Sampling

Why sample?

• To make an inference about a population

• Studying entire pop is impractical or impossible

Example of sampling

• Estimate the proportion of adults, ages 18-65, in Port Elizabeth that have type 2 diabetes

• Select a sample from which to estimate the proportion

• Population:  adults aged 18-65 living in Port Elizabeth

• Inference:  proportion with type 2 diabetes

Probability sampling 

• Each individual has known (non-zero) probability of selection

• Precision of estimates can be quantified

Non-probability sampling

• Cheaper, more convenient

• Quality of estimates cannot be assessed

• May not be representative of population

Karang Gigi

Karang gigi merupakan plak gigi yang mengalami mineralisasi pada permukaan gigi maupun gigi palsu. Karang gigi ini berisi bakteri-bakteri bersama dengan kandungan anorganik seperti kalsium yang berasal dari air liur (saliva) kita. Karang gigi berwarna putih, atau putih kekuningan, dan keras seperti tanah liat. Warna karang gigi bisa juga bervariasi menjadi kecoklatan atau kehitaman tergantung kontak  dengan bahan lain, misalnya kopi, teh, pewarna makanan atau tembakau pada perokok.

Karang gigi biasanya terbentuk pada bagian leher gigi yang berbatasan dengan gigi. Karang  gigi ini bisa terjadi di atas gusi (supra gingiva) atau terbentuk hingga ke dalam gusi (sub gingiva) yang biasanya berwarna hitam kecoklatan.

Karang gigi terbentuk karena sisa plak yang mengalami mineralisasi. Jadi pada awalnya adalah plak yang kurang bersih dalam menyikat gigi, kemudian mineral dari air ludah masuk ke dalam plak ini, terus menerus hingga plak mengeras dan terjadilah karang gigi. Karang gigi yang telah terbentuk ini merupakan media yang baik untuk melekatnya mineral dan plak, sehingga perlahan-lahan karang gigi menjadi lebih besar dan masuk ke dalam gusi.

Karang gigi sebenarnya ialah kumpulan bakteri yang bersinggungan dengan gusi dan jaringan di sekitar gigi, maka karang gigi dapat menyebabkan infeksi kronis atau akut pada gusi (gingivitis) atau jaringan di sekitar gigi (periodontitis).

Gejala yang sering timbul berhubungan dengan karang gigi :
    gusi berdarah dan kemerahan
    gusi membengkak dan atau bernanah
    gusi melorot atau gigi tampak menjadi panjang
    gigi lama-lama menjadi goyang
    gigi menjadi meregang (timbul celah-celah antara gigi)
    gigi menjadi linu padahal tidak ada yang berlubang

Karang gigi yang telah mengeras dapat dibersihkan oleh dokter gigi menggunakan alat bernama scaler. Pembersihan ini dapat dilakukan dengan manual, yakni menggunakan instrumen, seperti dicongkel-congkel. Namun kini yang lazim ialah menggunakan ultrasonic scaler. Ultrasonic scaler ialah semacam alat berbentuk seperti ungkitan, yang akan bergetar dengan sangat halus. Getaran ini apabila diaplikasikan kepada karang gigi akan membuat ikatan karang gigi dengan gigi akan terlepas. Prosedur pembersihan karang gigi dengan ultrasonic scaler ini relatif sangat nyaman. Pada saat pembersihan, ultrasonic scaler akan mengeluarkan air dengan jumlah yang cukup untuk memberikan pendinginan, sehingga panas akibat gesekan yang menyebabkan linu akan minimal. Namun, pada beberapa bagian, di mana terbentuk karang gigi subgingival, pembersihan akan sedikit tidak nyaman karena getaran pada bagian permukaan akar akan menimbulkan rasa linu bagi mereka yang sensitif. Pada keadaan tertentu, dokter gigi akan memberikan anestesi apabila diperlukan sehingga pembersihan dapat berlangsung tanpa rasa sakit.

Supaya tidak terjadi karang gigi bersihkan karang gigi dengan baik dan benar. Seringkali yang terjadi ialah penderita tidak berani menyikat hingga menyentuh leher gigi dan gusi, padahal di daerah itulah paling banyak terbentuk karang gigi. Atau sering juga orang yang merasa sudah menyikat gigi dengan frekuensi yang tinggi, misalnya 4 kali sehari, atau durasi sikat gigi yang lama, namun karang gigi masih banyak. Sebenarnya faktor yang menyebabkan karang gigi ada beberapa, namun membersihkan gigi dengan cara yang benar lebih penting daripada frekuensi dan durasi tersebut.

Secara teori, studi menunjukkan bahwa plak dapat terkalsifikasi 90% hanya pada 12 hari. Banyak faktor yang berperan, misalnya kebersihan giginya, kandungan air liur, pola makan dan sebagainya. Biasanya kunjungan ulang pada 3 bulan pertama dokter gigi akan melihat sejauh mana laju pembentukan karang gigi. Apabila pada waktu itu sudah banyak terbentuk karang, mungkin akan dievaluasi, apa yang salah, mungkin dari cara pembersihannya. Kunjungan ini akan diulang, dan jika pada interval tertentu keadaannya lebih baik, mungkin interval diperlukan perawatan ulang bisa diperlama.

Pada waktu membersihkan karang gigi, kadang gusi kita berdarah-darah. Pada keadaan penderita normal, maksudnya tidak ada gangguan kesehatan yang lain, misalnya gangguan pembekuan darah, leukemia dan sebagainya, berdarah ini lazim terjadi saat prosedur pembersihan karang gigi. Seperti yang dikatakan sebelumnya, karang gigi ini dapat menyebabkan keradangan baik kronis maupun akut. Pada keadaan ini, akan terjadi peningkatan vaskularisasi jaringan (sederhananya penambahan aliran darah ke jaringan), sehingga gusi nampak lebih merah. Vaskularisasi ini merupakan usaha tubuh untuk mengalirkan elemen darah putih dari darah untuk menghadapi infeksi tersebut. Namun, karena vaskularisasi ini bersifat sementara, maka dinding dari pembuluh darah yang terjadi biasanya rapuh. Inilah yang menyebabkan gusi jadi berdarah saat disentuh. Bahkan sebelumnya mungkin penderita juga merasakan gusi berdarah saat sikat gigi. Perdarahan kecil ini akan berhenti segera setelah pembersihan selesai dan karang gigi telah bersih.

Jangan lupa bersihkan karang gigi pada dokter gigi atau dokter gigi spesialis periodonsia (Periodontist).

Sumber : Drg. J.Sutandi, Sp.Perio

Berbuatlah untuk bumimu

Bumi ini rusak? Setujukah Anda jika saya berkata seperti itu? Silakan Anda beropini, tapi menurut pendapat saya, bumi ini sudah sekarat. Apa saja ciri rusaknya bumi? Siapa penyebab kerusakan itu? Mungkin akan terlintas pertanyaan-pertanyaan semacam itu.

