The brown recluse spider can be found in the Southeast and Midwest portions of the United States. It prefers dry, dark climates, such as attics, old barns and woodpiles. Though not actively hostile, its venom is quite toxic. Along with the black widow, it is one of the only spiders in North America that pose a threat to human beings.
The danger of a brown recluse spider bite is dependent on where the bite occurs. It is most dangerous when the bite is near an important part of the body, such as on the head, just above a vital organ or near a joint.
If left untreated by a physician, a Brown Recluse’s bite can cause blistering, necrosis of the skin with underlying fat, open lesions, organ damage as venom enters the bloodstream and (rarely) death.

First of all, let us look at a couple of quotes about what a brown recluse spider bite actually looks like:

“Brown Recluse bites are sharp but not initially painful like those of the Black Widow, but a small, white blister is quickly raised, broken, and surrounded by a red welt. An hour or more may pass; then there may be intense pain. The depressed center of this raised, red circle (the size of a dime to a quarter) turns dark within a day. The dead tissue regularly sloughs away, and the bite area scars over in one to eight weeks. Death seldom occurs, but the bite is debilitating and psychologically traumatic. Note: A bite from a brown recluse may also produce an intensely sore lump, even several weeks after the initial injury.”

Here is another one:

“The severity of a person’s reaction to the bite (from brown recluse) depends on the amount of venom injected and individual sensitivity to it. Bite effects may be nothing at all, immediate or delayed. Some may not be aware of the bite for 2 to 8 hours, whereas others feel a stinging sensation usually followed by intense pain if there is a severe reaction. A small white blister usually rises at the bite site surrounded by a large congested swollen area. Within 24-36 hours, a systemic reaction may occur with the victim characterized by restlessness, fever, chills, nausea, weakness and joint pain. The affected area enlarges, becomes inflamed, and the tissue is hard to touch. The spider’s venom contains an enzyme that destroys cell membranes in the wound area with affected tissue gradually sloughing away, exposing underlying tissues. Within 24 hours, the bite site can erupt into a “volcano lesion” (a hole in the flesh due to damaged, gangrenous tissue).” Ohio State University Extension Fact Sheet on entomology

The first thing to understand is that the damage done by a brown recluse spider bite is done by chemical reactions (i.e. involving enzymes). The venom literally liquefies human issue. Thus, the most damage is usually not done by bacteria or virus.
The initial treatment for a brown recluse spider bite includes immediate application of cold compresses, which may help inactivate some of the venom.
If you go to a doctor, he or she will probably give you antibiotics. While this is recommended because infection will almost always be present in the spider bite, the treatment is worthless at stopping the spreading of the chemical reaction and it will not stop any possible gangrene.
Antivenom for a brown recluse spider bite has not proven to be effective.

Ascended Health’s Brown Recluse Spider Bite Treatment

Ascended Health’s Brown Recluse Spider Bite Treatment is a powerful synergistic mixture of special natural magnetic minerals and oils designed to inactivate poisons, fight infection and regenerate the dead necrotic skin tissue. This product may be the best on the market.
This natural cure for the brown recluse bite is a combination of essential oils of oregano, clove, Melissa, rosemary, rose otto, bentonite clays and electrical current.
Testimonials for this treatment can be found on their website ascendedhealth.com.
If you live in an area where there are known brown recluse spiders it might be wise to order this product and keep it refrigerated.

Brown Recluse First Aid Kit

The Brown Recluse First Aid Kit has 2 components. The all natural Advanced Adsorb Powder is combined with The Brown Recluse Solution, a unique herbal solution, to produce a paste.
This paste has a molecular attraction to the venom. When applied to the wound, working to draw out the venom and relieve the pain so that your body can heal itself.
Why does this product work so well? Because the ingredients in this kit get to the root cause of the problem rather than treating symptoms. The problem with a spider bite is the venom. It is the Brown Recluse venom that kills cells and causes gruesome and painful sores. Drawing out the venom is the most important factor for starting the healing process and this is exactly what the Brown Recluse First Aid kit does.

Basil Oil and Lavender Oil

The information about basil oil I am about to give came from a speech by actor Clint Walker.
The treatment for a brown recluse spider bite is to take the essential oil basil, or the basil plant oils, and administer it BOTH internally (as a tea) and externally.

