Omega 3 Supplements (Part 2)

We continue our series of questions reviewing the benefits of Omega-3 fish oils with Drs. Wilson and McGinty (part one available here).

4. Can I not just eat more fish and not use supplements?

"YES!!!!!!! is the short answer. You would need to eat approximately 3.5oz of fish every day to acquire the desired daily amount of Omega 3 oil. You also need to remember that this figure can vary due to things like the variety of fish you choose or how it's prepared." Dr. Wilson answers, "As with most things fish is much healthier baked or broiled. Deep­ frying may just undo all the good work you're trying to do."

He goes on to add, "With supplements you have the really big advantage of consistency - you can know that you are consistent with your doctor recommended dosing regime.  Another advantage of using a supplement for Omega 3 is all reputable manufacturers screen their product for unwanted elements, like mercury, thus reducing the health risks associated with these heavy metals.  The supplements also make it easier to add in to a busy lifestyle, whereas switching to a fish rich diet may mean a major change for some."

5. So if I'm going to start taking these supplements, is there an omega 3 fish oil that is better quality?

"That's a really interesting question," Dr. McGinty responds, "To answer this it really is best to look at the kinds of fish oil supplements available, there two different kinds:

a) Triglyceride or TG and

b) Ethyl Ester or EE

TG is naturally occurring and the EE is synthesized chemically. Putting it another way. EE omega 3 is like having fruit juice made from concentrate and I for one prefer my juice freshly squeezed. TG
for me then!"

"Great point!" Dr. Wilson adds to the explanation, "There has been various studies into the comparison between the two forms and the long and short is that the EE is not absorbed nearly as effectively as the TG. Some studies showing an absorption rate up to 50 times slower for the EE derivative. Strike 2 for EE!"

"Looking into it further, there's also some debate about the harm that could come from the metabolism of the EE type in the intestines. During it's synthesis the EE form has a single fatty acid molecule bonded to an ethanol “backbone” whereas the naturally occurring TG has 3 fatty acid molecules bonded to a glycerol “backbone”. The ethanol is released when broken down in the gut and this for many is a cause for concern. That said, tests have shown that the amounts of ethanol (an alcohol) should be safe for humans. Not quite strike 3 but that bonding to the ethanol “backbone” also means technically that the EE form isn't a true oil.

That's a home run for TG in my game!"

6. Can I not just take omega 3,6 and 9 combined?

Dr. Wilson is enthusiastic to answer this question, "Firstly Omega 3 and 6 are essential acids and need to be consumed in our basic human diet through food sources or supplements. Omega 9 is non-­essential and as such isn't actually required so why supplement it at all.

Omega 3 has a potent anti­-inflammatory response in the body. This helps reduce the pain and swelling from most inflammatory responses in the body whereas Omega 6 has the complete polar opposite being pro-­inflammatory. Maintaining a balance between these two important acids is critical. The kicker is that Omega 6 is abundant in the Western diet so you're much less likely to need a supplement.

So, yes, you could take an Omega 3, 6 and 9 supplement but in the words of my esteemed business partner, Dr. Euan McGinty, “You can but you'd be wrong!”

In conclusion, I believe supplementation of Omega 3 fish oil in the Western diet is essential, but, as with many things, the simple rule is everything in moderation. Obtaining it in it's most natural form is always preferred and regularity works best. Always check with your doctor before starting any new medication or supplements.

Remember, we're always interested in peoples experiences, comments or concerns and would love to hear from you so please do not hesitate to fill in our contact form or reach us through our social media with a tweet or a post."

Many thanks to optometrists Dr. John Wilson and Dr. Euan McGinty for taking the time to answer these questions.

Omega 3 Supplements (Part 1)

Here at Ocean, Dr's Wilson and McGinty are strong advocates of the use of Omega-3 fish oil for the health of your eyes, especially when a patient has dry eyes.  We decided to interview our optometrists to find out more and answer some of the common questions that you may have about Omega-3 fish oils and the eyes.

1. Why Omega-3 fish oil? Won't flax seed or hemp oil do?

"There are 3 acids that make a complete omega 3 molecule. These are ALA, DHA and EPA.  ALA is found mainly in nuts and plants, e.g. walnuts and flax seed, but to a lesser degree in fish.  DHA and EPA are found to be more concentrated in fish derived Omega 3."  Dr. Wilson explains.

