Summit Eye Center Blog

Have you ever wondered why we cry? If so, you are not alone. People have asked this questions for hundreds of years.

One major breakthrough occurred in the 17th century when a Danish scientist discovered the lacrimal gland. The lacrimal gland is responsible for producing the watery or aqueous component of our tears. The tear film also contains a mucus component produced by goblet cells on the white part of the eye and an oily component produced from the meibomian glands at the edge of our eyelids. These 3 components are joined by enzymes, lipids, metabolites and electrolytes to make up the tear film that coats and lubricates our eyes.

It seems that more frequently then ever we are seeing reports of natural disasters disrupting the lives of people all over the world. Have you ever taken a moment to think how you would respond if a tornado, flood, fire or other natural disaster hit your home, work or place you are visiting? Depending on where you are and any advanced warning that is available, your level of preparedness will vary. If you rely on glasses or contact lenses to see well, extra considerations are needed to ensure the safety of your eyes and your vision both during and after a natural disaster.

LASIK and other vision correction procedures are popular choices for first responders in need of vision correction. They need to be confident that there vision is clear, comfortable and dependable at all times, no matter the environment. They not only need this vision at the drop of a hat when disaster hits, but also for the hours to weeks of hard and potentially dangerous work required to keep people and property from harms way after the disaster.

We have all heard the saying, “You are what you eat.” It is easy for us to believe that eating a diet full of fruits and vegetables is better than a diet of french-fries and potato chips. Most of us also believe that getting some exercise is better for our body than spending the afternoon on the couch watching football...unless the Chiefs are playing! This week’s blog will focus on some of the things we can do to help our eyes maintain as good of vision as possible as we age.

Not smoking is probably the #1 lifestyle decision we can make for our eyes and our bodies as a whole. Smoking leads to earlier development of cataracts. Those who smoke are twice as likely to suffer from dry eye symptoms. There is a 3x risk of developing macular degeneration in smokers versus nonsmokers. If we break this down to women who smoke versus women who do not smoke, the risk of developing macular degeneration is 5.5x higher in those who smoke. Diabetic retinopathy is a leading cause of vision loss. The incidence of diabetes is 30-40% higher in those who smoke. Those who smoke are 4x more likely to go blind in old age. It is never too late to quit! The following link from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides resources for those interested in breaking the habit. https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/campaign/tips/index.html

September is Healthy Aging Month. We can’t think of a better time to discuss 5 of the most common eye conditions encountered, as we get older. In no particulare order, presbyopia, dry eye, cataract, glaucoma, and macular degeneration are the most frequent ailments of the aging population.

A cataract is a clouding of the natural lens that sits in the eye right behind the iris, the colored part of the eye. Typically, cataracts are a result of the normal aging process of the lens. From childhood until the time of cataract surgery, this lens is changing. Cataracts are the most common cause of vision loss over the age of 40.

Signs and Symptoms of Cataracts

Early on, you may not even know that you have the beginning of a cataract. Often, the first symptoms of a cataract are an increase in nearsightedness called “second sight”. These patients notice that their near vision is actually improving from where it had typically been. This improvement in near vision is short-lived. As the cataract continues to grow, it will cause an overall blurring of one’s vision. Patients will also develop glare and halos around streetlights and headlights at night. This is a result of the scattering of light by the cataract. One’s perception of colors will also change as a cataract progresses. Colors will be less bright and may have a brownish hue.

There has been a lot of discussion and research lately about glaucoma and sleep disorders. Factors such as sleep apnea, sleep duration and the length of time it takes a person to fall asleep have all been linked as a risk factor for developing glaucoma or a consequence of having glaucoma. This blog will delve into the relationship between sleep and glaucoma. First, we will give a brief description of what glaucoma. We will then discuss why we sleep, followed by discussion of circadian rhythm. Finally, we will discuss how all of this is intertwined.

First what is glaucoma?

Glaucoma is a disease of the optic nerve. This is the nerve in the back of the eye that is responsible for carrying all the visual information from the eye to the back of the brain, where it is processed into the pictures that we see. Glaucoma typically begins without any symptoms, making yearly eye exams important for anyone over the age of 50 or with a history of glaucoma in their family. Glaucoma often affects portions of our peripheral or side vision early on. When it affects larger or more central areas of our vision, we become symptomatic. Unfortunately, once symptoms occur they are likely permanent. If it is determined that you have glaucoma, there are numerous treatment options both medically and surgically that can help treat the disease. Learn more about glaucoma here: https://www.summiteyekc.com/blog/what-is-glaucoma

“Am I too young or too old for LASIK?” are common questions we hear from patients. The quick answer is that once you reach 18 years of age you are potentially a good LASIK patient. On the other end of the spectrum, although at age 60, LASIK may be an option for you, there could be a different procedure that would be the recommended surgery at this stage of life.

LASIK works by using a laser to reshape the cornea, the clear layer over the colored part of they eye. This allows the correction of a person’s nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism.

One of the most common questions patients have about LASIK continues to be, “Is LASIK safe?” The answer to this question is a definite YES! They will then follow up with, “Is LASIK safe for my eyes?” The only way we can answer this question is with a thorough LASIK evaluation. The doctors at Summit Eye Center are available to perform this evaluation.

