven, Connecticut, found a similar fat soluble substance in cod-liver oil and butter.

Moore, an English scientist, demonstrated that beta-carotene obtained as a colored substance from plants was transformed in the human body to a colorless form of vitamin A, which was then stored in the liver. It was not until 1930 that Karrer and his group in Switzerland determined the chemical structures of vitamin A and beta-carotene. In 1935, Wald defined a biochemical in the retina that he termed retinene, later renamed retinal.

Douglas Adams is the owner of All Wellbeing.com , a website dedicated to increasing knowledge of health related issues.

For high quality health care products click here.

Developments in the field of contact lens technology are producing ever better contact lenses that are increasingly convenient to wear throughout the whole gamut of vision conditions and lifestyles. Bifocal contact lenses are today available to correct presbyopia, a common problem in the over-40 age group.

Presbyopia is a vision condition in which they eyes are not able to focus clearly on near objects. It usually begins after the age of about forty when the lenses in the eye start reducing in flexibility. Presbyopia affects around 90 million adults in the USA alone and about one in four patients passing through an optometrist’s door will suffer from it.

Symptoms of presbyopia include difficulty in reading, difficulty in seeing in low lighting conditions and, occasionally, headaches.

Traditionally these vision problems were addressed with the old-fashioned reading glasses. Or existing eyeglass wearers could opt for bifocal eyeglasses. However the use of modern contact lenses for use with presbyopia has some distinct advantages beyond their cosmetic appeal. For example they can be well suited to other aspects of a wearer’s lifestyle such as sporting activities, exercising or using a computer.

Recently, contact lenses for correcting presbyopia have become available in more convenient types such as disposable or frequent replacement varieties. Today these are very popular lens types providing obvious benefits for the wearer.

HOW CONTACT LENSES CORRECT PRESBYOPIA

From a technical perspective, there are three distinct ways by which contact lenses can be used to correct presbyopia, each with advantages and disadvantages for particular types of patient. But the important thing here is that there is a choice and each wearer is likely to find one method best suited to their unique situation. The different contact lens methods are as follows:

MONOVISION

The monovision technique involves using in one eye a lens for seeing near objects and in the other eye a lens for seeing distant objects. Many people find that monovision works very well for them. It relies on the brain’s ability to selectively process and combine information from the best available sources in order to provide the clearest possible vision. In some instances, the optometrist might employ a bifocal lens in one eye and a normal distance lens in the other. The main problem associated with monovision is the apparent loss of depth of vision for some patients.

BIFOCAL CONTACT LENSES

As with traditional bifocal eyeglasses, each lens in bifocal contact lenses possesses two powers – one for seeing near objects, the other for distant objects. Some types of bifocal lenses when magnified look a little like a bull’s eye with an central inner zone surrounded by the outer zone. The drawback to this type of lens is that in certain conditions of reduced lighting, the vision might not always be as sharp in certain areas.

MULTIFOCAL CONTACT LENSES

Multifocal contact lenses work very much like the progressive lenses for eyeglasses. These lenses possess several zones of differing power in order to assist the eye gradually as it changes its focus on different objects at different distances. Therefore these lenses are designed to function well for seeing near, intermediate and distant objects. Their drawbacks are typically the same as for bifocal contact lenses, with occasional loss of visual acuity.

Bifocal lenses are available in two basic design types, ‘Translating’ and ‘Simultaneous’, the essential characteristics of which are as follows:

TRANSLATING BIFOCAL LENSES

Another name for the translating lens type is an ‘alternating lens’. Gas Permeable bifocal lenses are regularly of this type. Their usage is very much like that of traditional bifocal eyeglasses. The wearer will look through one zone for distance vision then ‘translate’ to look through the other zone for near vision. Both zones aren’t looked through at the same time.

SIMULTANEOUS BIFOCAL LENSES

The majority of soft bifocal contact lenses on the market are of the ‘simultaneous’ type. As the name implies, with simultaneous lenses the wearer actually looks through the various powers of the lenses at the same time. What happens is that the brain steps in and ‘suppresses’ the power or powers, which aren’t needed at that particular time in order to see clearly. There exist further subdivisions of this lens type, but we won’t go into the details in this brief overview.

As with all contact lens selection and wear, choosing the right type of bifocal lens depends equally as much upon the wearer’s unique lifestyle as his unique vision characteristics. For example a patient who regularly undertakes sporting activities will have different needs from one who only needs to wear them socially or for use at work.

However, the success of adopting bifocal contact lenses relies very much on the expectations of the wearer who should realize that, almost by definition, bifocal lenses are very much a compromise and that he or she is never going to regain the acuity of vision in all environments that they had when younger. In most cases this is perfectly acceptable and bifocal lenses have now earned their place in the optometrist’s ever-expanding repertoire.

BY DR. BIANCA TAVARES

Dr. Tavares is a medical consultant with wide-ranging experience and interests in both traditional and complementary medicine and health care.

She has a particular passion for disseminating quality medical information to the people who matter – the patients – and acts in an advisory capacity to numerous journals and health related web sites. Her writing about eye health and bifocal contact lenses can be found regularly at Contact Lens Advisor.

This article is copyright by Dr Bianca Tavares. It can be reprinted freely online as long as the entire article and this resource box are included.