Common Sense for Seeing from Site for Sore Eyes Berkeley

So, did we all have a festive New Year’s celebration? (Every year, the staff of Site for Sore Eyes Berkeley has grown used to seeing a fair share of blood-shot eyes every few days after January 1st.) No matter. We wish you a happy new year, and may all your wishes come true, and goals be met.

As we welcome 2013, however, there are some major concerns in the U.S. government. “Fiscal cliff” is the term on everybody’s lips today. The Senate has been sequestered, and a compromised bill was agreed upon, but the country will be very careful as to how and what they will spend their money on. Meeting goals and seeing wishes come true will be challenging in the year ahead.

At times like these, one must keep their priorities in order. The purchase of a new sound system or 3D television may be put on hold. People may not go out to dinner as much. Vacation plans may be scaled down. In a nutshell, necessities trump luxuries as far as spending goes.

One priority that is risky to cut corners on, however, is your health. Make an appointment for a physical, even if you need to pay for it. Don’t wait until you are sick, or you may wind up paying more than just money…

By now you can probably see (no pun intended) where this blog is going. That’s right; you should not neglect your eyesight. Then again, who said eye care had to be expensive?  Do you know about CareCredit®, which is the leading healthcare payment program in the country? Check your local newspapers or online sites for coupons, and take advantage of them.  As a matter of fact, for a couple of current deals at Site for Sore Eyes Berkeley, click here and scroll down to the bottom of the web page.

Schedule that checkup for an eye exam. If you see an optician or eye doctor on a yearly basis, keep up this practice. If you find that you do need glasses, or have to upgrade your prescription, do so, and purchase the most basic frame to go with the lenses. If you look at life through contact lenses, find the most reasonable set that matches your prescription.

The times ahead may be financially tricky for some. As you climb the proverbial cliff (as in fiscal), keep a slow and steady grip. While you figure and narrow down a budget, remember not to skimp on what is truly important – namely, your health, and particularly, the health of your eyes. In the final analysis, paying out some money for this most precious sense is a bargain at any price.

Site for Sore Eyes Berkeley Sees the Importance of New Year’s Eve!

Happy New Year wishes from Site for Sore Eyes Berkeley. It’s almost time to get out the noisemakers, blow up the balloons, and get your voice in shape for singing "Auld Lang Syne.” But before we throw on our party hats, Site for Sore Eyes asks you to make a few resolutions regarding (you guessed it) the health of your eyes.

Are your eyeglasses polished regularly? Are your contact lenses cleansed properly in the right type of saline solution? Oh, and are your sunglasses easy to find when you go for a walk or a drive in the sunlight? Keep up the good work if the answer to these questions is ‘yes.’ If the answer is‘no,’ well…it’s time to set some New Year’s resolutions.

Now, for the fun part – what are you up to New Year’s Eve night?!

While residents of the East Coast crowd Times Square (or watch the festivities from their TV sets), there is still much to do on the West Coast, particularly in Berkeley. Here are several exciting events to match the excitement of saying goodbye to 2012 and hello to 2013.

For a pre-New Year’s dinner out, you can accompany your meal with a midnight bubbly toast at BistroLiaison, conveniently located, we might add, down the road from Site for Sore Eyes Berkeley at 1849 Shattuck Ave. Fine food, live music and more are all under the roof of this classy establishment. For reservations, pricing, and other information, call (510) 849-2155.

If your party has diverse taste in food, then gather at Gather (no, that is not a redundancy – Gather is the name of the restaurant). Located at 2200 Oxford Street, a four-course, pre fixe dinner will be served between 5:00 and 10:00. Additionally, there are choices for vegans and omnivores alike. For further information and to make a reservation, call 510.809.0400.

For those who wish to put on their dancing shoes to ring in 2013, the International House on Piedmont Avenue will be true to its name as waltzes, polkas, Latin and swing will be among the diverse dances to be featured at their New Year’s Eve Waltz Ball. Dancing will take place from 9:00pm to 12:30am. Call 650-326-6265 to reserve your place. (And yes, singles as well as couples are welcome.)

And there are still more choices. For additional events in and around Berkeley on New Year’s Eve, feel free to browse this list, courtesy of the SanFrancisco Chronicle at SF Gate.

Well, this is the last blog of the year from Site for Sore Eyes Berkeley. We hope that the posts of the past year have been both enjoyable and informative in regard to locale of Berkeley, CA, and especially the health and care of your eyesight. May we wish you the best for the New Year!

Look forward to posting more blogs for you all to feast your eyes on in 2013…

Season’s Greetings from Site for Sore Eyes Berkeley…

Well, dear readers, the Christmas holiday is a mere four days away. We at Site for Sore Eyes Berkeley hope that those who celebrate will have a joyous and memorable holiday.