Dalam Wikipedia dinyatakan bahwa pemanasan global atau global warming adalah adanya proses peningkatan suhu rata-rata atmosfer, laut, dan daratan Bumi.

Suhu rata-rata global pada permukaan Bumi telah meningkat 0.74 ± 0.18 °C (1.33 ± 0.32 °F) selama seratus tahun terakhir. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) menyimpulkan bahwa, "sebagian besar peningkatan suhu rata-rata global sejak pertengahan abad ke-20 kemungkinan besar disebabkan oleh meningkatnya konsentrasi gas-gas rumah kaca akibat aktivitas manusia". Kesimpulan dasar ini telah dikemukakan oleh setidaknya 30 badan ilmiah dan akademik, termasuk semua akademi sains nasional dari negara-negara G8. Akan tetapi, masih terdapat beberapa ilmuwan yang tidak setuju dengan beberapa kesimpulan yang dikemukakan IPCC tersebut.

Penyebab pemanasan global:

Efek rumah kaca

Efek umpan balik

Variasi Matahari

Dampak pemanasan global:

Iklim Mulai Tidak Stabil

Peningkatan permukaan laut

Suhu global cenderung meningkat

Gangguan ekologis

Dampak sosial dan politik

Kerusakan ekosistem bumi oleh tangan manusia yang meningkat dalam 50 tahun terakhir sesuai dengan firman Allah SWT dalam Al Qur'an surat Ar Ruum (30) ayat : 41

"Telah nampak kerusakan di darat dan di laut disebabkan karena perbuatan tangan manusia, supaya Allah merasakan kepada mereka sebahagian dari (akibat) perbuatan mereka, agar mereka kembali (ke jalan yang benar)."

Sekalipun sebagian besar pemerintahan negara-negara di dunia telah menandatangani dan meratifikasi Protokol Kyoto, yang mengarah pada pengurangan emisi gas-gas rumah kaca. Namun pemanasan global terus berlangsung.

Peduli pada lingkungan sebenarnya bukan hanya kepentingan segelintir orang. Siapa pun Anda, dalam strata ekonomi apa pun Anda, di lingkungan sosial seperti apa pun Anda, sesungguhnya Anda punya kewajiban untuk peduli pada lingkungan.

Investasi Keluarga Reksa Dana

Buat yang kebingungan soal investasi, TabloidNova.com punya info menarik nih.

Reksa Dana bisa menjadi pilihan investasi tahun depan. Tinggal tentukan mana yang paling tepat untuk kebutuhan keluarga.

Reksa Dana adalah suatu wadah untuk menghimpun dana dari masyarakat pemodal, untuk selanjutnya diinvestasikan dalam portofolio berbagai surat berharga oleh Fund Manager atau Manajer Investasi (MI) yang telah mendapat izin dari Bapepam.

Dengan kata lain, uang dari masyarakat dikumpulkan lalu dibelanjakan oleh MI untuk membeli berbagai macam surat berharga, misalnya saham dan obligasi. Nah, return (keuntungan) yang diperoleh akan dibagikan kepada para investor.

Namun, selain keuntungan yang menjanjikan, Reksa Dana juga mengandung risiko seperti penurunan keuntungan, bahkan sampai kehilangan modal pokok. Oleh karena itu, akan lebih baik bagi para calon investor untuk mengenal lebih jauh jenis-jenis Reksa Dana dan jenis apakah yang paling sesuai dengan karakteristik dan tujuan keuangan Anda, berikut penjelasan Fauziah Arsiyanti, SE, MM, ChFC., Independent Financial Planner dari First Principal Financial PTE.LTD Singapore .

Reksa Dana Pasar Uang

RDPU melakukan sebagian besar investasinya ke efek-efek hutang berjangka kurang dari setahun, misalnya deposito, SBI, obligasi dan surat berharga lainnya. Ia memiliki risiko terendah, begitu juga return -nya, terkecil dibandingkan Reksa Dana lainnya.

Untuk para calon investor yang baru pertama kali membeli Reksa Dana atau ingin mencoba berinvestasi dengan horison kurang dari setahun, jenis ini paling cocok sebab fluktuasinya tidak terlalu tajam. Hasilnya pun di atas tabungan dan deposito. Untuk saat ini, return RDPU berkisar antara 7 sampai 10 persen per tahun tanpa dipotong pajak.

Reksa Dana Pendapatan Tetap

Reksa Dana jenis ini menaruh sebagian besar investasinya (minimum 80 persen) pada obligasi atau surat hutang berjangka pendek, menengah, sampai berjangka panjang. Sementara sisanya boleh ditempatkan dalam instrumen keuangan lainnya.

Disebut Reksa Dana Pendapatan Tetap (RDPT) karena obligasi sebenarnya memiliki sistem pembayaran bunga dengan tingkat bunga tertentu seperti deposito, namun obligasi dapat diperjualbelikan sebelum jatuh tempo di pasar sekunder. Dalam kurun-kurun waktu tertentu, 3 bulan sekali, 6 bulan sekali atau setahun sekali, akan dibagikan dividen.

RDPT memiliki potensi keuntungan investasi lebih besar daripada RDPU, sekitar 12 sampai 15 persen per tahun. Namun risikonya juga lebih tinggi. Selain risiko fluktuasi suku bunga, ada pula risiko gagal bayar karena perusahaannya bangkrut.

Mereka yang cocok dengan investasi jenis ini adalah mereka yang mempunyai tujuan investasi jangka menengah dan profil risikonya juga sedikit lebih “berani” dibandingkan dengan investor RDPU.

Reksa Dana Saham

RDS adalah Reksa Dana yang melakukan investasi sekurang-kurangnya 80 persen dari portofolio yang dikelolanya ke dalam saham. Karenanya, jenis Reksa Dana ini memberikan potensi hasil yang lebih tinggi berupa capital gain melalui kenaikan harga saham.

Jenis investor yang sesuai dengan Reksa Dana jenis ini adalah mereka yang berani mengambil risiko kehilangan sebagian dari pokok investasi mereka dalam jangka pendek, tetapi mendapatkan keuntungan signifikan dalam jangka panjang.

Mereka yang mempunyai tujuan investasi jangka panjang juga cocok, misalnya untuk persiapan masa pensiun bagi para eksekutif muda atau tabungan persiapan kuliah S1 dan S2 bagi mereka yang anaknya masih berusia balita.

Yang jelas, jangan membeli kemudian menjual kembali dalam jangka pendek, risiko kerugian akan menjadi besar. Dan, pantaulah harga saham yang mudah berubah (volatile ) melalui Indeks Harga Saham Gabungan (IHSG).

Reksa Dana Campuran

RDC dapat melakukan diversifikasi portofolio pada surat-surat berharga secara lebih fleksibel. Hal ini membuat MI dari RDC lebih leluasa mengatur komposisi portofolionya sesuai dengan kondisi yang sedang terjadi di pasar.