1. Step One: Clean the wound, and put basil oil on the bite area (or oil from the basil plant itself) and tape a cotton pad over the wound. Change this pad 3 or 4 times a day.
2. Step Two: Several times a day make a basil tea and drink it. Again, either basil oil or the oil from a basil plant can be used to make the tea.

If you live in an area where there are brown recluse spiders, you might want to put a container of basil oil in your refrigerator. This way if you do notice a brown recluse spider bite, or what might be a bite, you can take immediate action.
The essential oil generally used for gangrene is Lavender Oil.

First aid treatment of Recluse Spider bites

To minimize your reaction to a spider’s toxins and treat existing bites, consider the following home remedies:

1. Cold Water and Ice: Reduce swelling and provide spider bite relief by applying an ice pack or cold, wet washcloth to the skin. Ice the area for 20 minutes every few hours for the first 3 days. Elevate area if it is on an arm or leg.
2. Baking Soda: Mix 3 parts baking soda with 1 part water to create a paste to speed up the healing process of a spider bite. Depending on the severity of your bite, you will see changes within a couple of days.
3. WD-40: Prevent a reoccurrence of spider bites that take place in the home by spraying your windowsills, door frames, and screens with WD-40 in an attempt to keep these insects out of your household.
4. Elevation: If a spider has bitten you in the arm or leg, it is suggested to elevate the site to prevent swelling.
5. Hydrocortisone 1% Cream: Treat itching and redness of a spider bite by applying hydrocortisone cream (1%). Calamine lotion makes an effective substitute.
6. Hydrogen Peroxide: Since washing a spider bite site will help disinfect, choose hydrogen peroxide as an effective antiseptic for insect bites.
7. Dried Basil: To ease the itch of a spider bite, take a pinch of crushed basil and rub on your bite until the basil turns into the consistency of fine sand. This home remedy will also help keep the swelling down.
8. Turmeric and Olive Oil: Mix turmeric and olive oil to make a paste that treats the swelling and redness of a spider bite. Over the course of seven days, apply to your bite to help release some of the toxins. The combination also makes a decent pain reliever. Repeat the treatment at least two to three times throughout the week.
9. Aspirin: To gain relief from a spider bite, it is necessary to neutralize some of the poison. Soak an aspirin tablet in a little bit of water until it creates a paste. Apply to your spider bite to alleviate itching. For some people, symptoms are relieved within several hours.
10. Antibiotic Lotion or Cream: Fight infection (especially in children) by applying an antibiotic lotion or cream to a spider bite.
11. Save the Spider, if Possible. Kill and save the spider so it can be identified. However, often the spider is not seen when the bite happens.
12. Call a Doctor Right Away. Venom from a brown recluse spider bite can cause tissue damage that can lead to scarring, as well as more serious complications. Bring the spider to the doctor’s office if you can.
13. Follow Up. The doctor will treat the wound area and may prescribe an antibiotic to prevent infection.

The doctor may recommend ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) or acetaminophen (Tylenol) for pain. If an ulcer forms at the skin surface, the doctor may remove dead tissue from the wound.
It may take 6 to 8 weeks for the lesion to heal.

Crizal® has become the industry standard term for a high quality lens coating. Made by Essilor, the world’s largest lens company, Crizal® sets the standard for durability and scratch resistance for eyeglass lens coatings.  Essilor originally introduced Crizal® , but later that technology was superceded by Crizal® Alize®, and then Crizal® Avance™.   Crizal® is not used much anymore, and it is almost always dispensed as Crizal® Alize® or Crizal® Avance™.

Did you know that…

Over 80% of the information we receive through our senses is provided by our eyesight? As the only link between that information and your eyes, eyeglass lenses play an essential role. The greater their transparency, the more information they transmit.

Smudges, dust and reflections make lenses less transparent and consequently their optical performance is less effective. Your lenses are constantly exposed to these three enemies that can impair contrast perception, and as a result, lens performance.

Crizal lenses by Essilor provide longer lasting transparency.

Essilor of America, Inc. has teamed with 3M Company to debut a state-of-the-art lens, Crizal Avance with Scotchgard Protector, the Anti-Reflective lens that’s made to stay clean. This exciting new generation of Crizal® lenses offers customers an unprecedented level of lens performance, cleanability and clarity.

Leading-edge technology makes these reflection free eyeglass lenses resistant to scratches, dust and smudges. They are easier to clean than ever! Plus, their exceptional clarity ensures optimal quality of vision.

