America's Best and Worst Cities for Comfortable Eyes
BEST PLACES FOR EYES:
1. Tacoma, WA
2. Sarasota-Bradenton, FL
3. Charleston-North Charleston, SC
4. Mobile, AL
5. Portland-Vancouver, OR-WA
6. San Francisco, CA
7. Honolulu, HI
8. Jacksonville, FL
9. New Orleans, LA
10. Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA
WORST PLACES FOR EYES:
1. Denver, CO
2. Albuquerque, NM
3. Salt Lake City-Ogden, UT
4. Wichita, KS
5. Las Vegas, NV
6. Kansas City, MO
7. El Paso, TX
8. Chicago, IL
9. Phoenix-Mesa, AZ
10. Tulsa, OK
No matter what your zip code, if you are one of the 166 million Americans in need of vision correction, or one of the 34 million who are wearing contact lenses, you can now experience true comfort for your eyes despite your city of residence, thanks to new ACUVUE® ADVANCE™ Brand Contact Lenses with HYDRACLEAR™.
ACUVUE® ADVANCE™ Brand Contact Lenses with HYDRACLEAR™ is the first and only contact lens to combine the best features of today's leading contact lenses into one. Using a remarkable material, Vistakon branded HYDRACLEAR™, ACUVUE® ADVANCE™ lenses feel as good at the end of the day as when they are first put in. And the eyes speak for themselves: ACUVUE® ADVANCE™ Brand Contact Lenses with HYDRACLEAR™ provide three times more oxygen than the leading contact lens brand and offer the highest level of UV-blocking+* available in today's soft contact lens market with more than 90 percent of UVA rays and 99 percent of UVB rays blocked.+
Interesting Facts from the Top Ten Best Places for Eye Comfort
Go West. Tacoma, Washington, tops the 100 largest metro areas in the study, based on criteria that include humidity, altitude, pollution, sunny days, commute time, computer use, wind and extreme high and low temperatures.
A good rule of thumb for eye-healthy places: think Pacific Northwest and Southeast. With nine out of ten of the top cities in these regions, people can finally get the environmental relief they have been looking for.
"Cities that everyone associates with wellness and healthy lifestyles, like Denver and Boston, did not rank particularly high, scoring lower in categories like altitude, extreme temperatures, pollution and humidity," said Bert Sperling, president of Sperling's Best Places. "But cities like Tacoma (No. 1), Sarasota (No. 2) and Charleston (No. 3) were not a complete surprise - they are all at low-altitudes, have mild climates and low-pollution levels."
-- Stay Low. Tacoma (No. 1) and Sarasota (No. 2) scored well due to their low altitude. At lower levels, more oxygen is available which allows for clear, moist eyes.
-- Sun Light, Sun Bright. Seattle (No. 10) and Portland (No. 5) are usually cloudy and rainy most of the year; however they ranked high due to the low levels of UV exposure. Less sun equals a reduced risk of sun damage to the eyes.
-- Turn on the AC. Although humid weather can sometimes be unbearable in the summer, cities such as Charleston (No. 3) and Mobile (No. 4) scored well with those seeking eye comfort due to the high humidity. More humid climates offer eyes more moisture which keeps them bright and white.
-- Mild is Best. Cruel winters and sizzling summers are not the best solutions for electric bill or for happy eyes. Milder climates such as San Francisco (No. 6) and Honolulu (No. 7) ranked well due to pleasant weather year round.
-- Breathe Easy. Low pollution is great for health any way you look at it, which is why Jacksonville (No. 8) and Tacoma (No. 1) scored well. Low levels of ozone and particulates in the air lead to eyes that are less irritated and remain comfortable throughout the day.
-- Get Offline. Although it is sometimes hard to get out of the office, New Orleans (No. 9) and Mobile (No. 4) scored high on best cities for eyes since less time is spent on the computer. When eye strain is less of a factor everyone sees more clearly.
-- Reduce That Drive Time. In most of America driving to work is the only way to go, but commuters in Sarasota (No. 2) and Charleston (No. 3) have short trips to and from the key areas of commerce so they have less exhaust fumes and time spent sitting in a hot car to contend with. The result - eyes that look and feel comfortable and are ready for the workday ahead.
AND FROM THE TEN WORST PLACES FOR THE EYES
Fun Places to Visit, But Unkind to the Eyes - Although high altitude is great for athletic training, it is definitely not the best place for seeing clearly. Denver was ranked as the worst place for eye comfort. In addition to the high altitude, the number of days below freezing, low humidity, high computer use, moderate pollution and long commute contributed to Denver's rank.
While many people love to take advantage of the warm, dry weather in the West, many fail to realize that the climate is not a good one for clear and healthy eyes. With nine out of ten of the places on our "Worst Cities for Eye Comfort" list lying west of the Mississippi, cities like Las Vegas and Albuquerque bottomed out in the study due to low humidity, hot, sunny summers, cold winters, wind and higher levels of pollution.
