Eyeing New Sunglasses? Consider Three Types
Sunglass shoppers, take note: Labels on non-prescription sunglasses are getting more specific.
Under a new voluntary labeling program developed by the Sunglass Assn. of America, in cooperation with the Food and Drug Administration, non-prescription sunglasses will be classified in three categories: cosmetic , meant for wearing during shopping and other activities in non-harsh sunlight; general purpose, recommended for outdoor activities such as driving or hiking; and special purpose, meant for wearing during skiing and other bright light activities.
The categories will indicate that the glasses in each block differing amounts of visible light and ultraviolet A and B light. Excess exposure to ultraviolet B light has been linked with cataract formation, and, some believe, retinal degeneration.
Does this mean outdoor-loving shopaholics who drive and ski need three different pairs of sunglasses?
Not at all, say some eye care specialists, who suspect the labeling change may be motivated as much by marketing reasons as medical concerns.
When sunglass shopping, it is most important to pick a pair blocking as close to 100% of UVB light as possible, says Jay Schlanger, a Los Angeles optometrist. Under the new guidelines, sunglasses labeled cosmetic block 70% or more of UVB, while general purpose glasses block 95% or more and special purpose models block 99% or more.
When it comes to tint, grays and greens result in less color distortion, Schlanger added.
The new labels reflect a consensus of standards, not a change in manufacturing, said Tom Loomis, technical director of the Sunglass Assn. of America. He said sunglass prices might increase slightly, but only temporarily, as a result of the new labeling.
A ‘Mini-Epidemic’
An upper respiratory infection has been hitting Los Angeles area youngsters especially hard in recent weeks, according to several local pediatricians and the county health department.
Caused by a Coxsackie virus, the disease is marked by blisters in the mouth and small red bumps on the soles and palms, said Dr. Loreta Matheo, a Santa Monica pediatrician. She’s seen a recent “mini-epidemic” of the contagious but not serious disease, fielding at least a call a day from concerned parents.
The disease most often strikes toddlers, is usually not seen in children older than 9, and is often accompanied by runny nose and diarrhea, Matheo said. There can be fever, ranging from low-grade to 103 degrees. Often spread by sneezing or sharing cups and bottles, the disease usually disappears by itself in three to five days, Matheo said.
What to do? “Keep kids out of school until the blisters are gone,” advised Dr. Laurene Mascola, acting chief of the acute communicable disease control unit of the Los Angeles Department of Health Services, who said she has gotten several calls about the disease.
“Give children acetaminophen if they’re uncomfortable and whatever liquids they want to drink,” added Matheo. “Be scrupulous about hand washing and have family members use separate towels. If there’s a marked decline in fluid intake or the fever seems out of control, call the doctor.”
Type A vs. Type B
Women with hard-driving, competitive Type A personalities may climb the career ladder faster than their more laid-back Type B colleagues. But their marriages are not as happy.
That’s the conclusion of Marie Morell, a UCLA assistant professor of psychology who interviewed 42 married couples with her colleague, psychologist Megan Sullaway, to determine the consequences of behavior types on marriage satisfaction. “When the wife was Type A, both partners reported more marital problems, particularly with communication,” said Morell, whose study was funded by the National Institutes of Health. These couples also complained that they spent too little time together, lacked problem-solving skills and were sometimes dissatisfied sexually.
Reporting the most marital satisfaction in her study were Type B women married to Type A men and Type B women married to Type B men.
Based on the study, Morell isn’t suggesting that only certain personality types mate. Her advice: “Recognize the needs of the individual.” She speculates that men married to Type A women were dissatisfied partly because their wives did not always have enough time to provide emotional support.
Men should develop broader social support networks in addition to relying on their wives for emotional support, Morell suggested. A lot of the dissatisfaction arose from husbands who relied primarily on their wives for emotional support, she added.
Expansion of a social support network might be a good idea for men, agreed Marcia Lasswell, USC clinical professor of marriage and family therapy and professor of psychology at Cal Poly Pomona. “But a quicker route to marital satisfaction might be for busy Type A’s to schedule in some time, regularly, for nurturing the relationship.”
Morell acknowledges her study may have built-in bias because it included many more Type A’s--both men and women--than Type B’s. Once they signed up for her study, Type A’s--sometimes called compulsive--were very likely to follow through. Not so the Type B’s. “We tried to get a sample more equally divided,” she said. But many Type B’s who signed up were no-shows.
