Special Publications

10 2010 TEHAMA COUNTYMEDICAL GUIDE Summer Heat & Sun Precautions Vita Dermatology and Laser Institute and Lassen Medical Group’s physicians encourage you to be careful with the high temperatures and bright sunshine in Tehama County Drink plenty of water. Keep the water level in your body from getting too low. Do not wait until you are thirsty. This is especially important when it is hot and when you are exercising. Avoid heat exhaustion or heat stroke. Heat exhaustion means your body cannot cool itself fast enough. - Symptoms are feeling overheated, tired, weak. Heat exhaustion can come on suddenly, and a person may just collapse. Heat stroke is more serious and can cause a person to stop sweating, to have red, hot skin and a high temperature. You may become uncoordinated, confused, or even lose consciousness. Heat stroke requires medical attention. If you are hot and have a headache, feel dizzy or nauseated, get out of the sun, drink liquids, see a doctor if necessary. Avoid Sunburn. Sunburn looks bad and feels worse. • Always wear sunscreen. Use SPF 15 or higher. Put sunscreen on 15-20 minutes before going into the sun. Reapply sunscreen every two hours or more often. Remember the top of your ears, back of neck, the part in your hair, face, tops of feet. • Wear a hat or cap to block your face from the sun. • Wear clothing you cannot see through. • Take breaks from the sun by moving into the shade or going indoors. • Wear sunglasses when in bright sun to protect eyes from ultraviolet rays. Remember to check the label to be sure they block UV rays. • Especially try to avoid the sun between 10 am and 4 pm when the sunrays are the strongest. Enjoy the summer and take care of yourself. FTC Consumer Alert Federal Trade Commission • Bureau of Consumer Protection • Division of Consumer & Business Education The Eyes Have It — Get Your Prescription 910 Main St., Suite C, Red Bluff (530) 527-2510 1-800-481-LENS (5367) Millions of Americans wear glasses or contact lenses. And they have many choices in how, where, and from whom to buy their prescription eyewear: providers such as optometrists, ophthalmologists, and dispensing opticians, and sellers such as specialty shops, large wholesale stores, mail-order and online retailers. When you’re considering whether to buy your eyewear from an eye care provider or another seller, chances are you’ll consider cost and convenience. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation’s consumer protection agency, enforces the Contact Lens and Eyeglass Rules, which increase the “portability” of your contact lens and eyeglass prescriptions. When you’re buying contact lenses or prescription eyeglasses, the FTC recommends that you: Get your prescription. Your eye care provider must give you a copy of your contact lens and eyeglass prescriptions — whether or not you ask for them. You should get your eyeglass prescription at the end of your eye exam, and your contact lens prescription when your fitting is complete. Fitting contacts may involve more than one appointment. Keep your prescription. File it with your other medical records. Keeping your prescriptions current and in a convenient place can reduce delays in getting your eyewear. Send your prescription for contacts. You may choose to buy contacts from a seller who’s not your eye care provider. If you do, you may want to fax or send the copy of your prescription directly to the seller to expedite the process. In any case, the seller must verify your prescription with your eye care provider before filling your order. But you can start the process by giving the seller certain information about your prescription — for example, the type of lenses, their manufacturer, power, base curve, and diameter. Repairs & Adjustments Gold Welding Designer Fashion Frames Customer Satisfaction Guaranteed Professional Fashion & Fitting Consultants. gummsoptical.com Keep in mind that all contact lenses, even those that are cosmetic — lenses meant to change the appearance of your eye rather than correct your vision — require a prescription. The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint or to get free information on consumer issues, visit www.ftc.gov or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1- 866-653-4261. The FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, identity theft, and other fraud- related complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure online database available to hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. October 2007

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