Misalnya, harga saham di pasar sedang berpotensi mendatangkan return yang baik, sedangkan kondisi obligasi di pasar tidak begitu baik, maka agar mendatangkan keuntungan yang maksimal, MI mengalokasikan dana lebih banyak ke saham daripada obligasi.

Potensi risk and return dari RDC secara teoritis berada di tengah-tengah antara RDPT dan RDS, sehingga investor yang kurang berani menerima risiko yang terlalu besar namun ingin memperoleh hasil yang agak lebih besar, dapat memilih RDC. RDC juga cocok bagi mereka yang mempunyai tujuan investasi lebih lama daripada RDPU dan RDPT, tapi lebih sebentar dari RDS (sekitar 3 sampai 5 tahun). Tujuan investasi jenis ini misalnya untuk orang tua yang sedang mempersiapkan biaya sekolah lanjutan pertama untuk anaknya yang baru duduk di bangku SD.

Nah, setelah mengetahui jenis-jenis Reksa Dana dan memutuskan jenis yang cocok dengan karakteristik dan tujuan keuangan Anda, langkah selanjutnya yang wajib Anda lakukan adalah membaca prospektus agar Anda mengetahui secara jelas mengenai Reksa Dana tersebut. Dalam prospektus terdapat informasi siapa MI-nya, apa saja kebijakan investasinya, ke mana saja dana investor ditanamkan, bagaimana peraturan perpajakannya, bank apa yang menjadi bank kustodiannya, dan lain sebagainya. Jika masih belum jelas, Anda dapat menghubungi perencana keuangan independen agar mendapatkan nasihat yang objektif dan mengerti betul risiko dan keuntungan dari Reksa Dana.

Selamat berinvestasi!

-Hasto Prianggoro

Pilih Toilet, Duduk atau Jongkok ?

Nah, kalo ini saya kutip dari www.tabloidnova.com tanggal 1 Desember 2010 karena seringkali, terutama dalam perjalanan, saya agak ragu ketika harus memilih toilet. Mana ya yang seharusnya dipilih?

Menggunakan toilet di fasilitas umum maupun di rumah, masih ada pilihan kloset duduk atau jongkok. Masing-masing memiliki kelebihan dan kekurangan. Yuk, cari tahu apa sajakah itu?

Kloset adalah area paling intim yang Anda diami ketika berada di kamar mandi. Tanpa dapat dipungkiri, ia menjadi bagian paling krusial yang ingin dipastikan higienitas juga kenyamanannya. Maklum, posisinya berada paling dekat dengan organ intim juga menentukan kelancaran melakukan buang air besar.

Tatkala harus menggunakan kloset, ada banyak pertimbangan yang dipikirkan sebelum berlanjut menggunakannya. Mulai dari bagaimana kondisi sekitar, permukaan, ketersediaan air membilas hingga menempel dan tidak menempel dengan bokong.

Ya, untung saja masih ada pilihan model kloset yang mengakomodir berbagai kepentingan. Jongkok atau duduk?

Apapun itu, sebaiknya sesuaikan saja dengan kebutuhan. Kelebihan dan kekurangan masing-masing model kloset ini, dijabarkan dr. Toto Imam Soeparmono, SpOG (K.Onk), kepala departemen Obstetri dan Ginekologi RSPAD Gatot Soebroto Jakarta, dari sudut pandang medis.

Asia Lebih Suka Kloset Jongkok

Pada awalnya, kloset diciptakan untuk mempermudah orang membuang air besar tanpa harus mencari sungai. Ide utamanya adalah membuat tempat privat di mana orang bisa membuang kotoran dan menyiramnya hingga kotoran itu terbawa air bilasan menuju saluran pembuangan. Namun pada perkembangannya, kloset juga didesain menyesuaikan kebutuhan kenyamanan penggunanya.

Di Asia yang lebih menyukai posisi alami BAB berjongkok, lebih banyak terdapat kloset jongkok ketimbang kloset duduk. Kondisi ini berbalik dengan di Barat yang lebih menyukai kloset duduk.

Memperkecil Risiko Ambeien

Menurut Toto, menggunakan kloset jongkok memang dapat disarankan pada beberapa orang.

Orang-orang dengan risiko ambeien misalnya, kloset jongkok lebih disarankan karena memperkecil risiko pemicu ambeien. Kloset jongkok dikatakan membantu kontraksi otot perut secara maksimal ketika proses buang air besar berlangsung. Kontraksi otot perut yang maksimal ini membuat tenaga mengejan yang lebih besar sehingga proses BAB pun lebih cepat selesai.

Proses yang cepat inilah yang memperkecil risiko ambeien. Jika prosesnya lama, maka otot dan pembuluh darah balik di seputar anus menjadi teregang maksimal. Selain itu, posisi duduk yang terlalu lama (pada pemakaian kloset duduk, red.) dapat menyebabkan paha menekan di tempat duduk sehingga aliran darah dari bawah ke atas lebih terhambat. Inilah yang kemudian membuat ambeien mudah terpicu.

Selain baik bagi penderita ambeien, kloset jongkok juga meminimalisir risiko infeksi saluran kencing dan kelamin terutama pada wanita. Risiko perpindahan jamur, bakteri maupun flagelata penyebab keputihan ini, mampu ditekan oleh tidak ada permukaan yang menempel atau terlalu dekat dengan saluran kencing.

Tidak Cocok untuk Arthritis

Kendati dikatakan kloset jongkok memiliki banyak sisi positif untuk kesehatan, namun kloset jongkok tidaklah cocok untuk penderita arthritis (gangguan lutut). Posisi jongkok yang memberi banyak tarikan pada lutut, tentunya akan menyiksa penderita arthritis, yang mengganjal dan lutut yang mudah capek.

Favorit Ibu Hamil

Saat menggunakan kloset duduk, orang kerap merasa lebih nyaman karena tidak banyak tarikan pada lutut yang menimbulkan rasa capek. Kloset duduk pun menjadi favorit bagi ibu hamil, orang tua, penderita arthritis juga obesitas karena minim menyebabkan ketidak- nyamanan baik di lutut maupun perut.

Awas Infeksi Kuman!

Saat Anda duduk di kloset, selain kaki yang menempel pada lantai, paha dan bokong tak bisa terhindarkan menempel pada dudukan kloset. Ini menjadi potensi perpindahan infeksi kuman dan virus yang menempel di permukaan kloset. Jika kurang higienis, infeksi dapat pindah ke saluran kencing maupun alat kelamin wanita.

“Laki-laki saluran kencing dan kelaminnya agak jauh, sedangkan wanita lebih dekat. Kalau kena infeksi saluran kencing (sistitis), saluran kelamin juga bisa terkena karena muaranya dekat!” tegas Toto.

Risiko yang paling ringan, menyebabkan anyang-anyangan (yang termasuk tanda-tanda infeksi saluran kencing) dan keputihan (baik disebabkan jamur, bakteri maupun flagelata). Sedangkan risiko terberat, infeksi kelamin atau mulut vagina bisa masuk lebih dalam. Jika berlanjut bisa menjadi infeksi rongga rahim (endometritis) bahkan saluran telur (salpingitis). Risiko paling buruk, infeksi saluran telur dapat menyebabkan kebuntuan saluran telur sehingga tidak bisa memiliki keturunan.

