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INSIGHT ON EYESIGHT WWW.WEHELPCHICAGOSEE.COM / (773) 788-6974 / JULY 2018
My kids love the Fourth of July week because they get to celebrate two Independence Days in the same week. As most of you know, I’m Canadian. I may not fall in line with how your stereotypical Canadian might act — I don’t say “eh” as often as I used to (although the eyecare team here may beg to differ). But I do love and respect my home country. Canadian Independence Day is on July 1, and we usually make a trip back there every year since the kids are out of school. The most interesting part of the holiday is that many people assume the Canadian version is different than how we celebrate the Fourth of July here in America, but it’s not; it’s pretty much an exact replica. We throw some burgers on the grill, watch fireworks, and hang out with family. When You Can Celebrate Two? Why Celebrate One Independence Day
What we do now as a family is actually very similar. The part of Canada I’m from is almost
identical to Chicago. It’s about a 25-minute drive to the beach. We watch the fireworks, and no matter how old my kids get, they
still look forward to the show every year. They bring their friends, and it’s always a time to enjoy a slower pace of life.
We don’t buy fireworks, however. I’ve seen way too many injuries from firecrackers in my career. We frequently have patients come in with eye injuries after the Fourth, so please use caution when using
fireworks, especially around children. I love helping people with their ailments just as much as the next physician. But if you ask any doctor, they’ll say the same thing: We’d rather you be safe and prevent the issue from ever arising than injure yourself. While I’m Canadian, my kids are U.S. citizens. Since July 1 is on a Sunday and
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WE FREQUENTLY HAVE PATIENTS
COME IN WITH EYE INJURIES AFTER THE FOURTH, SO PLEASE USE CAUTION WHEN USING FIREWORKS, ESPECIALLY AROUND CHILDREN.
Growing up, I lived close to Lake Ontario, so we always went there to observe the fireworks. There’s something about the reflection of the colors on the water that makes for a really serene experience. Sometimes we headed down to the beach to enjoy the water, and we walked around the downtown area during the day. When the show started, the town would come to a standstill as all eyes were on the sky.
July 4 is a Wednesday, we’ll be up in Canada for that show and back here in Chicago for the Fourth of July. It’s the best of both worlds for them. They get to see two firework shows and celebrate freedom twice.
Until next time, eye’ll see ya then!
–Steven Chander
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Somewhere along the line, our society accepted bullying as a social norm for children. “How can kids learn to cope with the real world if they can’t handle a bully?” is a common misguided justification. Kids who don’t meet the standards of what they are socially expected to be aren’t accepted among their peers. Rather, they are treated like emotional punching bags for anyone deemed more culturally acceptable. But the life of a child is truly a special force in this world, and just because someone differs from physical, social, or cultural normativity doesn’t give anyone the right to treat them poorly. Differences should be celebrated, and bullying needs to be eradicated. The best way we can start is by making an effort to notice bullying and put a stop to it. Here are three warning signs. Is Your Child Being Bullied? Warning Signs You Can’t Ignore
CONFIDENCE ISSUES Bullying has the potential to drop kids into a volatile cycle of confidence-killing self-talk. Bullying may produce external damage, but what goes on internally can be catastrophic for children. The continually progressing, technology-based environment our children live in nearly outpaces their ability to adjust and cope. Children often internalize their emotions, and when they are being bullied by someone online, their distress can be even harder to detect. The best way to be aware of how your children are feeling is to talk to them openly about their social interactions both online and offline. Summer is the perfect opportunity to discuss these issues with your child because they likely will be relaxed, comfortable, and out of school, where bullying often occurs. Then they can approach the new school year with confidence and self-worth. What parent doesn’t want that?
HEADACHES AND STOMACH ACHES Anxiety is a complex emotion that tends to manifest itself in physical ways. If you notice your child has stress-related symptoms like headaches, ask them about their emotional well-being. An open-ended question like, “I’ve noticed you haven’t been feeling well a lot lately — can you tell me more about that?” will help open lines of communication.
CHANGE IN FRIENDS There are bound to be changes in friend groups throughout your child’s life, but that doesn’t mean parents shouldn’t take notice when this happens. When a child expresses disinterest in spending time with specific people, it could be a sign of bullying. Connecting with other parents who have children in the same circle could be a way to gauge the pulse of your child’s friend group.
HOW NIKE’S ‘COLOR RUSH’ CAMPAIGN BECAME A DEBACLE
COLOR BLINDNESS Roughly 8 percent of men are color blind, the most common form being red-green blindness. With men being the NFL’s target audience and also significantly more likely to have this condition, you can see how this might be a problem. For individuals with red-green color blindness, shades of red, orange, and pink merge with green to appear as a yellow-green. Because of this, color-blind spectators could not distinguish between the two teams; in fact, most of the screen was a greenish blur. The entire game was unwatchable, and not just because it was the Jets versus the Bills. SOWHAT DID IT LOOK LIKE?
When the NFL and Nike combined for their new uniform deal in 2012, it came with a promise of new and exciting kits for one of the world’s most viewed sports. Some teams took the opportunity to go with a complete color overhaul, while others stayed relatively the same. At the same time, Thursday Night Football viewership was on the rise as American audiences craved more of the pigskin on TV. The NFL wanted to celebrate the 50th anniversary of their first-ever televised game in color, so they came up with a campaign in 2015 titled “Color Rush.” Each team that played on Thursday night would get a monochromatic redesigned kit aimed at creating hype around the game. There was just one problem: Some people couldn’t see the colors.