First, what evidence do we have that LASIK is safe?

The rate of safety for LASIK ranks among the highest of any medical procedure today. Both the safety and benefit of LASIK have been documented in a large number of scientific journals and clinical studies. In fact in the first ten years after LASIK’s FDA approval in 1998, there were over 300 published, peer-reviewed clinical studies.

As we enter August, students heading off to college are a common theme. These young men and women are embarking on their first period of independence. They are living away from home, making choices on how they balance their studies with the social experiences that will shape their early adulthood.

LASIK provides a safe, effective alternative to glasses and contact lenses. No longer will these students have to reach for glasses before they start the day. No longer will they have to endure the daily grind of putting in contact lenses every morning and then taking them out prior to going to bed.

Dry eye is one of the most challenging conditions for both patients and doctors to manage. Nearly 30 million Americans suffer from dry eye. However, less then half of these patients are actively treated for dry eye.

Why are so many patients with dry eye untreated?

Common Myths About LASIK

Do you have astigmatism and think that eliminates the possibility of LASIK? Do feel that you are too old for LASIK? At Summit Eye Center, we commonly hear people state various reasons why they feel that LASIK is not a good option for them. Often these beliefs are not correct and in fact the patient is a good candidate for LASIK. We would like to clear up some of these misconceptions in this blog.

Myth #1: LASIK Does Not Correct Astigmatism

Just like nearsightedness and farsightedness, Astigmatism can be corrected by LASIK. Astigmatism is simply and “out-of-roundness” to the cornea, the clear layer over the colored part of the eye. The more “out-of-round” the cornea is, the higher the level of astigmatism. LASIK works by reshaping the cornea to allow one to see better without glasses or contact lenses. Therefore, LASIK is a great option to correct astigmatism. Just like every patient who is nearsighted or farsighted is not a candidate for LASIK, the same can be said for patients with astigmatism. However, most who are nearsighted, farsighted or have astigmatism are candidates for LASIK.

July is UV Safety Month. Don’t forget that UV radiation can harm your eyes.

UV exposure has been linked to several eye conditions:

This week, we will celebrate the commemoration of the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America on July 4, 1776. Our forefathers let Great Britain know that they considered themselves 13 individual sovereign states, independent of foreign rule.

Now 243 years later, this holiday is synonymous with cookouts and fireworks. The cookout portion of this celebration is probably not great for our waistline...think burgers and brats along with great side dishes and desserts. The fireworks that often follow the cookout can cause serious injury. The purpose of this week’s blog is to discuss some facts about fireworks injuries and what we can do to avoid them.

With the risk of fireworks injury, comes the risk of eye injuries. There were nearly 13,000 emergency room visits related to fireworks in 2017. About 35% of these injuries occurred to children under 15 years of age. Males of all ages accounted for 70% of the injuries. More than 44% of injuries are burns.

Keeping with the theme of June being Cataract Awareness Month, this week’s blog will discuss a potential benefit of cataract surgery that many do not think of, improved sleep and cognitive performance.

You have been told you have cataracts. How do you then choose a cataract surgeon? This is an important decision, as it can be the difference between a satisfactory surgical result and a great surgical result. If you wish to minimize your need for glasses after cataract surgery it is even more important to choose a quality, experienced surgeon.

Thanks to Mother Nature, the 2018-19 school year ran a bit longer in many of the Kansas City area school districts. Now that we have finally entered summer vacation, Summit Eye Centerer wants to provide a discount on LASIK laser vision correction to teachers this summer. This is in appreciation for the role they play in molding the young minds of future generations.

June is Cataract Awareness Month. There are over 25 million people in the United States who have a cataract. Projections have this number nearly doubling by the year 2050.

A cataract is a clouding of the natural lens of the eye. As the lens clouds, one’s vision becomes affected. A person may notice the following symptoms:

Dry eye is the most common thing that eye doctors see on a daily basis. Nearly 30 million Americans experience dry eye symptoms. These symptoms vary from patient to patient. Some patients complain a gritty feeling. Others have red, watery eyes. Still others will experience fluctuating vision throughout the day. As a result, one needs to treat each person’s signs and symptoms of dry eye on an individual basis. Therefore, a thorough evaluation with your eye doctor is important to determine the best treatment regimen to improve one’s symptoms. The following 7 tips are things that those who suffer from dry eye can do on their own to minimize their symptoms.

Blink

Whether you are engrossed in a good book or working on your computer, when we are focusing on near tasks our blink rate decreases significantly. Typically, we blink about 15-20 times per minute. When looking at a computer screen, our blink rate is reduced to 6-7 times per minute. Simply consciously blinking our eyes allowthe redistribution of the tear film over the surface of our eyes, improving dry eye symptoms.

We are entering the prime “Wedding Season”. There is so much involved with planning for your wedding, likely starting months before the big date. Who do you invite? Where is the wedding? Where is the reception? What do you wear? What does the wedding party wear? The list goes on and on.

Steph Curry has made headlines this spring when it was revealed that he had played with less than 20/20 vision until he was recently fit with contact lenses. This makes one think how vision demands vary from sport to sport. Some sports can allow athletes with supreme athleticism to excel despite less than perfect vision. Others require the best vision possible in order for athletes to perform at an elite level.