“Maka, begitu kena keputihan, wanita sebaiknya langsung waspada dan berobat ke dokter,” ungkap Toto.

-Laili Damayanti

My Beloved City: Palembang

I was born and grew up in Palembang city, South Sumatera province, Indonesia.
Palembang is locate on Sumatera island and was popular for crime because of some Palembang people like to carry knife and other cold steel.
Many criminal tv program mention Palembang on almost everyday show.
But Palembang people and government try to change that image.
The Palembang government define a regulation to prohibit Palembang people to carry cold steel.
It's work. On 2004, Palembang held PON (National Sport Week) successfully.
Many people recognice and come to Palembang since then.
Palembang is known as exhibition town now. Many event held and will be held on Palembang including Sea Games 2011 for South East countries.
Palembang has already famous for the culinary. Palembang has variety foods such as Pempek, Tekwan, Model, Celimpungan, Laksan, Lakso, Burgo, Lenggang,
Lempok, Kemplang, Kerupuk, etc.
A lot of tourist come just to taste those foods. Pempek is known around Indonesia as Palembang traditional food. You can find pempek on several city in Indonesia,
but to find the original Pempek taste, you must come to Palembang.

Tempat Wisata di Kota Palembang

Jika Anda berkunjung ke Palembang, kota terbesar kedua di Pulau Sumatera, atau jika Anda memang warga kota metropolis ini mungkin Anda ingin jalan-jalan. Berikut ini beberapa alternatif tempat wisata di Palembang:
a. Jembatan Ampera dan Sungai Musi
b. Plaza Benteng Kuto Besak Kuto Besak: Upaya kesultanan Palembang menegakkan kemerdekaan
c. Masjid Agung Palembang
d. Masjid Lawang Kidul
e. Masjid Ki Marogan
f. Kampung Kapitan
g. Danau OPI
h. Pulau Kemaro
i. Hutan Wisata Punti Kayu
j. Museum Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II
k. Museum Balaputra Dewa
l. Museum Tekstil
m. Kambang Iwak
n. Bukit Siguntang
o. Kawah Tengkurep
p. Prasasti Kedukan Bukit
q. Taman Purbakala di Kecamatan Gandus
r. Fantasy Island
s. Bundaran Air Mancur
t. Bundaran Jakabaring beserta Monumennya
u. Dekranasda
v. Kompleks makam Sabokingking

Tentang Gempa

Gejala Umum

Gempa bumi sangat mematikan biasanya terjadi pada saat banyak orang
sudah terbangun dari tidur pulas, misalnya siang hari atau di saat
pergantian waktu antara malam ke pagi hari atau sore ke malam hari.
Tepatnya waktu antara jam 05.00 s/d 08.00 pagi atau
sore. Jadi, bisa dikatakan gempa bumi mematikan tidak terjadi pada saat
mayoritas orang sedang terlelap tidur. Sehingga pantas dikatakan bahwa “sing sopo leno keno“, siapapun yang terlena (tidak eling waspada) akan menjadi korban.

Gempa bumi dahsyat tidak terjadi pada saat orang sedang terlelap
dalam tidur misalnya saat-saat antara jam 24.00 s/d 03.00 malam.
Mungkin hal ini merupakan rumus/prinsip keadilan Tuhan, atau kearifan
hukum alam/kodrat alam.

Gempa bumi tidak terjadi pada saat daratan terjadi bencana alam
mislanya banjir. Karena musibah bencana alam biasanya tidak terjadi
bersamaan, namun bergantian antara bencana yang datang dari daratan,
udara, dan lautan.

Gempa bumi tektonik terjadi di saat musim kering, atau musim
kemarau. Sebaliknya musim penghujan sangat jarang terjadi gempa bumi.
Kecuali gempa vulkanik dari gunung berapi.

Gempa bumi tektonik konon tidak terjadi pada hari selasa. Gempa
bumi juga tidak terjadi pada saat terjadi hujan lebat dan badai sedang
menimpa daratan.

Setelah terjadi gempa besar, biasanya akan segera turun hujan
sangat lebat pada malam harinya. Kejadian ini bisanya berlangsung
hingga 3 kali/hari berturut-turut setiap malam hari. Setelah gempa
besar, apabila tidak terjadi hujan di malam harinya, hendaknya ekstra
hati-hati karena akan terjadi gempa susulan yang lebih besar. Apabia
pasca gempa tektonik yang besar tidak terjadi hujan, hendaknya ekstra
hati-hati terhadap gempa susulan yang kemungkinan besar akan terjadi.

Tanda-tanda Alamiah

Beberapa minggu dan hari sebelum terjadi gempa besar, biasanya akan
muncul awan hitam mulai siang hingga sore hari. Kemunculannya hanya
sekali dua kali/hari, setelah itu lenyap dengan sendirinya. Ciri-ciri
awan hitam tersebut seolah bagaikan mendung tetapi tidak menghasilkan
hujan, warnanya hitam keabu-abuan bergumpal, tetapi rata menutupi
seluruh ruang pandang di langit. Awan hitam itu seolah jaraknya dengan
bumi terasa sangat rendah/dekat. Tidak ada angin, suasana mencekam,
hening namun terkesan sangat mistis (beraura energi kuat).

Cermati bila keadaan di atas mulai tampak. Coba anda konsentrasi di
dalam rumah dan coba juga di luar rumah, apakah badan anda merasa
panas/gerah atau malah cenderung dingin ? Jika anda tidak merasakan
gerah, seyogyanya anda lebih hati-hati.

Langit cerah dan bersih, kadang terdapat gumpalan awan putih dengan
membentuk sebuah konfigurasi yang aneh dan unik. Kadang muncul
knfigurasi seperti pusaka misalnya keris, kujang, rencong, ekor kuda,
tongkat vertikal. Kadang berbentuk menyerupai wayang kulit, wajah
raksasa, wajah bola mata manusia dst. Berbagai konfigurasi awan yang
aneh-aneh tersebut merupakan gejala yang dipengaruhi oleh radiasi
energi bumi, kondisi tekanan udara yang mengalami distorsi oleh adanya
desakan energi bumi yang melebihi kewajaran. Masing-masing konfigurasi
awan memiliki arti dan makna sendiri-sendiri. Untuk menerjemahkannya
pun perlu keahlian khusus setelah kita terbiasa mengolah rahsa pangrasa.