Crizal® Alize and Crizal® Avance™

A clinical study shows that a Crizal lens improves contrast perception by 20%*, versus an ordinary lens with no anti-reflective coating. This translates to greater visual comfort, especially for the wearer who works on a computer, or under fluorescent lighting.

Crizal is shown to improve eyeglass wearers’ perceived contrast threshold up to five times* in a simulated night driving situation combining dim light and bright glare from oncoming headlights.

More than 260 million Crizal-treated lenses have been sold worldwide since the product was launched in 1992. In fact, the satisfaction rate of the latest generation of Crizal lenses was above 90%*. (* International study – 689 Eyecare professionals – August 2009)

Crizal lenses perfect transparency allows you to enjoy the world with no limitations.

Crizal coatings are based on advanced technologies developed to counter the enemies of clear vision. These technologies are perfectly integrated and specifically optimized for ophthalmic applications. Even when combined, they ensure a compact, uniform and durable coating, hairline thin.

The following technologies have revolutionized Crizal lenses:

• the Scratch Resistance Booster™ reinforces resistance to scratches
• the HSD Process™ (High Surface Density) improves smudge resistance
• i-Technology™ enables dust repellence
• Slide-Fx™ ensures that water droplets slide off the lens.

Discover the 5 Crizal Benefits

Crizal coatings ensure perfectly clear vision by attacking its eyeglasses 5 worst enemies:

1 Glare, caused by reflections, especially at night, or when working on the computer.

Crizal lenses are made up of a series of thin mineral layers that prevent light interference on the surface of the lens, thus eliminating glare.

2 Smudges, which diffuse light as it hits the lens and blur your vision.

The HSD™ Process (High Surface Density Process™) optimizes the density of hydrophobic and oleophobic molecules on the surface of the lens. Water and smudges are better repelled and the lens is easier to clean, when required.

3 Scratches, which reduce visual comfort.

The introduction of an extra thin layer called the SR Booster™ (Scratch Resistance)optimizes interaction among the different treatment layers, and boosts, or strengthens, the whole stack. It considerably increases scratch resistance.

4 Dust, which can be an obstacle to sharp vision.

Crizal’s anti-dust efficiency is obtained thanks to i-Technology™, inspired by space technology and fibre optics. It enables the insertion of a transparent conductive layer within the antireflective stack, equipping the lens with antistatic properties that keep it virtually dust free, even after wiping.

5 Water drops, which distort vision.

The water-repellent coating on Crizal lenses keeps water from collecting on their surface. On a standard lens, water drops spread and stick to the surface. On a Crizal lens, the drops roll into small balls to slide off the lens with ease, without leaving a trace thanks to Slide-FX™ technology developed by Essilor.

How to Protect and Preserve your Crizal Lenses

• Always use both hands to remove your glasses so as not to bend or damage the frames.
• To avoid scratching your eyeglass lenses, never put them face down.
• When you take off your glasses, always fold the arms and put them into their proper resting position.
• Never leave your glasses under a heat source (windshield, in direct sunlight, etc.).
• Always place your glasses in their case when not in use.
• For regular care, use your Crizaline cleaning cloth.
• Your Crizal eyeglass lenses’ hydrophobic coating is so effective that your lenses don’t require cleaning products.

Crizal No-Glare lenses are the most reliable and technologically advanced protection against visual distractions caused by unwanted reflections, scratches and smudges.

• See Better

Safer, more comfortable nighttime driving by reducing glare from headlights, taillights and street lights

• Fight reflections from overhead lights

Resist the normal scratches and smudges that come from everyday wear and tear

• Look Better

Clear and glare-free lenses, so people see you and your eyes instead of your glasses

• Feel Better

Reduce headaches, blurred vision and irritated eyes caused by reflections from computer screens

Crizal lenses satisfy the first need of wearers: clarity of vision. Have the Clearest Vision Possible!

An example of a standard uncoated lens compared to a lens with Crizal 2 Anti reflection applied. As you can see reflections are reduced drastically leading to clearer vision.

Daily activities burn more calories than you might imagine. If you become a little more active in your daily life, you’re on you way to losing weight.

The number of calories needed to maintain a specific weight varies dramatically from person to person depending on genetic factors and on the amount of daily activity. Weight is gained only if the number of calories consumed is greater than the number of calories burned. Similarly, with weight loss, the number of calories consumed must be fewer than the amount of calories burned.

