June 1981 - San Francisco Police Officers Association

SAN FRANCISCO POLICEMAN - Page 22 June 1981OPTOMETRONA computerized sensory feedbackvision improvement program,for nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism.For pilots, police, athletes, students.Also specializing in orthokeratology, contact lenses, v-isbn therapy andnutrition as well as traditional and pediatric.optometry.I ANDREW M. CLAY, O.D.I 450 Sutter Street Medical BuildingSan Francisco, CA 94108 • (415) 391-2820RAISING YOU R"EYE Q"by Elinor DavisYou count on your eyes to give you instant, accurateinformation about your environment. In a car or on thejob, your life may depend on what and how you see. Yetmost of us take our good sight for granted, untilsomething goes wrong with it. Try this quiz of your"Eye Q". Which of the following statements is true?1. Nearsightedness is an inherited condition.2. Once you start wearing glasses, you'll need themfor the rest of your life.3. There isn't really anything you can do to changethe quality of your vision.4. There is a machine which can help you improveyour eyesight.If you answered "yes" to 1, 2, or 3, you're wrong, butyou're not alone! Until recently, it has been widelybelieved by the public and professionals alike thatglasses or contact lenses in ever-stronger prescriptionsare the only possible treatment for most vision problems.Optometry has traditionally offered only symptomaticrelief for what have been thought to be irreversiblephysical changes.Now there is a growing body of research and clinicalexperience which challenges many of these basicassumptions. It has been demonstrated, for example,that myopia (nearsightedness) develops mainly as aresponse to various kinds of environmental and emotionalstress.Environmental stress can mean many things, fromreading and poor lighting to inadequate nutrition. It isa "learned" way of seeing, not in inborn trait. This f indingsuggests the possibility of "unlearning" myopiaand other vision problems, and even preventing them inthe first place. Vision quality is affected not only by theways in which we use our eyes, but by many aspects ofthe way we live.Making use of this new knowledge is a small but increasingnumber of optometrists specializing in techniqueswhich improve vision and prevent further problems,rather than merely treat symptoms with visual"crutches" (this is, lenses). One of the pioneers in thefield of vision improvement is Dr. Andrew Clay,founder of the San Francisco Vision Institute. For anumber of years, Dr. Clay has practiced "preventiveoptometry" in a multi-faceted treatment programfeaturing a therapy called orthokeratológy, augmentedby nutritional counseling, eye exercises, and relaxationtechniques. Orthokeratology uses contact lenses toreshape the cornea and restore normal or greatly improvedvision.Several years ago, Dr. Clay invented a new method ofvision improvement and began offering it to his patients.After three years, the Optometron remains thestate-of-the-art for increasing visual acuity. The Optometronis a computerized biofeedback device with•which a nearsighted person can learn to attain consciouscontrol of-his visual system, to see farther andmore clearly. It can also be used by the farsighted totrain the eyes to focus at close distances to permitreading without bifocals. By both subjective and objectivemeasurements vision improves significantly,sometimes so much that people dependent on glassessince childhood can stop wearing them completely. Improvementsfrom 20/600 to 20/100 and from 20/70 to20/20 are typical. Even more dramatic changes haveoccurred. One person improved her vision from 20/800to 20/30 within three months and has not worn glassesfor two years, except occasionally for night driving. Apilot went from 20/200 to 20/40 within three weeks,enabling him to pass the Federal Aviation Administrationvision test without his glasses.The Optometron program and orthokeratology areparticularly valuable for meeting occupational visionrequirements. Police, pilots, and athletes need toachieve and maintain high levels of visual acuity toqualify for training and to function competently andsafely on their jobs. The better their vision, the betterthey can perform. And yet, the stresses inherent inthese occupations, especially police work, chip away atvisual health. We keep our cars in tune because weknow they perform best when given regularmaintenance. Our eyes also need and deserve regularcare, and now there is a way to fine-tune our vision, aswell. Optimal vision can be attained with the latest inhigh technology and preserved with old-fashioned healthhabit, like good nutrition, proper lighting, andavoiding eyestrain from prolonged reading or closework.A pamphlet describing Dr. Clay's program may beobtained by calling 391-2820, or sending a card orvisiting his office at 450 Sutter Medical Building, S.F.94108.BARDELLI' SRESTAURANT243 O'FARRELLSAN FRANCISCO 94102982-0243BELL EVUEHOTELMICHAEL HENDELGENERAL MANAGERBANQUETS ANDGEARY AND TAYLOR STREETS MEETINGS FORSAN FRANCISCO. CALIF. 94102 FIVE TO FIVE HUNDRED(415) 474 . 3600 24 HOUR DINING ROOM-CUDDLES CORP.425 MISSION ST.SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94105Sam Mitchell, OwnerTelephone- (415) 543-7459GOLDEN BROWNBAKERY -Les AntiquairesFRENCH ANTIQUESWholesale • Retail-(7GM&SPRINTING2034 IRVING ST. (NEAR 22ND AVE.) 664-5249516 CASTRO ST. (NEAR 18TH) 863-7844(415)771-0109770 North Point StreetSan Francisco, CA 94109.//2363 MISSIONSAN FRANCISCO 94110824-2886 -. .