"Until recently, this wasn't considered an issue as all Omega-3 was really considered equally beneficial. More recently, however,  studies have found that the processing of ALA in the human body isn't nearly as efficient. It's conversion to the more usable DHA derivative is limited and slow."

"Now, I'm not saying there are no benefits to the ALA form."  Dr. Wilson adds, "It's still beneficial as a supplement for vegans and vegetarians who may wish not to take the fish oil, but you need to consume approximately 80% more than the equivalent fish oil supplement to achieve the same effect."

2. When should I take my fish oil?

Dr. McGinty responded, "Conventional reasoning states that Omega-3 supplementation should take place with meals, or just prior to meals. Probably to help combat the fishy aftertaste that is sometimes encountered by some and also to promote good uptake through digestion. It is also wise not to take fish oil prior to working­ out as this may cause gastrict distress."  

"Did you know that I used to have really trouble with taking them?" Dr. Wilson asks, "Then I was chatting about them with a retired pharmacist who said “Why don't you just freeze them and take them at night before bed?” I was amazed that this worked so quite often will recommend this to my patients and so far no-­one has complained of any gastric­ distress through the night"

"I had never heard of that" remarked a surprised Dr. McGinty, "every day's a school day!"

"Indeed!  I would value your feed­back if anyone tries it (good or bad I'm interested) so if you do try this tip, please e-mail me with how you get on: dr.john@oceanoptometry.ca."

3. How much fish oil should I take?

"Now, as optometrists we are dealing with the eyes primarily, but have to remember that the eyes are connected to the rest of the body and therefore have to consider any potential side ­effects." explains Dr. Wilson, "I never recommend more than the daily recommended amount of Omega-3 fish oil, which is between 900-­1200mg/day. This amount should contain a minimum of 600mg of DHA so check those labels carefully."

Dr. McGinty adds, "Sometimes you actually have to take 2-­3 times the amount of “oil” to get the appropriate concentrations depending on the quality and type of fish oil you choose. 

There are also times that amounts higher than this that may be recommended by your Physician for other health issues, especially increased blood triglycerides, but this is done in careful consideration of any other medications you're taking at the time. Omega-3 acids can both enhance and decrease the effectiveness of a number of medications."

"Absolutely" agrees Dr. Wilson, "There is even evidence that excessive amounts of Omega-3 can, in some people, increase their risk of stroke. I, for one, believe in everything in moderation so the daily recommended amount values sit well within my ethics and personal feelings."

To be continued .../ (Part 2)

Contact lens wearers are all idiots!

There, he said it!

A series of recent encounters with contact lens wearers coming to us for the first time has led our optometrist, Dr. Euan McGinty, to this conclusion, shall we find out why?

Dr. McGinty writes:-

The eye is perhaps the most exquisitely sensitive organ in the body, one which provides information that we are highly dependent upon.  Lets take some cold hard facts - 40% of all nerve fibres connected to the brain are linked to the retina.  More of our neurons are dedicated to vision than the four other senses combined.  When our eyes are open, vision accounts for two thirds of the electrical activity in our brain.

There's no denying it, we like to see!

Contact lenses can be a great way to correct our vision and we now have options available to cover most prescriptions and eye-curvatures.

Over the years I have been practicing as an optometrist, perhaps the best single factor in contact lens development has been the move disposable contact lenses.  Compared to years ago, the frequent disposal of contact lenses has dramatically reduced the number of complications I see day-to-day related to the wear of contact lenses.

Disposable lenses are much safer

Studies have shown the compliance with proper contact lens care improves dramatically with the use of disposable lenses and, by a long margin, the best regime is single-use daily disposable lenses.

I was recently discussing this with a contact lens patient who we were refitting with new lenses.  This person had been running in to problems with discomfort, red eyes and variable vision with his regular contact lens regime.

As we discussed all of the options, two things became apparent - firstly, that the idea of single-use daily disposable lenses was something this patient was very keen on and; secondly, that although the current lenses being used were monthly disposable lenses, these had routinely been used for in excess of a month.

Let's make one thing clear, daily lenses are to be used for one day, two-weekly lenses for two weeks and monthly lenses for one month.  That's from when you open the packet until you throw them away, it is not two-weeks' or a month of "wears".

There was no doubt that a lot of issues had arisen for this patient due to the poor contact lens regime and that sorting out the routine, in terms of lens renewal, hygiene and cleaning and also ensuring a good contact lens fit would resolve a lot of the issues.