Assume that your BMR turns out to be 1,300 calories a day. If you determine that you burn an additional 500 calories a day through daily activities and exercise, that means your total calorie expenditure would be 1,800 calories a day. To maintain your weight, you would need to consume 1,800 calories a day. If you consumed fewer calories than you burned, you would lose weight. If you consumed more calories than you burned, you would gain weight.

It is possible to burn more calories and to speed up the burning process. By building muscle tissue, your body works harder, thus enabling you to expend more energy or calories. On average, for each additional pound of muscle amassed, about 50 additional calories are used daily. In other words, with a regular weight program, your BMR can experience an increase of 15%. Simply from moving around more, your daily activity level can easily rise.

Calculating Your BMR (basal metabolic rate)

Height, weight, and age help determine how many calories a woman needs to maintain her weight. All of those components are factored into your basal metabolic rate, or your BMR. The basal metabolic rate is the number of calories you burn when you are exerting the least energy, such as staying in bed all day. It is important to know your basal metabolic rate because the BMR takes into account the fact that lean body weight declines as you grow older. The number of calories you need to maintain your weight now is different from what it was years ago.

The formula to calculate the BMR for women is:

655 + ( 4.35 x weight in pounds ) + ( 4.7 x height in inches ) – ( 4.7 x age in years ) = BMR

How To Burn Extra Calories Every Day

• Try to be active while watching TV, even if it’s just doing housework. Walk in place, do some leg lifts, stretches or sit ups while watching TV.
• Stand and let someone else have your seat when riding the bus or subway.
• Always take the stairs, avoid elevators and escalators.
• If possible, ride your bike to work or the gym once or twice a week.
• Park further away from your destination than usual.
• Go out and walk, roller blade, or play pool (something active) instead of going out to dinner.
• Take “walking breaks” instead of coffee breaks at work in order to get your body moving during the day.
• Walk you dog instead of just letting him outside to roam.
• Play with your kids instead of just watching them. Even if it’s just having a tea party on the floor, they’ll love it and you’ll be more active than you would otherwise be just sitting in the couch.

Find out how many calories you burn doing your favorite activities or how long you should do an activity to lose weight. You can easily figure out how many calories burned during exercise or other activities. Knowing the number of calories you burn in conjunction with a sensible diet can help you lose or gain weight.

Exercises To Burn Extra Calories Every Day

Exercise is also a successful and healthy way to burn calories. For weight control, walking is great exercise. Depending on your pace and the terrains, it can burn as many calories as many forms of exercise that seem much more strenuous.

1-2 week disposable colour contact lenses are daily wear colour contact lenses that can be worn up to two weeks. These contact lenses keep your eyes moist and they always feel very breathable. The choice in this category is huge: 7 brands with dozens of available colors.

Acuvue 2 Colors Opaques

Acuvue 2 Colors Opaques change your eyes’ color completely. Choose from Sapphire Blue, Deep Blue, Pearl Gray, Jade Green, Hazel Green, Warm Honey and Chestnut Brown.

Acuvue 2 Enhancers

Acuvue 2 Enhancers are enhancing your light eyes’ color. Acuvue 2 Enhancers feature a full circle of uniform transparent pigment (there is no pattern on the lenses). As the pigment covers the pupil hole area as well as the iris area so your eye color change will look very natural. Available in Ocean Blue, Aquamarine and Emerald Green.

Focus 1-2 Week Visitint are weekly disposable contact lenses manufactured by Ciba Vision. Focus 1-2 Week Visitint offer the freedom of crisp, clear vision and enhanced comfort through frequent replacement. A comfortable contact lens designed for easy handling and for the convenience of one to two week replacement lenses. Wear the same pair every day – clean them every night for up to two weeks, and then replace with a new pair. Replacing your contacts more often reduces the chance of irritating buildup. Focus 1-2 Week Visitint lenses are conveniently packaged so you’ll always have spare pairs. You’ll love the freedom of crisp, clear vision, and the enhanced comfort of Focus1-2 Week replacement lenses.

Focus 1-2 Week Visitint contacts are also available in an array of beautiful COLORS.

With Focus 1-2 Week SoftColors (color version)there’s no need for a new prescription. Your Focus 1-2 Week Visitint prescription could be used to purchase Focus 1-2 Week SoftColors (color version).

