Know Your Eyes Better

The Eye. I used to be jealous of those having perfect vision--- No astigmatism or shortsightedness! They don't feel the hassle of wearing contact lenses and the little weight I wear around the eyes everyday. But as we age, nobody would have perfect eyesight anymore... therefore our major concern is, how much do we care about our eyes? 

Most of the time, staff in the optical shop don't educate us on what is essential for the eyes because they are not qualified people. I didn’t realize that until recently I met a renowned optometrist from the United States and a representative of Alcon who opened the ‘world of vision’ right in front of my eyes.

If you do not already know, Alcon is a global medical company specializing in eye care, offering the widest spectrum of eye care products in surgical, pharmaceutical and vision care. A company driven by science and emphasizes performance. Backed by more than 2,000 researchers and developers, Alcon's dedication to eye health is unrivalled.

Now merged with Ciba Vision, a global leader in the research, development and manufacturing of contact lenses and lens care products, Alcon is committed to grow this segment and explore new ideas to result in eye care breakthroughs.

I’m glad that a renowned optometrist and the representative from this global brand

came over to Kuala Lumpur for a close-up session with the bloggers in KL.

I totally agree with Dr. David Kading, a renowned optometrist from the United States(left) and Dr. Timothy Grant, Head of Asia Professional Marketing Vision Care (right) that we always tend to forget what’s good for us in the long run. As a beauty blogger, I am used to wearing cosmetic lenses for long hours everyday. The eyes may look pretty today but what are the long-term effects?

"Don't ever compromise for the price", he said. I have seen loads of colored lens in the night market, selling at just a fraction of the original price. Of course, I'm not saying that they are 100% harmful but precautions must be taken. You may not have any problems now but don't wait until the symptoms come and all impacts will be irreversible.

That's why we were introduced to "breathable contact lenses". Alcon has been improving its products using cutting-edge technology since year 1898, to provide consumer with a healthy, comfortable and hassle-free lens wearing experience.

Now, the famous contact lenses brands, Air Optix and Dailies, as well as contact lens solutions such as Opti-Free and Clear-Care are all manufactured under one roof. If you're a loyal user of these lenses like myself, you'd feel the comfort as if you're wearing no lenses at all!

During the sharing session, I realized the girls' personal encounters with different contact lenses are pretty similar to mine. It's difficult to find contact lenses that suit you the best, because everybody's eye shape is different. 

Plus, a good moisturising agent is necessary for soaking the lenses. I have been using SoloCare solution since 7 years ago, until it has been discontinued recently. You may still see them in the pharmacies, because those are the last batch manufactured. Now OptiCare, the latest, improvised version is here to rescue-- Higher moisture, better comfort!

The consultant from Alcon also explained to us on the health aspect of the eyes.

Time to do a corneal health check on the endothelium layer of our corneal. It is a single, 

last layer of the cornea, which does not regenerate and will only deteriorate as we age.

We did a quick check on 3 aspects:

Average endothelial cell count

Hexagonality (Shape) of the cornea

Coefficient of variation (Rate of polymegathism)

The machine is specially imported to Malaysia and is usually available at optometry clinics and hospitals. It penetrates through the surface of the eyes and captures the last layer of the cornea.

Look at the cells of my cornea! Overall, it meets the range of cell density,

hexagonality and coefficient of variation for my age :) In short, it's H-E-A-L-T-H-Y!

Thank you Alcon for having this informational and educative session with us!

For more information about Alcon, please visit www.myalcon.com