NOV 12, 2015
The New York Jets were taking on the Buffalo Bills in a divisional matchup. The Bills wear red. The Jets wear green. Nike created a slick uniform setup for both teams that encompassed traditional aesthetics with a modern flare. Each team was outfitted head to toe in their respective colors. While most joked it looked like a Christmas tree game, about 13 million Americans saw something else entirely.
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FAMOUS PERFORMERS WHO STRUGGLED WITH VISION IMPAIRMENT
Even Stars Have Eyesight Issues
Vision impairments can affect anyone — even the superstars we idolize. Here are three famous performers who struggled with poor eyesight.
Golden Globe in “Black Swan,” no one knew. For the better part of Mila Kunis’ career, she was completely blind in one eye. In 2011, she revealed to Cosmopolitan that iritis (chronic inflammation of the iris) had caused blindness. She had a surgery a couple of months before the interview and is no longer impaired.
JOHN GOODMAN
JOHNNY DEPP
Notable for roles such as Fred Flintstone, Dan Conner, and Walter Sobchak, John Goodman has been a Hollywood mainstay for over 30 years. But most people don’t know that he took a break in 2013 to deal with health issues, the biggest of which was a surgery to correct his cataracts. Cataracts result from a condition in which the lens of the eye becomes cloudy, thus impairing vision. One standard procedure Goodman had done was to replace that damaged lens with a clear artificial implant.
A little-known fact about Captain Jack Sparrow is that he actually wears contacts. Well, not Jack Sparrow per say, but the actor who portrayed him does. Johnny Depp is one of the most beloved actors in all of Hollywood, but did you know he is nearly blind in his left eye and nearsighted in his right eye? Depp prefers to depict his characters with glasses because without them, he can only see a few inches in front of him. The good news for all of these on-screen talents is that they had solutions for their vision impairment. If you struggle with poor eyesight, you have an answer, as well. Give us a call today and let us help you find a way to live a healthier and happier life.
MILA KUNIS
When she came on the scene in “That ‘70s Show” at the age of 14, no one knew. When she broke through as a film star in “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” no one knew. When she was nominated for her first
HAVE A LAUGH
Blue Cheese BUFFALO DOGS AND CELERY SLAW
INGREDIENTS • 1 package of your favorite hot dogs • 1 package hot dog buns
• 1 bottle Frank’s RedHot sauce • 4 ounces crumbled blue cheese • For Celery Slaw: • 4 celery stalks, very thinly sliced • 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice • 1 teaspoon olive oil • Celery salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
DIRECTIONS 1. For slaw, toss all ingredients together and season with celery salt and pepper. 2. Grill hot dogs and toast buns. 3. Assemble hot dogs, douse with hot sauce, and top with celery slaw. 4. Top with blue cheese, add another splash of hot sauce if you’re feeling extra spicy, and serve.
Inspired by Bon Appetit magazine
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Inside This Issue
How We Celebrate Double 4th of Julys PAGE 1 How to Tell if Your Kids Are Being Bullied PAGE 2 A Big Gaff the NFL Made PAGE 2 Even Stars Have Eyesight Issues PAGE 3 Blue Cheese Buffalo Dogs and Celery Slaw PAGE 3 Do You Need a Workout Buddy? PAGE 4
3 REASONS TO WORK OUT WITH A FRIEND Stay Accountable With the Buddy System
When you work out alone, it can be tempting to cut corners and get comfortable. After all, if you cheat on a pullup or don’t swing that kettlebell as high as you should, who will know? That’s where a workout buddy comes in. Here are three ways hitting the gym with a friend can make your workouts safer and more effective — and a lot more fun! ENSURE PROPER FORM When you don’t perform an exercise correctly, you may not even be working the right muscles, which makes all of your hard work pointless. At best, you’ll cheat yourself out of the full benefits of your workout. At worst, you risk injury. By working out with someone else, you can spot one another and keep an eye out for lapses in form. You and your partner can keep each other honest, ensuring your routine stays safe and effective. GET A LITTLE COMPETITIVE Whether you make your workouts explicitly competitive or not, working out with someone is a great way to subconsciously push yourself to improve. Even if your partner is stronger, faster, or in better shape than you, the drive to close the gap between your capabilities can be a big motivating factor.
Psychologists call this mental push to avoid being the weak link the “Köhler effect.” In small groups, those who begin weaker often push themselves to improve the most. Why not put this psychological phenomenon to work for you?
STAY ACCOUNTABLE The most valuable reason to have a workout buddy is accountability. Just having a dedicated person to ask you if you’ve met your fitness goals can have a significant impact on how regularly you exercise. In fact, something as simple as a bimonthly check-in has been shown to help people increase the amount of time they spend working out. A Stanford University study on the impact of social support on physical activity found that an occasional check-in boosted test subjects’ workout times by an average of 78 percent. This is part of a growing body of research that suggests positive social support may be a key factor in motivation. Even if you can’t actually exercise alongside your workout buddy, just checking in on one another’s goals can make a huge difference.
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