Focus 1-2 Week Softcolors

Focus 1-2 Week Softcolors contact lenses from Ciba Vision provide the same comfort and clarity as Focus 1-2 Week contacts, but come in 3 exciting colors: Aqua, Evergreen, and Royal Blue. Focus 1-2 Week Softcolors are weekly disposable color contact lenses and are approved to be worn for up to 2 weeks.

Freshlook Colorblends

FreshLook ColorBlends contact lenses provide a unique 3-in-1 technology, blending three colors into one to create the subtle, natural depth of beautiful eyes. Choose from different shades of blue, green, brown, gray, and amethyst. FreshLook ColorBlends contact lenses are approved for monthly wear. “Honey” is very similar to the contact lenses used in the movie “Twilight” for the character Edward Cullen. Try FreshLook’s new vibrant contact lens colors! Sterling Gray, Gemstone Green, and Brilliant Blue.

Freshlook Dimensions

FreshLook Dimensions contact lenses from CIBA Vision. Designed for light eyes, these semi-transparent, colored contacts enhance your natural eye color. FreshLook Dimensions contacts are available in Caribbean Aqua, Sea Green and Pacific Blue.

Freshlook Radiance

FreshLook Radiance contact lenses from CIBA Vision. Add sparkle and an illuminating effect to brighten your natural eye color. The effect created by each of these contacts will differ according to your natural eye color: Autumn for a bronze glow, Sunrise for a gold sparkle, Moonlight for a silver effect, Eden for a green sparkle.

Moonlight and Eden contact lenses are recommended for light eyes only. Sunrise and Autumn contacts are recommended for dark eyes only.

A great way to refresh your look, whether it is for a special occasion or simply to vary clothing and make-up possibilities is to wear Circle Contact Lenses. Unlike traditional colored contact lenses, which cover only the iris of the eye, circle lenses extend to cover part of the whites as well, which make the wearer’s eyes look huge.

Circle contact lenses have become quite a fashion trend these last months, especially after Lady Gaga used them for her Bad Romance video clip. Aside from the Lady Gaga allure, many young women claim that they wear them to make their eyes look bigger.

Circle lenses were available before the Gaga explosion, and in fact their popularity originated in Japan, Singapore and South Korea where many young women wear them to accentuate their eyes to resemble Japanese anime characters. The decorative contact lenses come in a variety of colors and give the wearer a doe-eyed, “manga charachter” appearance.

Circle Contact Lenses are special extra-wide cosmetic contact lenses which make the eye appear larger, because the circle contact lenses are bigger in diameter and these lens even cover the whitish area around the iris thus making eyes look bigger than normal.

Since 2005, it has been illegal in the United States to sell any type of contact lenses — corrective or cosmetic — without a prescription, which is why no major manufacturer in the United States sells these contacts. Most young women end up getting them through online sellers that they have found out about through message boards and YouTube videos.

Circle contact lenses come in a variety of colors

Big eye circle contact lenses are not FDA approved and illegal to purchase in the U.S.A., this is causing many people to purchase them overseas for a cheap price. Circle contact lenses are available online for as little as $20 to $30 per pair, and corrective versions of the circle lenses are not available.

Circle Contact Lens Risks:

Circle lenses become a fashion trend after Lady Gaga used them for Bad Romance video clip

Now health concerns are arising regarding the use of these lenses that makes your iris look larger. The FDA has stated that these lenses can bring health risk ot the ones using them: “Consumers risk significant eye injuries, even blindness, when they buy contact lenses without a valid prescription or help from an eye professional.” Said Karen Riley, spokeswoman for the FDA.

There is no way to know how the contacts were made or what type of material was used to make them which can be dangerous to the eyes and possibly cause infections. Also, contacts need to be properly fitted to the user’s eye. Circle contact lens covers big part of the eye and block oxygen supply to eyes. Long term usage can be dangerous for your eyes, as you might even lose your eye sight.

When you purchase them online, you don’t get the correct care advice that an optometrist would normally provide, and to first time contact users this can be a very serious problem.

The FDA recommends:

• Get a valid prescription that includes the brand and lens dimensions.
• Buy the lenses from an eye care professional or from a vendor who requires that you provide prescription information for the lenses.
• Get an eye exam from a licensed eye care professional, even if you feel your vision is perfect.
• Follow directions for cleaning, disinfecting, and wearing the lenses, and visit your eye care professional for follow-up eye exams.