This is a time of hustle and bustle (but happy hustle and bustle, we hope). Despite how organized your Christmas list is, there is always one gift that has to be bought at the last minute. With traffic heavier than usual and crowds galore, the feeling of being busy is heightened.

In this season of gift giving, we wish to remind you that the sense of vision is a gift; one that can easily be taken for granted. And when we hurry around, there is more risk of accidents occurring – even in our own homes.

(Not to sound like the Christmas Spirits of Past, Present and Future, but they haunted Ebenezer Scrooge for his own good, so please, let Site for Sore Eyes do some good for you ­– and we promise not to wake you up at midnight in the process. )

Take care when hanging ornaments; and let’s be honest – who hasn’t dropped a shiny, glittery decoration to have it explode into little (and sharp) pieces? Mind those countless needles on the branches of your Christmas tree are as they pose potential danger, too. Drape the lights around the tree slowly and carefully. And if you have a fireplace and chimney, well – we think you know. And parents – pay hawk-like attention to your kids as they jump, run, and romp in all of their Christmas excitement.

Remember: gifts can be replaced if broken. Replacing your vision is not so easy. Your eyes are powerful, but fragile (no, that is not an Italian word, as fans of A Christmas Story will tell you), so take care of them.

Get the idea? Good – and thanks!

And so, please accept the warmest wishes from Site for Sore Eyes Berkeley. May your contact lenses sparkle, may your eyeglasses shine, and may your Christmas day be safe and sublime!

Stay Healthy During Final Exams with Tips from Site for Sore Eyes Berkeley

To most, December marks the holiday season, but for students, it is a reminder that ‘final exam season’ has arrived. Textbooks, coffee and term papers occupy their mind, while “having a social life” is placed on the back burner. To make sure that you are both academically prepared and physically healthy, Site for Sore Eyes Berkeley would like to offer you some study tips.

- Take regular breaks.
If you have been studying for over one hour, it’s time for a break! This will give your eyes a chance to rest and your mind will be refreshed so that it can retain the information longer.

- Whether you are studying in your dorm room or school library, good lighting is essential.
According to Academia21.com, “when you are young, your eyes may be able to take the strain of reading in dim light, but many repeats of this behavior could cause irreparable damage down the road.”

- Exercise your eyes!
Since studying holds your eyes in an unnaturally still position for a long period of time, you can exercise your eye muscles by creating up-and-down, side-to-side or a circular motion with your eyes.

- Don’t fill up on junk food and sugary drinks.
When studying, keep eye-healthy foods, such as carrots and blueberries within reach. “The beta-carotene in carrots functions to repair your eyes and the antioxidants in blueberries optimizes eye performance,” according to Academia21.com.

Whether you’re a student or not, you can use the tips above from Site for Sore Eyes Berkeley to stay healthy (as well as to avoid any unwanted stress this time of year). If you follow these guidelines, you’re likely to ace your exams (or be the most productive at work) and truly enjoy this cheerful season.

Site for Sore Eyes Berkeley’s Holiday Eyewear and Eye Care Gift Guide

If you’re still searching for the perfect holiday gift this year, Site for Sore Eyes Berkeley is here to help! We have ‘optimally optical’ gift solutions for the special people in your life.

Treat mom to the ultimate relaxation that she deserves with an eye care cucumber spa kit. This at-home spa can
“de-stress” her eyes and give her the ability to take a break from what is no doubt a demanding schedule.
This may also serve as a great gift idea for your Grandmother, sister or girlfriend.

A gift idea for the professional businessperson is a leather eyeglass storage case. Whether it’s used at home or in the office, this sleek-looking storage unit allows for easy viewing and finding of their reading glasses and/or sunglasses.

For the fashionista, consider replacing her old frames with a trendy pair of designer frames. Site for Sore Eyes Berkeley carries high-quality eyeglasses and sunglasses by brand names such as Calvin Klein, Michael Kors, and Fendi… all at affordable prices.

Whether you love the eye chart mounted on the wall of your optician’s office (or cringe at the sight of it), we are all too familiar with this poster. Instead of its usual arrangement, a unique holiday gift is this notorious chart replaced by a quote of Einstein’s: “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.”


For the passionate sports enthusiast, consider buying them NCAA sunglasses. Besides helping to protect their eyes from the sun’s UV radiation and providing them with more comfortable vision, they will look stylish while representing their favorite collegiate team.


So don’t leave all of your holiday shopping until the last minute; print out this guide and bring it with you. Not only will you be offering gifts that you can be proud of, you’ll be giving your loved ones the priceless gift of sight!