Di samping itu, saat sebelum gempa suhu terasa sangat panas
menyengat melebihi kewajaran biasanya. Bahkan pada saat anda di dalam
ruangan atau rumah sekalipun. Rasakan dan cermati hawa panas semacam
ini, biasanya secara spontan membuat perasaan menjadi panik, gundah,
gelisah. Itulah panasnya hawa bebendu, sampai terasa panas di daun
telinga kita, panas seperti dipanggang api. Bila kita merasakan hawa
dan gejala alam seperti ini hendaklah meningkatkan kewaspadaan,
biasanya hawa panas tersebut merupakan radiasi dari tegangan energi
dari dalam lempeng bumi yang siap terlepas menjadi energi gempa bumi
tektonik yang besar. Hawa panas semacam ini dapat kita rasakan dalam
jarak hingga ribuan kilometer. Misalnya posisi kita sedang di Jakarta,
lalu merasakan hawa panas tersebut, yang menjadi gejala akan terjadi
gempa di wilayah Papua, Maluku, Ambon, Sumatera Barat, Bengkulu, dan
Lampung. Hawa panas tersebut bisa di rasakan dari mana arah datangnya.
Nah, arah itulah menunjukkan lokasi tempat di mana akan terjadi gempa
bumi.

Rasakan aura panas “bebendu” tersebut, yang terasa mengalir dari
dalam tanah, melewati permukaan tanah lalu naik ke atas menjadi radiasi
yang kuat.

Bila anda tidur di bawah tidak di atas ranjang, berarti anda
langsung bersentuhan dengan bumi. Saat itu anda bisa berkonsentrasi dan
memasang indera batin dan kalbu anda untuk mencermati suara yang
berasal dari bawah permukaan tanah, atau yang berasal dari dalam bumi.
Apabila terdengar suara gemuruh, terkadang disertai letupan dan
dentuman kecil, hendaknya kewaspadaan ditingkatkan. Karena suara gemurh
dan dentuman-dentuman itu merupakan proses pergerakan lempeng bumi yang
akan berubah menjadi kekuatan gelombang tektonik.

Tanda-tanda Khusus
Bagi yang telah terbiasa olah batin
dan menajamkan rasa pangrasa, atau rahsa sejati akan lebih mudah
membaca peringatan dini dari sinyal-sinyal yang dipancarkan dalam
gerak-gerik makhluk penghuni alam semesta ini.

Beberapa minggu misalnya antara 4 s/d 12 minggu sebelumnya, kita
dapat menyaksikan peristiwa spektakuler, di mana terjadi eksodus
besar-besaran oleh masyarakat “halus” dari arah mata angin tertentu
menuju ke satu arah yang lain. Misalnya dari arah selatan ke arah
utara. Disebut masyarakat karena mereka hidup berkelompok, juga membuat
suatu koloni yang saling berinteraksi di antaranya. Masyarakat “halus”
itu rupanya sudah merasakan suhu panas yang terpancar dari pusat gempa
(episentrum) . Walaupun gempa belum terjadi, namun energi tektonik yang
tertahan dan terakumulasi di dalam lapisan kulit bumi dalam sekian lama
waktunya akan menimbulkan spleteran energi yang terasa panas dan
membuat badan terasa gerah sekali. Panas itulah yang membuat mereka
tidak betah/kuat lalu “mengungsi” menjauhi pusat-pusat panas calon
episentrum tersebut. Hal ini pernah terjadi 3 bulan sebelum gempa
Jogja. Dan 2 bulan sebelum gempa Bengkulu akhir tahun 2007 lalu.

Perilaku binatang yang tidak wajar alias keluar dari pakem
kebiasaannya. Misalnya kucing, anjing, mencari tempat-tempat yang
dingin untuk berteduh/tidur. Biasanya kucing dan anjing betah di
tempat-tempat yang hangat dan panas. Kicau burung emprit gantil yang
semakin intensif terdengar di malam hari, padahal biasanya emprit
gantil berkicau di pagi, siang, dan sore hari.

Hewan dan binatang melata, binatang yang hidup di dalam rongga
tanah keluar berkeliaran pada waktu-waktu diluar kebiasaannya,
berkeliaran ke tempat-tempat yang tidak biasa disambangi atau menjadi
habitat hidupnya.

About Colors

Colors is truly magical !

Colors evokes emotion, stimulates the senses and creates atmosphere. Colors will transform your surroundings, alter perceptions and set moods.

Using colors in your home and surrounding yourself with a personal palette creates a calming backdrop for daily life. You can design your own comforting sanctuary to unwind and live in.

A room doesn’t have to be saturated in splashes of strong hues to achieve an impression of colors. Small accents are sometimes enough. Add some cushions, perhaps a throw or a piece of carefully selected artwork, these touches can work just as well as painting a room in a flashy colors.

When planning your colors scheme, search for inspiration from your surroundings. Perhaps you have a favourite rug or piece of china that you can use as a starting point. Mother Nature offers an abundance of inspiration; flowers, beaches, sky and earth are perfect examples of colors schemes that work - Mother Nature never gets it wrong!

When it comes to colors theory there are some useful guidelines you can follow to create your own successful scheme.

A monochromatic scheme is an easy method to follow for decorating. Choose one colors and add that colors in varying tones (deeper and lighter), perhaps adding some patterns or texture to create interest.

A complementary scheme works with colors that lie opposite each other on the colors wheel ie: blue is opposite to orange, red is opposite to green and yellow is opposite to purple. These colors contrast and when placed together create a stimulating effect. This can be a very effective technique to use in decorating.

A related scheme is using colors that lie side by side on the colors wheel. For example: greens and blues placed together or perhaps reds, oranges and yellows. Placing colors together based on a related scheme creates a subtle harmonious effect.

Take your time when designing your colors scheme, it is a creative process. Try to incorporate the whole design of your home to add a sense of flow.

Colors have a lot of significance. The world is changing. Who is the force behind this change? The whole magic is of the colors. If the color changes the nature also changes, along with the mind also changes. Change in color changes everything.

The colors influence the body, mind and emotions. The external things have more influence on the human being and the most influencing factor is color. According to Ayurveda, vata, pitta and kapha dosha are running the body or in other words they are responsible for the functioning of the body. Blue color is strengthening, cool and hence reduces heat and anxiety. Blue color cures the diseases in people predominant with pitta. Green color is blood purifier, natural and evacuates the foreign particles from the body. It subsides the diseases in a person who is chiefly of vata constitution.

Red color denotes fire element. It activates the nervous system and blood. It activates all the five sensory organs. Red rays produce heat and circulate energy in the body. Red color is energetic and active. It is good for people with kapha constitution.

If it is used again and again, it causes fever and inactivity and hence it should be combined with blue color.

White color is ideal for leading a secluded life a detached life away from world. It makes the emotions pure and pious. Yellow color activates the nerves and the muscles. It is not an independent color. It is the combination of red and green colors. It arouses the dead cells and activates them. It has the qualities to strengthen the nervous system and activate the brain. Yellow color is the color of intelligence and philosophy. It gets rid of mental weakness, disappointment and other negative qualities. It is denotes happiness and cheerfulness.