We really were tempted to switch out to a single-use daily disposable lens, for him the fresh-lens comfort every day was great and for me the excellent safety profile was highly desirable.

The stumbling point? 

Price.

This then caused quite a moment of humour as we realised that purchasing daily disposable lenses would be a third less in cost compared to the cup of coffee that he had come in with and that he picks up every day.  The difference is that you don't buy a year's worth of coffee all in one transaction.

He'd never thought about it in those terms, however, with a bit of perspective it became apparent that great vision and healthy eyes were at least as important as his daily cup of Joe.

If you hear hooves, don't think of zebras

The second encounter which really led me to the conclusion that all contact lens wearers are idiots was a lady who was scheduled for an eye examination.  She contacted us on the day of the eye examination to cancel and reschedule, she had a red-eye.  We suggested that this would be an ideal time to see her optometrist, however, for whatever reason, she didn't want to do so.

I then saw her two weeks later.  We were chatting about her eyes and her recent red eye, she was quite frustrated by it.  She was sure that there must have been a faulty contact lens, or an issue with her solutions.  She had just opened up a new set of lenses and put them in, so they must be to blame.  She stopped wearing them, used some over the counter antibiotic eye drops and it had eventually resolved.  So, in her mind, it was definitely the contact lens's fault.

I examined her eyes and noticed a corneal scar in her eye that had been the affected one.  In my assessment this had been a recent corneal ulcer and she was fortunate that it had resolved, as they have the potential to be quite damaging, especially when associated with contact lens wear.

I discussed my findings and again we went through the lead up to the red-eye to see if we could tease out what had gone wrong.  It was only at this point that it turned out that this patient had slept in the contact lenses and worn them for almost 48 hours straight - something they were never intended for!

We like to have cause and effect, and somewhere to lay the blame.  In this patient's opinion it was the new contact lens which had caused the issue.

This was a contact lens which, until it was opened, had been in sterile packaging.

This was a contact lens which then had been used inappropriately.

I politely suggested that this may not have been the contact lens which had caused the issue, however, it was much more likely to have been caused through "user-error"!

Okay, maybe not all contact lens wearers

These are just two stories of recent encounters which reminded me again how much we take our eyes and vision for granted ... until something goes wrong.  There is no doubt that there are many successful contact lens wearers who run in to no problems whatsoever.

I'll admit it, of course not all contact lens wearers are idiots, but there are some things we should think about.

It doesn't really matter if you believe in all-powerful being, in evolution, or in some other explanation of how we got here, if we were meant to have contact lenses in our eyes, we would have.  We don't!  Contact lenses are a foreign body, to our eyes, they're not meant to be there.

Therefore, when we wear contact lenses, we have to accept we are increasing the risks of having something adverse happen to our eyes.  We need to ensure that we follow simple care steps to make it as safe as possible.

Preferably we should look at single -use daily disposable lenses.

Even with all of these steps, things can go wrong, a recent news story on the BBC website highlighted this: http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-32797394

More information about our contact lenses can be found on our website here: http://www.oceanoptometry.ca/index.php/the-collections/the-contacts-collections

April #SpringForLunch with I Love Local HFX

We're proud to be members of I Love Local HFX, being an active part of this great community of local businesses has helped us make many good business friends since we opened.  I Love Local HXF brings awareness of the best local businesses in our city to a large audience and also inspires the businesses to think of different ways to think collaboratively so that we all benefit from having a diverse and thriving business community.

This winter has been a harsh one and I Love Local recognised that and the feeling that we all need to get out and about, shake off those winter blues and enjoy what our fine city has to offer.  To encourage us to do that, they're turning April into #SpringForLocal month!  Throughout the entire month lots of different businesses and restaurants will be providing customers and guests with specials and promotions to get folks out from behind their desks and exploring the wonderful businesses within the city.

If you take part in this city wide promotion, you may even be lucky enough to have your lunch paid for you!  You could also pay it forward, when was the last time that you sprung for a co-worker's or a friend's lunch?

To help really enjoy the opportunity to #SpringForLunch we've teamed up with our pals down on Barrington Street, 2 Doors Down.

At Ocean, what we do really well can be summed up in three phrases:

• Eye Examinations
• Fine Eyewear
• Contact Lenses

So during April, if you partake in any of these fine offerings from ourselves, you will be automatically entered in to one of four draws for a $50 gift card for 2 Doors Down.  If you're one of the lucky winners, we'll #SpringForLunch for you!