Is popular singer Lady Gaga wearing circle contact lenses designed to enlarge the iris of her eye in her video “Bad Romance?”

Lady Gaga’s “doll-like”, cartoonishly large eyes were most likely generated by a computer, but teens and young women across the country have been copying them with special big eye contact lenses called “circle contact lenses” imported from Asia. Known as circle lenses, these are colored contacts — sometimes in weird shades like violet and pink and with special effects — that make the eyes appear much larger because they cover not only the iris, like ordinary lenses do, but also part of the whites.

Check out Lady Gaga’s enormous, manga-like eyes on her pop video, “Bad Romance.”

Lady Gaga’s “anime character” large eyes have sparked a new, dangerous trend, and now the cool kids are buying “circle lenses.” These wider-than-life colored contact lenses, long popular in Korea, extend past the pupils to cover parts of the whites of the eyes.

Circle lenses are imported from Asia and sometimes come in strange colors such as violet and pink. The look is characteristic of Japanese anime, and is “mainstream” in Japan, Singapore, and South Korea.

Lady Gaga's contact lenses make eyes look larger

This new trend give the wearer the look of an anime character. But it is a dangerous one, because wearing contacts that haven’t been properly fitted by a doctor increases the risk of infection.

The circle eyes lenses are illegal in the U.S., but are available on a range of international websites. So whether they are illegal in the U.S., but people are buying them over the Internet.

The cicle eyes contact lenses are widely available online, typically for $20 to $30 a pair, both in prescription strengths and purely decorative. On message boards and in YouTube videos, young women and teenage girls have been spreading the word about where to buy them.

In some cases infections eve can lead to blindness. Beside of this, corneal ulcers, scratches or abrasions in the corner of the eye, impairing vision either from the tears or from infection, and depriving the eye of oxygen all can set up the risk of infection and in some rare cases, even blindness.

It may be worth noting that Lady Gaga wasn’t wearing circle lenses in the video. According to New York Times, her gaze was computer-generated. Let’s hope her fans take the American Optometric Association’s warning seriously.

Circle Lenses make eyes appear bigger, like an anime character

These lenses might be just another beauty fad if not for the facts that they are contraband and that eye doctors express grave concern over them. It is illegal in the United States to sell any contact lenses, either corrective or cosmetic, without a prescription, and no major maker of contact lenses in the United States currently sells circle lenses.

At best, users could experience redness, swelling, or a painfully red eye. At worst? People who buy lenses without a consultation from an eye doctor put themselves at risk of serious bacterial infection, or even significant damage to the eye’s ability to function, with the potential for irreversible sight loss.

Contact lenses, whether used to correct vision problems or for fashionable reasons, are considered medical devices by the Food and Drug Administration (FAD). For those wishing to wear decorative contacts, also called plano contacts, the FDA offers following advice to minimize risk:

• First of all, get an eye exam from a licensed eye care professional, even if your vision is perfect.
• Then get a valid prescription that includes the brand and lens dimensions.
• Buy the lenses from an eye care professional or from a vendor who requires that you provide prescription information for the lenses.
• Follow directions for cleaning, disinfecting, and wearing the lenses, and visit your eye care professional for follow-up eye exams.

Check out makeup artist Michelle Phan’s detailed and easy to understand “how to get Lady Gaga’s look” makeup tutorial:

FreshLook® Colorblends are contacs, which were designed to correct vision sight and change the color of eyes. Each contact lens contains a blend of three colors to create a subtle color change. FreshLook Colorblend contacts come in an array of colors, including blue, hazel, green, gray, sapphire and brown. To find a color that works for you, visit the FreshLook Colorblends website, where you can upload a color photograph of yourself and “try on” different colored lenses. FreshLook® offers a wide palette of beautiful colors. Color selection depends on your natural eye color, hair color, skin tone, and the type of change you’d like. As with all contact lenses, FreshLook Colorblends are available with a prescription from a doctor.