-- Mile High. Denver, CO (No. 1) and Salt Lake City (No. 3) is among the cities with the highest altitude, which is harder on the eyes due to a lower amount of oxygen available to keep eyes moist and clear.
-- Get Out of the Desert. Albuquerque (No. 2) and Phoenix (No. 9) are among cities with the driest climates and highest temperatures. Dry, hot climates can exacerbate red, dry eyes and make contact lenses harder to tolerate throughout the day.
-- Get Out of the Sun. Since bright sun forces squinting and UV rays can be harmful to the eyes, Las Vegas (No. 5) and Kansas City (No. 6) are among those cities that ranked low in eye comfort. Best to use UV protection through sunglasses and contact lenses.
-- It's Windy Out There. Wichita (No. 4) and Tulsa (No. 10) score low in this category; wind can be a culprit for blowing dust through the air which can exacerbate dry, red eyes.
-- Polluted. Two of the cities where pollution is a problem are El Paso (No. 7) and Phoenix (No. 9). High amounts of ozone and particulates can sting and scratch eyes. -- Get Out of Your Car. Chicago (No. 8) is among cities with the longest commute time. Time spent driving is hard on the eyes, as it requires relentless concentration and being surrounded by exhaust fumes.
-- Workaholics be Warned. Denver (No. 1) and Chicago (No. 8) are among the cities with the highest amount of Internet use at home, school and business. Excessive computer use can cause eyestrain and discomfort.
Methodology
Vistakon, a division of Johnson & Johnson Vision Products, Inc., the maker of ACUVUE® ADVANCE™ Brand Contact Lenses with HYDRACLEAR™, partnered with Sperling's Best Places to determine the best and worst cities for eye comfort. The 100 largest metropolitan areas with a combined population of nearly 180 million residents, or over 60 percent of the U.S. population were looked at using eight major categories. Metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) are defined by the U.S. Census Bureau as a central city and include its surrounding counties.
Based on input from experts at Vistakon, a division of Johnson & Johnson Vision Products, Inc., and Sperling's Best Places' 20 years of expertise in analyzing and ranking places, the following criteria was established:
-- Altitude
-- Sunny days
-- Wind
-- Extreme temperatures
-- Humidity
-- Pollution
-- Commute time
-- Computer use
The categories of humidity, pollution, extreme temperature and altitude were considered to be most important. The remaining criteria of sunny days, wind, commute time and computer use were considered to be less significant.
Points were assigned on a 1-100 point scale for each category in a metro area, where 100 represented the greatest eye discomfort. The points were summed for each metro area, which were sorted by the total points to determine the places which were the best and worst for eye comfort.
Data sources: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Environmental Protection Agency, Census Bureau, Claritas Inc.
About Vistakon, a division of Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc.
Vistakon, a division of Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc., pioneered the concept of disposable contact lens wear in 1987 with the introduction of ACUVUE® Brand Contact Lenses. The ACUVUE® Brand family of lenses is the most prescribed by eye care professionals worldwide today. Vistakon, headquartered in Jacksonville, FL, manufactures and markets the first, second and third best-selling contact lenses in the world: ACUVUE® 2 Brand Contact Lenses, 1-DAY ACUVUE® Brand Daily Disposable Contact Lenses and ACUVUE® Brand Contact Lenses. Vistakon also manufactures ACUVUE® Brand TORIC Contact Lenses for people with astigmatism. ACUVUE® 2 COLOURS™ Brand Contact Lenses allows people to change their eye color every day or for a special occasion. With the introduction of ACUVUE® ADVANCE™ Brand Contact Lenses with HYDRACLEAR™, Vistakon provides a family of products to meet the majority of vision care needs.
ACUVUE®, ACUVUE® ADVANCE™, HYDRACLEAR™ and VISTAKON® are trademarks of Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc.
+ Helps protect against transmission of harmful UV radiation to the cornea and into the eye.
WARNING: UV-absorbing contact lenses are NOT substitutes for protective UV-absorbing eyewear such as UV-absorbing goggles or sunglasses because they do not completely cover the eye and surrounding area. You should continue to use UV-absorbing eyewear as directed. NOTE: Long-term exposure to UV radiation is one of the risk factors associated with cataracts. Exposure is based on a number of factors such as environmental conditions (altitude, geography, cloud cover) and personal factors (extent and nature of outdoor activities). UV-Blocking contact lenses help provide protection against harmful UV radiation. However, clinical studies have not been done to demonstrate that wearing UV-Blocking contact lenses reduces the risk of developing cataracts or other eye disorders. Consult your eye care practitioner for more information.
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