We'd like to thank 2 Doors Down and I Love Local HFX for their support of what we do!

NB - only one entry per person for the whole month and there are no alternatives or substitutions available.

Please don't come to us!

It may seems strange for any business to say that, but we sincerely mean it ... in certain circumstances.  In fact, by this stage you've maybe already decided that we're not for you - that's fine, move along!

This is something which is quite core to everything we do here at Ocean Optometry and has been part of our journey from our very earliest discussions.  When we started shifting from the pipe dream of, "We should do something", to actually saying, "We're doing something", we had to consider how our office would be.

From the outset there seemed to us that there are already plenty of optometry offices serving Halifax and Nova Scotia who do a good job, providing optometric services and a fair selection of eyewear to choose from.  If you want to get your eyes examined or want to get some glasses, they'll sort you out.

So why did we need to create Ocean Optometry?

We had a need to offer something different, something new and something exciting.  We wanted to create an optometry office which was contemporary, urban, relaxed, fashionable, friendly and fun to attend.

Initially we even thought that we would carry ranges from all the fashion labels and have wall-to-wall

brands covering our shelves.

We're so glad we didn't.

The more we looked into these ranges, the more we became disappointed!  Now, these are just our personal feelings, if you like branded eyewear and they resonate with you, wear them loud and proud, it's really important to enjoy your eyewear.

To our eyes, though, it became pretty obvious that these ranges very quickly appear somewhat generic ... blah, even, they are predominantly manufactured by one of three huge corporations.  They often have very little association with the actual brand they represent, in reality it tends to be a licensing agreement.

When the same few companies are manufacturing a huge amount of the eyewear, it's little surprise that they begin to appear "samey".  When these companies then have sales and distribution channels which means that they pervade virtually every optometry office and optical, while owning their own stores as well, you do really begin to wonder just how something so generic has managed to create the allure of something exclusive ... they're "designer" after all.  Or, at least we did.

Then we took a leap of real faith, we believed in our abilities and skills to do our work well.  Now it was time to put our belief into products which also represented our independent nature.  We sourced all of our ranges from independent companies, who deal mainly with the leading eyewear boutiques around the world ... and us!

Fashion's bleeding edge

What has been really surprising is how well this decision has been received, very pleasantly surprising!  There does seem to be a real desire to get beyond the consumerism of brands and have a genuine sense of providence over the purchasing decisions we make.  Eyewear is no different and folks are telling us the choices we are making are good choices!

A fortunate happenstance of this pinnacle decision is the eyewear we carry is actually at the leading edge of fashion trends.  The corporations produce eyewear to sell as a commodity and volume is key, they are duty bound to maximise turnover and profit for their shareholders.  Therefore they don't lead the fashions, they follow and try to capitalise on them.  Every company needs to make a profit, obviously, however, in our experience when dealing with independent companies this is not their driving goal.

When you come to Ocean Optometry you should find all of those features mentioned earlier, that we are contemporary, urban, relaxed, fashionable, friendly and fun.  If this appeals to you, come right in.  If you want to choose eyewear which says more about you than a corporation, then we're definitely for you.  If your sense of style is not generic, but you have an attention for detail and fine design and products then the welcome mat's right there.

If you're thinking that by writing this we've completely lost the plot and if you want a brand or label on your glasses, if you want a bargain basement deal, or a twofor proposition, then you are going to be disappointed.  If you want to be just a sheep in the flock, then probably best to avoid us.

Seriously, stay away, we're going to irritate you with our friendly cheerfulness, humour, cool musical vibes and desire to make the eyewear of the Maritimes that bit more beautiful one pair at a time.  You know what, we're not even apologetic about it!

As an aside, when I was penning this article I didn't realise where the phrase "pipe dream" came from - every day's a school day!

New frame range arrives @ Ocean Optometry

Kirk & Kirk - Vivarium

This may not come as a surprise to you, but we really do love our eyewear ranges here at Ocean!  We travel to the best international exhibits to meet with the finest creators of eyewear in the world.  At that point we then individually select the frames to bring back to Halifax for you to enjoy!

That may sound like quite the process, however, it makes a world of difference for our office!  It means that we don't just have generically styled and humdrum collections for you to choose from.

The arrival of a completely new collection is always an exciting event, and recently we had the great pleasure of opening up quite a special box from Kirk & Kirk.  Launched in September 2014 at Silmo, in Paris, these were a must have for us as soon as we saw them.

