Willing Hearts, Shining Eyes

Can you believe that one man single-handedly manages the cooking of almost 5,000 meals a day, which are then distributed all over the country to needy Singaporeans?

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His name is Tony Tan, and since 2005, his Willing Hearts organisation has served 90,000+ meals a month and other support services to the underprivileged and marginalised members of society. Now, in the soup kitchen's new premises in Eunos, Tony is opening up a medical hub providing basic and important health services to all who can't afford these on their own, with clinics for dentistry, traditional Chinese medicine and yes... primary eye care!

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We are so honoured to be running the eye care department of Willing Hearts' medical hub, and proud of our fantastic team of optometrists and opticians who give their time to help us help others. Not only will we provide vision tests (visual acuity and subjective refraction) and eye examinations where necessary, we'll also donate glasses for those who require them. We kicked off our contributions on October 17 with seven patients who urgently needed their eyes checked. 

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And none too soon! Optometrist Shawn Loh detected a congenital ptosis (drooping eyelid) on this nine-year-old patient, whose school sent her to us because she had extreme difficulty seeing in school. After several tests, Shawn diagnosed amblyopia (lazy eye) in both eyes, a rare condition, caused by extremely high dioptre ("high degree," in Singaporean layman terms) and high astigmatism. She has been referred to the Singapore National Eyecare Centre to be treated with visual therapy to improve her visual acuity. We are hoping very hard that this will work as she has already passed the critical age of seven. Another reason why it's imperative for kids to go for eye examinations every year.

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We're continuing to ramp up our eye care community service operations at Willing Hearts, and whole-heartedly thank Tony for letting us be a part of his very deserving organisation. And thanks to all of you for supporting us, which in turn allows us to give back to the community. Stay tuned for more news and if you'd like to find out how you can help, please contact Desiree Koh at desireekoh@thelensmen.com.

School's Out! Play, But Beware Of UV Rays

It's one of your kids' most favourite times of the year - school holidays! That means more outdoor activities and maybe even a holiday, and while the extended time away from books and homework is a great respite for their vision, it's important to make sure that their precious eyes are well taken care of when exposed to dangerous UV rays prevalent in the atmosphere.

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Courtesy of the American Optometric Association - thanks for the cool and very useful infographic!

UV rays are harmful components of sunlight - just as they can cause skin cancer, they also damage the retina, cornea and other parts of the eyes. Over time, this can lead to cataracts or macular degeneration, an irreversible ailment that leads to eventual blindness. New research has shown that the lenses of children's eyes allow as much as 70% more UV rays to enter as compared to an adult, which makes it even more necessary to ensure they have the proper protection.

Our optometrists share tips on how to take better care of your kids' eyes while they're having fun in the sun (adults should take note of these tips and use them, too!).

Allain: "The easiest way is to wear proper sunglasses with 100% UV protection - caps and umbrellas will help, but sunglasses are still the most effective way to keep harmful rays out of your kids' eyes." Just because it's a cloudy day doesn't mean UV rays aren't present.

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Kids love our Smarty sunglasses, which come in fun colours, look cool and are comfortable and lightweight. Parents will appreciate the polarised lenses, which provide the best and most complete UV protection for their children's eyes, plus helps cut out glare from the piercing sun.

Shawn: "Go outdoors as research shows that natural light can reduce the progression of myopia (shortsightedness). If your kids wear glasses, consider getting them Transitions lenses which will automatically darken according to the intensity of UV rays in the atmosphere."

Shahirah: "If your child is into sports, get him or her to wear protective goggles to prevent any risk of eye injury. Goggles are also recommended for the pool to prevent chlorine from stinging the eyes, and polarised lenses will cut out significant glare. Also, make sure they avoid touching the eyes after getting their hands dirty while playing with sand or in a field, for example, which can cause infections. Help them make it a habit to wash their hands with soap before touching their eyes, which can be very sensitive."

Hui Qi: "Being outdoors more often playing and perspiring can fog up and smudge lenses and get glasses dirty easily. Remind your kids to wash their spectacles with soap and water every night and wipe it clean with a lens cloth to better maintain them and ensure clear vision when wearing them."

Farah: "For the occasions that your children will spend time indoors reading, watching TV or playing computer games, help them remember to take vision breaks in between to relax the eye from strain."

Hope everyone enjoys the rest of their school holidays, and if new glasses are needed, our in-house Moonlight frames are a great affordable option for school kids, who will appreciate how lightweight and flexible they are! They're 30% off during the Great Singapore Sale, with an additional $50 off lenses.