Black color is not influenced; no color can be applied on black color. Hence it is used in the courtrooms to denote unbiased judgment. According to a yogi, Vedic Sandhya includes three colors. They are red, blue and white, which denote Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh. Vedic Sandhya means the person who meditates all the three colors in the evening remains healthy physically and mentally

Colors maintain the balance of our body. Some people are fat while some are thin? What is the reason? The reason is color; there is imbalance of colors in their body. Excess of red color denotes thin people and that of blue color makes the person fat. Where red and blue colors are in equilibrium, that person will be beautiful, well built with good figure and balanced. Excess of red color makes the person angry and excited; less of blue color makes him selfish and self-centered. He is not bothered about others interests and losses. Red color will be useful where the matter is related to labors. The laborers can lift heavy weight easily. If the color is blue the labor will become lazy. All the organs in our body have colors. Every component has its color. Externally the skin appears to be of one color only, the person who has studied the body with depth he will understand this fact. If we are successful in our lives then we will have to pay attention on the clothes that we wear. Colors have a broad affect. The colors not only influence the mental condition but also change it. In this context an incident of Russia is very interesting. A few student of a school were very mischievous. This became a big problem for the teacher and school authorities. They were not getting the clue to their mischief. Not one or two all the students were highly mischievous. What could be the reason? Nobody was able to find the correct answer. The students who were appearing to be calm and quiet were also becoming mischievous. Lot of efforts were taken but reason for this was still mystery. At last the color specialists were called. They researched a lot. The color of the school building was red, the doors, windows, carpet, students uniform everything was red. The excess of red color increases mischief nature and hyper activity. The specialists advised that this color should be changed to green, pink or blue. The suggestion was accepted and the color was changed. The curtains, windows, doors, glasses etc. were changed. The result was astnishing as soon as the color changed the student's nature also changed. The students became calm and quiet and were well behaved. The teachers and authorities were finally relieved of their problem.

The person who concentrates to see white color he experiences that his tension is reducing, the feelings are pure and pious. The headache gets cured. What is color? It is only a light. The 49the vibration of light is called color. It is the spectrum of colors coming from the Sunrays. It has one color. Color and light are not two different things. Color is the synonym for light, which is the affect of light. If The suitable colors mix then the effect changes.

It is our daily experience that when we sit near a person we feel happy and some people's company makes us sad and unhappy. We are filled with worries. What is the reason for this? We are surrounded with an aura of light, the person who has a pure aura, is made with good colors, the surrounding and atmosphere near that person is pure and pious. When the aura is made with bad color, predominant with night colors, then we feel unhappy and a negative feeling comes in. The mind becomes sad and unhappy. According to Dr. Riben Amber the hotness and coolness of the colors can be measured. Fill the glass tumbler with water and place a thermometer, let the Sunrays fall in it. Red rays denote hot and blue rays denote coolness.


Start a scrapbook with a compilation of colors and palettes that appeal to you. Collect examples such as magazine images, pieces of fabric, leaves, feathers or colors chips. Decide what colors you love and why you love them.

Most importantly, have fun. Working with colors is an exciting and rewarding experience.

Express yourself with the magic ingredient of colors – mix together a pleasing recipe of hues and tones to live with, create a place where it always feels good to be home.

Enjoy colors - life would be boring without it!!!

How to Improve and Challenge Your Memory

Are there exercises to enhance memory or gain photographic memory?

Well before we consider if there are any exercises to enhance memory or gain photographic memory we need to be sure that we’re singing from the same sheet. What is photographic memory; if there is such a thing.

There is plenty of debate about whether the concept of a photographic memory even exists and many so-called experts often confuse someone’s claim of having one with eidetic memory. Perhaps because of the misnomer of photographic memory, some researchers believe that people who have the ability to remember small details are claiming to have total recall that lasts more than two or three minutes.

The test for eidetic memory was devised to test the concept of a photographic memory, in that a person is given 30 seconds to scan an image. The image is then removed and the person attempts to recreate the image in their mind and relate what they see.

Very few individuals have been able to repeat the image in clear detail and after a few minutes could only offer a rough outline. Based on these types of test, these researchers are claiming that photographic memory is a myth.

Despite the conclusions drawn by these experts, there are numerous people who have demonstrated that photographic memory is very real and very possible. The basic theory is that people have enhanced memory capabilities enabling them to remember things longer that most, instead of actually taking a picture with their brain.

Memory Traits Can Be Expanded

The idea of someone having a photographic memory is more dominant in children who can often recall something they have seen in vivid detail. Unfortunately, as they grow older outside influences disrupt the memory process replacing the older images, or memories, with new thoughts or visions. It is believed that adults have so many interruptions in their daily lives to collect effectively information in their “mind’s eye” to be able to store enough detail in their memory.

There are numerous resources that can help individuals capitalize on their memory abilities and train themselves to have a virtual photographic memory. Memory course have been around for several years to help people with recall of important information such as names and dates, and through this training develop what is sometimes termed as a photographic memory.

Those who claim to have an eidetic memory, the ability to recall an image in detail after seeing it only once, are extremely rare while those with what they believe to be a photographic memory can recall detailed information as though they were actually looking at the information embedded in their brain. It is presumed their expanded memory capabilities allow them to form an image of the information they are trying to recall.

Challenge your memory and gain with brain games and exercises.

Writer Nancy Christie at EverydayHealth.com recently interviewed me about the increasing popularity of brain games and their benefits. When it comes to brain games or memory exercises, I tell my patients to “use it and keep it.”

By challenging your brain with new exercises or games, you strengthen such cognitive skills as the ability to remember something, solve a problem, or use a particular strategy to win a game. We posted tips in our blog entry called Challenge Your Memory: Use It or Lose It.

If you are in the market for a game or just looking for an activity to challenge your brain, I recommend finding something that will help you engage in several mental processes at one time. For example, look for games and activities that require you to utilize skills such as problem solving and memory retention challenges. I also recommend using your five senses - hearing, touch, taste, smell, and sight - by engaging in something new several times a week such as trying new cologne or take a walk through a new park. Challenging the brain with new experiences will wake up the unused parts of the brain to keep it sharper and healthier. In other words, “use it and keep it.”

What brain games, exercises or activities have you tried? Would you recommend them to others? Have you noticed improvement in your memory?

The Effect of Prayer -Salah (Sholat)

Many organizations for youth provide hotlines and 24-hour phone services to help teenagers to get rid of feelings of depression and its destructive impact on life activities.

Did you ever think that we as Muslims have our own hotline? Our hotline is Prayer— salah (sholat). Salah (Sholat) is an emergency hotline that you can pick up at any time and ask for any help you might need.

Salah—the second pillar of Islam—is a gift from Allah to His Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and his Ummah—including you. So enjoy this gift and invest in it well. It is a connection between Allah and you. You can talk to Allah and ask for His guidance in any problem you face. You can even complain to Him about something you are expecting or afraid of. That is why some of the scholars said, “If you want to talk to Allah, make salah. And if you want Allah to talk to you, recite the Qur’an.”

We believe that Allah is our only Creator and that He is the One Who can guide us to what is best for us. So He is the One Who can fix our troubles, the One we can rely on in times of hardships and thank in times of ease.