Kirk Brothers

Heritage

Jason and Karen Kirk have quite the pedigree as eyewear designers, so when they announced their
new venture, we knew it was going to be special.

Sidney and Percy Kirk first opened their workshop creating eyewear in 1919 in London, UK.  Renowned for their innovation and style, the Kirk Brothers soon became a benchmark to be compared against.  Three generations later, Jason and Karen Kirk are doing it all again!

One thing that we become quite nerdilly obsessed about, attention to detail - Kirk & Kirk has this in bucket loads!

Their inaugural ophthalmic collection is called Vivarium.  Vivarium is inspired by the Victorian obsession with science and nature, each frame is named after a famous scientist of that era - models include such great names as Curie, Fleming, Darwin and Carson.

Hand Crafted

Beautifully handmade in France, the frames balance a strong look, with contemporary styles and fashion leading shapes.  Kirk & Kirk have sourced an exceptional Italian acrylic material to create the frames with, allowing for a unique colour palette.  The metallic finish to the colours gives a warmth and depth which just isn't available in any other material.

The collection features blue, bordeaux, anthracite, brown, green and silver colours.  Describing them does not really do them justice, though, you need to try them on and see how the colour subtly alters as you move your head.  In some ways it almost seems like the frame is alive!

The idea of life is brought out in another unique feature that the collection has - decorative pins.  Each frame features two pins made in either 925 sterling silver or 9 carat gold, crafted with incredible detail by artisan jewellers in England.  Studying the workmanship that the pins features really highlights the attention to detail that Kirk & Kirk have used when creating this collection.

Intricate and whimsical, delicate and yet bold all at the same time you can be sure that you will be in touch with your inner Victorian Dandy when you choose Kirk & Kirk Vivarium!

The eye examination photo series - Part 1

We are always looking for new ways to share what we do at Ocean through our social media.  To kick off 2015 with a blend of style and information, one of our optometrists and owners, Dr. John Wilson, decided to create a series of Instagram images showing the eye examination in 10 steps.

We've already talked about what a comprehensive eye examination involves (see blog here), bringing it to life with pictures is lets us share it in a whole new fashion!  Great thinking, John.

Let's take a look at the pictures and give a little more detail as to what is going on.  This first series of pictures involves the steps that go together for our preliminary assessments.

Auto-refractor/keratometer

This machine may appear a little scary, however, there's really nothing to it.  We get you all lined up, one eye at a time, so that you see a picture.  The picture helps the eye to focus into the far distance, so usually they have images with items on the horizon, like hot air balloons or houses.  Once it is completely aligned you may see the image go in and out of focus as the instrument goes through a series of steps to gain a complete reading.

The information the instrument provides is an estimate of the focus of the eye and a measurement of the curvature of the front surface of the cornea.

The next instrument, the tonometer, is perhaps the one most people have concern over.  The tonometer measures the pressure of the fluid in the eye using a gentle puff of air.  It is definitely not sore or uncomfortable, however, our natural reflexes make the air-puff seem like quite the surprise.

Non-contact tonometer

It is important for us to measure the pressure of the eyes as part of providing a comprehensive assessment of the overall eye health.  For those that are really squeamish, however, we do have another technique for assessing eye pressure - just let us know.

The last of the trio of instruments used in our preliminary assessments is the digital fundus camera.

Digital Fundus Camera

This last step is very straightforward, just keep looking straight at the flashing light, keep your eyes nice and wide open and we'll take photographs of your retinas.  These pictures provide a great way to both initially  view the retina and also to monitor the health of the retina over time.

At each eye examination we can compare the newest retinal photographs with previous ones on file, either side-by-side or even overlaying them one on top of the other.  We also have filters and effects which can be used to enhance the images to assist with interpretation.

One last great feature of taking retinal images, that we love, is that it gives our optometrists the ability to show you exactly what they are looking at when they are examining the back of your eyes.

If you have any questions about any of these steps during the eye examination, do not hesitate to ask.  Both Dr. John Wilson and Dr. Euan McGinty are very keen to make sure that you have an excellent experience when you come in to Ocean Optometry.  Taking time during their eye examinations is definitely something that they will do.

If you are reading our blog and thinking, "Hey, I need an eye exam." then we would be honoured to take good care of your eyes.  You can call us directly on (902) 446-4470 or use this link.

To check out our Instagram feed, just click on the logo!

Ocean's Instagram