General Tips:

1. Wash your hands and rinse thoroughly before handling lenses
2. Dry your hands with a lint-free towel
3. Use finger tips to handle lens (avoid finger nails or any other sharp object)
4. Check if lens is clean, wet and damage-free

Things You’ll Need:

• Hand soap and towel
• Mirror
• Contact case
• Contact solution

How To Insert Your FreshLook Colorblends Lenses:

1. Wash your hands with soap and warm water and dry your hands with a clean towel. Make sure you wash your hands thoroughly before applying your contact lenses, but avoid overly scented or oily soaps that might adhere to the lens surface. Especially avoid using products containing lanolin.
2. Carefully peel the foil back from your contact lens package. There will be one contact lens per package.
3. If you have a different prescription for each eye, there will be an indication on the disposable case that tells you whether that lens is for your right or left eye.
4. Position the contact on the tip of your index finger and rinse it with a no-rub cleansing solution designed for contact lenses. Take your pointer or index finger and gently slide it under the curved part of the lens. Make sure the edges of the FreshLook Colorblends contact are pointing upwards and not pointing out. If the edges of the contact are pointing out, the contact is probably inside out. If this happens, simply flip the contact over on your finger so the edges are pointing up.
5. Look into a mirror and gently pull up on your upper eyelid and place the contact so it is directly above your iris. Slowly place the contact onto your eye and pull away your finger.
6. Blink your eye slowly to make sure the contact is properly inserted. When FreshLook Colorblends are properly applied, you should feel nothing. If you have any discomfort or pain, remove the contact immediately and sterilize the contact with your no-rub contact solution. Once the contact is clean, repeat Steps 3 and 4.
7. Repeat Steps 3 to 5 to insert another contact into your other eye.
8. Remove your FreshLook Colorblends contacts at the end of each day. Wearing your contacts to bed increases your risk of eye infection and irritation. To remove your contacts, gently pull upwards on your upper eyelid and pinch the bottom of the contact while simultaneously pulling it from your eye. Place the contact into a clean contact case and cover it with a no-rub contact solution.
9. Dispose of your contact lenses after 1 to 2 weeks, depending on your doctor’s instructions. Each pair of FreshLook Colorblends is designed to be worn temporarily and no longer than 2 weeks.

The high cost of health INSURANCE can be directly tied to the high cost of health CARE. Why does the care cost so much? That is the million dollar question. There are many reasons for the high cost of care. I will outline one that we all forget here. TECHNOLOGY. We all want it when we are sick or hurt.

Decades ago we had X-Rays, yes old fashioned X-rays. Today, we have MRI’s, CAT Scans etc. When we are sick or hurt, we want the latest imaging technology to be employed to diagnose our issue or pain.

Decades ago, we had aspirin. Today we have all kinds of pain killers, cholesterol lowering drugs, mood altering drugs etc. I could go on and on.

Would you like to purchase a health insurance policy that does not cover those fabulous things? When we pay the premium yes. When we need care, no way.

Health Care Costs Continue to Rise

Health Care costs in New Hampshire continue to rise for a multitude of reasons. The reasons are very complicated and interconnected. This blog will be attempting to raise the level of awareness, empower the consumer and frame a discussion of the possible solutions.

Control the cost of YOUR Health Care with Health Savings Accounts

Reduce you health insurance costs with the use of a concept called a Health Savings Account – HSA. This concept has two components. Component #1 is a traditional health insurance policy with a high deductible. The premium for this type of policy is lower than an HMO for example. Component #2 is an actual savings account (HSA) with huge tax advantages. BETTER THAN AN IRA!!!!!! Tax free growth. Want to know more????

Why don’t we treat the healthcare system like any other retailer?

It seems to me that in addition to realizing that healthcare costs more every year due to medical advances and technology, healthcare costs more due to the fact that we do not question costs in the system. When is the last time you asked a hospital what your MRI was going to cost? For an idea of the huge disparity in costs from one facility to the next, visit www.nhhealthcost.org . Let me know what you think??

When cared for properly, soft contact lenses can provide a healthy, comfortable and convenient vision correction option. Whether you are new to contact lenses or have been wearing them for years, the following tips will help you to enjoy the benefits of contact lenses.

Furthermore, proper follow-up care by your eye doctor is essential to ensure eye health throughout your life. Over time, your eyes and lenses can change, often without symptoms or warning signs which may put you at risk for developing potentially serious complications, including vision loss. Regular ongoing professional care can help to ensure a lifetime of good vision and eye health.

Follow a Wearing Schedule

Different lenses are made for different wearing schedules. While some lenses can potentially be worn for a week or even a month of continuous wear, others are meant to be taken out daily. To protect your eyes from serious complications, it is important that you follow the wearing schedule that your eye care professional recommends. Please consult your eye care professional if you have any questions about the proper wearing schedule of your lenses.

