Health & Wellness - Steven P. Timmons | Stephen Cohen, O.D. [CITYSunTimes June 2011]

3D: Good Or Evil?

3D is the hottest new media trend. There are 3D movies, TV’s and video games. This begs the question: Is it safe for our eyes?
In order to see the 3D effect, we need two eyes working as a team. When they do, we get to feel as if we are part of the action. When they don’t, we can see double and can experience eyestrain, fatigue, headaches and nausea.
Since many “G” and “PG” rated films are now in 3D, it is important to pay attention to what our children experience. If your child complains about having difficulty appreciating the 3D effect, or about one of the above-noted symptoms, it could be a sign that his or her eyes are not working together efficiently. More important than the 3D movie, this could signal a vision issue that could interfere with school performance.
Nintendo recently came out with a 3D game system. It included a warning that since vision is still developing, their system is not safe for children under six, and that all users should take periodic breaks. While I don’t feel that vision development will be damaged, caution is still reasonable. For young children, the unit has a switch that allows you to turn off the 3D effect. In general, for video games as well as computer use, I also recommend a “20/20/20” rule: take a 20 second break every 20 minutes and look at something that is at least 20 feet away.
With any advance in technology we see new challenges. To ensure that you or your children enjoy all the benefits of 3D technology, pay attention to any symptoms that may occur, and also set up an appointment to make sure your eyes are healthy and are working as an efficient team.

For more information, visit Dr. Cohen’s website, call 480.513.3937 or contact him via e-mail at stephen.cohen@doctormyeyes.net.

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CITYSunTimes Online Extras June 2011 | Read the full SECTION

HEALTH & WELLNESS

What You Don’t Know Can’t Help You

Seasoning With Reason: The Salt Controversy

It is unlikely that anyone will ever conduct a perfectly controlled study to determine how much salt we should use, however, the latest study, published in the May 4 edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association, followed 3,681 participants for a median period of 7.9 years. Salt excretion was measured in the participant’s urine over 24 hours to establish their average salt intake per day at the start and at the end of the study.
salt Officials at the Centers for Disease Control and the American Health Association have criticized the study, but this is not the only study that has indicated that higher salt may prevent Cardiovascular Disease (CVD). A 2006 study from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine showed a higher risk of deaths from CVD and from all causes in many groups of people who had a sodium intake of less than 2,300 mg per day.
Examples of bad advice from health agencies are easy to find. Over the past few decades, we have been told by certain agencies to eat more margarine and less butter and to eat more carbohydrates and less meat. Almost everyone now agrees that these were bad ideas.
We have been told to eat less salt, but there is new evidence in the boxing ring of ideas, and salt has scored a knockdown on conventional wisdom. Although the ancient practice of paying Roman soldiers with an allowance for salt was not based on science, couldn’t it have been based on something the Roman army possessed in even greater abundance? Common sense?

[Read the rest of Steve’s column in our June 2011 print edition.]

Steven P. Timmons is a compounding chemist and consultant for Mountain View Pharmacy. He holds a B.S. in Biology from Stanford University and a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Colorado State University.