Allah ordained salah—your gift—five times a day as a way of maintaining and fixing your heart, soul, and body. Likewise, you can pray at any time once you feel that you need a counselor or a guide to show you to the right path.

If someone invents a machine and sells it to you, you have to go to him regularly to maintain it and to fix any problem. You may not be aware of the problem, as you are simply the user, but he is aware of it as the inventor. And if something gets broken or out of order in this machine, you will go to him to fix it even if it is not time for its regular maintenance.
Seeking peace and calmness begins within you. You will never have outer peace if you don’t have inner peace. Allah says [and stand before Allah in a devout frame of mind] (Al-Baqarah 2:238). So you should approach salah in peace, pray it in peace, and finish it in peace, because salah gives you a break, both mentally and physically, from the daily stresses of life and in this way you will obtain peace.

If you are thinking of an important issue that you have to decide about but you can’t make up your mind, just give your mind a break from tension and pressure and perform a prayer seeking Allah’s guidance. This will provide your soul with comfort and give your mind a break and help you to think more clearly and practically about the situation that you are faced with. As Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) told Bilal, “Call for the prayers, it will comfort us.”

Furthermore, salah cleanses your soul of any daily sins and helps you to get rid of feelings of guilt that are one of main reasons of depression. So when you perform salah and ask for Allah’s forgiveness with a regretful heart, you will have all your sins forgiven, in sha’ Allah.

Physically, the different positions you take in salah have a great impact on strengthening your muscles. Also, performing salah activates and stretches your spine, which contains most of the nerves and energy centers of the body.

Moreover, Allah ordained ablution (wudu’) before performing salah because it prepares you to meet Allah in the best condition.

[O ye who believe! when ye prepare for prayer wash your faces and your hands (and arms) to the elbows; rub your heads (with water); and (wash) your feet to the ankles.] (Al-Ma’idah 5:6)

Wudu’ also has a great effect on the health of your body and soul. It not only gets rid of impurities, but also sins. As our Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) told us, when a Muslim makes wudu’ in the proper way, the sins he or she has committed come out of every part cleaned and leaves it pure.

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, “Whoever makes wudu’ and makes it well, his sins come out from his body, even coming out from under his nails.” (Muslim 3/133 and others)
Your body is exposed to millions of germs and microbes during the day, and the water of wudu’ keeps the skin fresh and helps prevent infections. It also releases stress, so when you argue with someone, all you need to do is just make wudu’ and then you will feel calm and able to have a fruitful discussion with him or her.

Now is time to start! Never complain that salah is not fulfilling your demands, for you are the one who should invest Allah’s gift in the best way. And be sure that Allah guides you to the best even if it is not what you want. Also Allah likes you to continue asking with a sincere heart; thus salah will never fail you unless you fail salah first by neglecting it or doing it insincerely.

Just Smile

Smiles -the secret to charisma- one of the greatest gift that God have ever deposited into the emotional reservoir of mankind, but it is shocking and alarming that we allow such a valuable endowment to waste away every blessed day.

Lots of individual would have change their situation and atmosphere if they can wear a little bit of smile everyday. Smiles are one of the greatest means of communication, yet the amazing and incredible thing about it is that it can be gotten and used at no cost!

What is smile?

Before we begin to analyze some of the powerful effects of smiles, I think it will be helpful for us to understand the meaning of this power means of communication known as smile.

Smile is said to be a facial expression in which the corners of the mouth are raised, usually expressing amusement, pleasure, or approval.

We are going to be looking at some of the amazing things that we can easily accomplish with our free and simple but yet a dynamic smile. You will be startle at what you can do with your smile or rather what your smile would do for you.


Effects of Smile.

The following are the effects of smiles:

1. Make an individual approachable.
The first you will be able to achieve without stress with your smile is the ability to be approachable. Have you noticed that when you give a little smile, especially to a person you are meeting for the first time, it prompts such a fellow to open up and want to relate with you?

The reason for this is quite simple, it is because your smiles is telling the other person that you are an interesting person to be around with, and tell me who doesn’t want to be around a happy fellow?

I personally discovered this to be true. Human are emotional being, and we most times talk through our emotions than gestures, verbal or any other means of communication that we might have available or would rather want to use.

And there is something interesting about this, it gives you the opportunity to connect emotionally to the person you are communicating with, the emotional bonding found in this kind of act is very influential and commanding.

So, giving away some smiles will boost your image and personality, which would want everyone to be around you. Why don’t you give it a trial and see the effect.

2. It improves your physiognomy.
There is a saying that goes like this "I have never seen a smiling face that is not beautiful".

This is exceptionally true and factual. I also personally discovered that smiling make me look more handsome that I would ordinarily look.

This explains the reason why actors, model and influential people do express some bit of smile; this is quite powerful and effective. One powerful effect that smiles will have on you is to improve or uplift that facial expression or yours.

Check this out, try to remember those people that you consider ugly and unattractive, you will notice they look more eye-catching and striking when they wear just a simple smile. The reason is not far fetched, this is the same principle we have discovered and it is simple. A smile improves your physiognomy!

3. Changes your Atmosphere.
This is very effective and powerful. Do you know you can drastically change your atmosphere through a simple smile? This is might sound easy and cheap, but I tell you, it’s quite incredible as this aspect have been utilized without much notice and awareness.

Do you remember finding yourself in an unpleasant, obnoxious and horrible situation? And possibly by chance you stumble on something that stimulates that unused effective communicative tool in you, how do you feel thereafter when you released that idyllic smile, you feel relaxed and fulfilled.

That is exactly what a simple smile can do for you. It gives you an opportunity to re-create your atmosphere at will. This is quite interesting, this implies that you can easily place yourself right there in your own world of pleasure and bliss, and guess what you can achieve this without any formal training and it’s absolutely free of charge!

4. Make somebody’s day.
Another powerful thing you can achieve with you smiles is making somebody’s day, and I bet it you will never be forgotten for simple that act.

Looking around your neighborhood, office or even your home you will discover that there are lots of people that are desperately stressed and need some sort of encouragement to move on, those individuals awaits your smile to make their day. You never can tell the power and effects of your smile on such individual until you extend your smile to them.

I have lots of people tell me that they would have made more imparts on their society if only they have sufficient funds. Some even conclude that they would have loved to give but they do not have money to do just that.

But I bet to that there is something you have that can be given at will, and that is your smiles. You can make much impart by just smiling towards an individual today. And as you would realize that this cost you nothing except you willingness and your interest.

By sending out that smile, what you are doing is that, you are telling the person that he is worth your attention and time even though it is petite and short. Merely giving an attention to smile or return a smile is a great thing that could ever happen to an individual. So by doing that you are already making an impart that is more than having a fund. Because at times you might run out of funds, but never can run out of smiles!

So, why don’t you make somebody’s day through your smile? They are waiting just for that smile of yours to motivate them to the next level. You will everly be grateful you did.

The best SMILE!