Inserting and Removing Your Lenses

It is important that you wash, rinse and dry your hands thoroughly each time you handle your lenses. Good hygiene helps to eliminate germs which can cause eye infection – especially for smokers. Do not insert a lens into an eye that is red, irritated or painful. In these instances, you should contact your eye care professional immediately before continuing contact lens use.

Contact Lenses Care

Depending on the type of lens you are wearing, there are many different options for cleaning and disinfecting your lenses. Some lenses, such as daily disposable lenses, require little to no lens care – they are simply thrown away after each use. However, if you wear lenses that your eye care professional has recommended that you take out and re-insert into your eye, they should be cleaned and disinfected after each use. Proper care for your lenses can help your lenses stay clean and comfortable for you to wear. Your eye care professional can help you decide what lens care solutions are best for you.

Always Try to Reduce the Risk for Infection

Clean and safe handling of contact lenses is one of the most important measures contact lens wearers can take to protect their vision. Follow these tips, and they can help you avoid any adverse events:

• You should always wash your hands with soap before you handle your contact lens or touch your eye.
• Never purchase any contact lensses that is not prescribed by your doctor.
• Do not share your cosmetic contact lenses, as this could lead to serious eye infections.
• Never use the tap water to rinse your lenses or your lens case.
• Use fresh solution each time you place your lenses in a lens storage case.
• A new lens case should be used with each new bottle of solution or at least once in three month.
• Stick to the wearing schedule that your doctor prescribes and dispose of your lenses when it is recommended.
• Do not leave your contact lenses in overnight. Contact lenses should not be worn for longer than 8 hours at a time.
• Swimming while wearing contact lenses can cause serious problems and is not recommended. Wear protective goggles while swimming. Ask your eye doctor for specific advice regarding swimming with lenses.

Any Problems with contact lenses?

If you experience any problems with your contact lenses seek immediate medical attention. Discomfort can be an early sign of a more serious complication, and early treatment can have a significant impact on overcoming problems.

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama on Tuesday signed the sweeping health care reform legislation that was passed by the House of Representatives on Sunday night.

The legislation will massively revamp the nation’s health care delivery and financing system. By far, the biggest changes would be expanding Medicaid and establishing federal health insurance premium subsidies to the lower and middle-income uninsured. Congressional budget analysts estimate those changes could result in as many as 32 million uninsured gaining coverage.

The Senate today will begin debate on a second reform measure, a so-called reconciliation bill that also was approved by the House. That bill is designed to alter certain aspects of the main reform measure.

The legislation is packed with provisions that will directly affect employer-provided health care plans.

Some will require almost immediate action by employers. For example, within six months after enactment, employers will have to amend their plans to extend coverage to employees’ adult children up to age 26, if those dependents are not eligible for other group coverage.

Bigger changes are further down the road. By 2013, employers will have to redesign their flexible spending accounts to impose a $2,500 annual limit on contributions. There is no limit now, though employers typically impose limits between $4,000 and $5,000.

Also in 2013, employers providing prescription drug coverage to Medicare-eligible retirees will lose a tax break. Under a 2003 law, employers providing prescription drug coverage at least equal to Medicare Part D receive tax-free payments from the government equal to 28% of what they spend—within a certain range—on retiree prescription drug coverage. The subsidy will continue under the legislation, but employers will be barred from taking a tax deduction on expenses equal to the subsidy starting in 2013.

That change in tax law may lead some employers to drop the coverage, benefit experts say.

In 2014, employers with at least 50 employees that do not offer coverage will pay a tax of $2,000 for each employee without coverage. In computing the tax, the first 30 employees would not be counted.

Also in 2014, a new affordability test will kick in that could result in employers facing assessments unless they redesign their plans. If the premium paid by an employee exceeds 9.5% of their income and the employee uses federal health insurance premium subsidies to purchase coverage through new state health insurance exchanges, the employer would have to pay an assessment of $3,000 for that employee.

Employers most exposed to that assessment will be those with relatively low-paid workforces and that require employees to make hefty premium contributions relative to their income.

Starting in 2018, a 40% excise tax would be imposed on health insurance premiums exceeding $10,200 for single coverage and $27,500 for family coverage. The cost thresholds triggering the tax will be slightly higher plans for covering retirees or employees in certain high-risk industries. In 2019, the thresholds would rise to match the increase in the Consumer Price Index, plus one percentage point.

Source: www.businessinsurance.com