December Doings Near Site for Sore Eyes Berkeley CA

December begins tomorrow, and while the holiday season is now in full force, don’t get so bogged down and preoccupied with finishing your gift buying that you forget about some goings on in Berkeley. As your friends at Site for Sore Eyes Berkeley will tell you (literally and figuratively) – “SEE what you may be missing.”

This is a season of giving, and if your stamina is up for it and you can stand a little discomfort, there is no greater gift than helping to save a life. On Tuesday, December 4^th, consider donating blood at UC Berkeley at the Martin Luther King Jr. Student Union Building, from noon until 6 pm. Walk-ins are accepted, but making an appointment is encouraged. For more information, call 415-235-7617. This is one gift that will not be bartered or traded for.

Are you into the environment, green technology, and all things related to sustainable energy? If yes, you might be very interested in attending the lecture: “Can We Make Low-Carbon Sustainable Energy For All Work?” This event will be held at the Banatao Auditorium, which is also located at UC Berkeley. It takes place the day after the blood drive, so make sure you’ve got your energy level back up as this will be an informative, worthwhile presentation.

Art buffs and culture enthusiasts will have a number of choices in store, one of which is the WONDER: 2012 Artist’s Annual, taking place at the Berkeley Art Center on Thursday, December 6^th. Come browse through the halls, where a variety of artwork will be on display. (Oh, and if you wear either eyeglasses or contact lenses – clean them, and don’t forget to wear them!)

Although snow is sparse (O.K., non-existent) in Northern California, there’s no reason not to get into the spirit of holiday season, for those who celebrate. Upcoming events include the Kairos Youth Winter Concert on December 9^th at St. John’s Presbyterian Church at 6:00 pm, and a Klezmer Chanukah party at the Subterranean Art House on December 13^th at 9:00 pm.

As you can see, Berkeley is booming with exciting events and happenings in December. To enjoy every moment the season brings, be sure to keep your eyesight as healthy as possible. While you’re decking the halls, thing about decking yourself out in a new pair of eyeglasses to really help capture these special times. And if you haven’t scheduled your annual eye exam, this is the time to do so. Eye exams, eyeglasses, sunglasses (yes, the sun can still be blindingly bright in December), contact lenses and more are yours for the choosing at Site for Sore Eyes.

Site for Sore Eyes Berkeley CA Reminds you to Exercise Those Eyes!

Did everyone have a nice Thanksgiving? Did you all eat enough…too much, perhaps? Hey, it’s the holidays…you’re supposed to feast.

If you’re health conscious, you may now decide to cut back on how much you eat or do a bit more exercising (or both) during the next few days. And while we are on the topic of exercise, are you aware that your eyes can get exercise? It’s true, as we at Site for Sore Eyes Berkeley can tell you. And what’s great about exercising your eyes, is that you won’t break out into a sweat and your joints won’t ache when you are through with an optical workout!

Before we go any further, however, we must point out that exercising your eyes will not drastically improve your vision to the point where you will not need to wear eyeglasses, contact lenses, or any other form of eyewear (if in fact you do). According to WebMD®, certain vision problems may be helped by eye exercises. What eye exercises can do is improve cognitive functioning, memory, and attention – all of which are vision-centered. By doing the occasional optical exercise, the connection between your brain and vision can become quicker and sharper. It’s a win-win situation for your eyes, your mind – in short – you.

Now, let us proceed with the optical exercises.
Go to your web browser of choice, do a search for “eye exercises” and behold the many choices.

·   For offline exercises, there are some basics from wikiHow.com that involve relaxing, massaging, and testing the eyes.

·   For online options, one website that showed up worth considering is eyecanlearn.com. Perception, tracking, focusing and eye teaming are the four core exercise plans, where visual memory, line tracking, and focus shifts are among different tests for strengthening vision.

·   If you are willing to spend some money for some truly challenging and fun games, we recommend lumosity.com. On this site, a variety of exercises that have been designed to test and strengthen memory, problem solving, flexibility and speed are available to you. From comparing and matching different shapes with one another, to mathematical calculations that scroll down from the screen, the eye/brain connection can be strengthened each time you choose to play. (As with a gym membership, the more you play, the more you will benefit. Don’t just pay the membership and think that is all there is to it.)

And in closing, may we remind you of the importance of an annual eye exam? (We know, you’ve read about this ad nauseam in many blogs, but it still bears repeating.) If you are conscientious enough to get a physical examination each year, your eyes deserve the same treatment and attention. Contact us at Site for Sore Eyes Berkeley for your eye exam. Even if you think your vision is strong, an exam can let you know for sure. Now, drop down and give those eyelids twenty!