A smile has to be sincere and the eyes have to smile too (wrinkles arond eyes). Look in the mirror and look at your eyes when you smile to see what i'm talking about, the secret of a perfect smile is behind out eyes. Practice your smile a little using a mirror, untill you find a sincere warm smile. After that you can go out and smile to others and achive positive feed back. Of course smiling like a clown every time when you're with someone makes you look awkward, so control your smile. The point is not to smile to get others to see you smiling, but to smile to make yourself feel better. Try smiling even when you don't have anyting to smile about just have a good time by yourself. A simple act like that can take you only 1 second, and change your mood.If you smile and have a positive atitudine you can change others moods, because moods are contagious.

Nearsightedness (Myopia)

What is nearsightedness?

Nearsightedness (myopia) is a common cause of blurred vision. If you are nearsighted, objects in the distance appear blurry and out of focus. You might squint or frown when trying to see distant objects clearly. View a photo as seen through a normal and a nearsighted eye.

Nearsightedness is usually a variation from normal, not a disease. Less often, nearsightedness happens because of another disease or condition.

What causes nearsightedness?

Most nearsightedness is caused by a natural change in the shape of the eyeball that makes the eyeball oval (egg-shaped) rather than round. Less often, nearsightedness may be caused by a change in the cornea or the lens.

These problems cause light rays entering the eye to focus in front of the retina. Normally, light focuses directly on the retina. See a picture of the parts of the eye.

What are the symptoms?

The main symptom of nearsightedness is blurred vision when looking at distant objects. You may have trouble clearly seeing images or words on a blackboard, movie screen, or television. This can lead to poor school, athletic, or work performance.

You may think your child is nearsighted if he or she squints or frowns or holds books or other objects very close to his or her face. Children who are nearsighted may sit at the front of the classroom or very close to the TV or movie screen. They may not be interested in sports or other activities that require good distance vision.
How is nearsightedness diagnosed?

A routine eye exam can show whether you are nearsighted. The eye exam includes questions about your eyesight and a physical exam of your eyes. Ophthalmoscopy, tonometry, a slit lamp exam, and other vision tests are also part of a routine eye exam.

Eye exams should be done for new babies and at all well-child visits.1 Nearsightedness most commonly begins in childhood or in the early teens (between the ages of 8 and 14), so it is usually first discovered in children of grade-school age.

Nearsightedness can be mild, moderate, or high.

How is it treated?

Eyeglasses or contact lenses can help correct nearsightedness. Surgery can also be done to change the shape of the cornea or to implant artificial lenses in the eyes to reduce or fix nearsightedness.

Myopia, or nearsightedness, is a big problem for many children. This difficulty with distance vision interferes with many daily activities, including learning at school. And as they grow, many children experience progressive myopia, which means the problem gets worse over time.

Using Rigid Contact Lenses

Over the years, several studies seemed to indicate that myopia could be controlled by wearing rigid gas permeable or RGP contact lenses. (Now more eye care practitioners are calling them GP contact lenses.) The idea was that the rigid contact lens would act as a splint to fortify the front of the eye without affecting the overall corneal shape. The lens would reduce myopic progression, as compared with wearing eyeglasses or soft contact lenses.

This idea was controversial, and some eyecare practitioners scoffed. Since many of the studies were flawed because of inadequate controls of important variables, incomplete follow-up and poor selection of study participants, their results were inconclusive.

Finally, the Contact Lens and Myopia Progression (CLAMP) study published its findings in 2004. The CLAMP study, funded by the National Eye Institute, followed myopia progression in more than a hundred children aged 8 to 11 over a three-year period. Some wore rigid GP contact lenses, while others wore soft lenses. The researchers measured the participants' visual acuity as well as the physical growth of their eyes. In myopic people, the eyeball grows longer than normally, with a steeper cornea; this longer axial length is what causes the blurred distance vision.

The GP lens wearers did show less myopia progression, but it was only temporary. Their eyes continued to grow as long as the eyes of the soft lens wearers, and since the GP lenses were not able to slow or stop the growth, they could not provide permanent myopia reduction. A clinical trial conducted in Singapore reached a similar conclusion.

One difficulty in proving that wearing GP lenses definitely retards myopia lies in not knowing how nearsighted someone would be without such treatment. It's not an exact science: practitioners can't say that your child would have progressed to a prescription of -8.50 diopters if he hadn't worn GP lenses to control myopia. On the other hand, myopia does seem to run in families, and if most of the family members are very myopic, it's not unreasonable to suppose your child will eventually become very myopic as well.
Undercorrecting Myopia

Some eye doctors have tried undercorrecting nearsightedness, in hopes of reducing near focusing strain that has been suggested as a cause of progressive myopia. A recent study failed to support this idea, finding no statistically significant difference between those who received full correction and those who received undercorrection. Two other studies found that undercorrecting nearsightedness actually increased the rate of its progression.

Another study, the Correction of Myopia Evaluation Trial (COMET), has been testing the idea of using eyeglasses with bifocal lenses or progressive lenses to reduce the eye focusing needed for sustained near vision. So far it has found that progressive lenses, compared with regular single vision lenses, did slow myopia progression in children by a small, statistically significant amount during the first year. But the effect wasn't significant in the next two years.

Undercorrecting myopia is therefore not a proven strategy for slowing the progression of nearsightedness in children. It also has the disadvantage of causing blurred distance vision if the treatment is performed with single vision lenses.

Atropine and Pirenzepine Drug Therapies

Several studies have shown that atropine eye drops can reduce myopia progression by temporarily paralyzing the ifocusing muscle inside the eye. (Atropine also causes the pupil to dilate widely.) One such study is the Atropine in the Treatment of Myopia (ATOM) study, which tested 400 children aged 6 to 12 over a two-year period.

So why isn't atropine a standard treatment for myopia? The focusing paralysis and pupil dilation caused by atropine cause light sensitivity and reduce children's ability to perform well at school and during sports. Plus, a constantly dilated pupil looks odd, a problem for kids because they tend to want to fit in, not stand out from the crowd.

Pirenzepine gel has also shown potential as a drug therapy for slowing myopia progression, but it is not FDA-approved, and, like atropine, it has unwanted side effects.
Corneal Reshaping with CRT

With Corneal Refractive Therapy (CRT), children (and adults) wear special contact lenses overnight to reshape the cornea and correct nearsightedness. Normally, you wear them every night to see clearly throughout the next day without them. But the effect is not permanent: if you stop wearing the lenses altogether, your eyes will gradually slide back into most, if not all, of your former nearsightedness.

The Longitudinal Orthokeratology Research in Children (LORIC) study, published in 2005, tested whether these contact lenses could slow myopia progression, even if they couldn't permanently correct all the myopia already in place. The authors of the two-year pilot study concluded that corneal reshaping can have both a corrective and a control effect in childhood nearsightedness.

A new study, called the Corneal Reshaping and Yearly Observation of Nearsightedness (CRAYON) study, is now underway and has confirmed that corneal reshaping with specially designed gas permeable contact lenses does indeed slow eye growth in myopic children at one year of treatment. Stay tuned for further results.