It used to be that foggy lenses were something we only experienced during the winter months. It was a common frustration for those wearing glasses coming indoors after being out in the cold. In the current COVID-19 pandemic and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendation of wearing face masks to curb the spread of COVID-19, foggy glasses are more common than ever.
If there ever was a year to think about your vision and eye health, it would be this year...2020.
With the New Year, many of us take time to reflect on the previous year and then make resolutions to better ourselves in the upcoming year.
We are fast approaching the end of 2019. The end of the year is a great time to reflect on things in your life that need to be addressed, whether it is fixing that leaky faucet or addressing a nagging health problem. It seems fitting that in the year 2020 we should strive to maximize our vision and eye health. Below are 4 eye related conditions to address in 2020.
Dry eye affects up to 50% of the adult population according to some studies. It presents with numerous symptoms from blurry or fluctuating vision to red, irritated eyes. What we think of, as eyestrain from working on a computer usually is actually dry eye. Just as there are numerous symptoms and presentations of dry eye, there are also numerous treatment options. There is no reason to continue to suffer. Your eye doctor will take an individualized approach, providing treatment that is unique to your particular situation.
Have you ever wondered what options you have to correct your vision after the age of 50? If so, this week’s blog is just for you!
Many think of LASIK and other vision correction procedures being only for patients in their 20s or 30s. The reason for this misconception is likely related to the aging changes that occur to our natural crystalline lens as we get into our 40s. Presbyopia sets in during this stage of our life...people who have never worn glasses before are all of the sudden needing readers to help with them look at their phone or computer. Those who wear glasses are getting their first bifocals.
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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.
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.
“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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Is LASIK right for me? If you answer yes to the questions below, then LASIK is likely a good option to decrease your need for glasses and/or contact lenses.
Are you over the age of 18 with stable vision? By waiting until a patient is at least 18 years old, we minimize the chance that a person’s nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism is going to continue to change. Your vision should be stable over the last 12 months at least.
What is astigmatism? This is a question many have for one of the most common vision problems. At least 30% of the US population has some level of astigmatism. We will answer everything you need to know about astigmatism in this blog. Yes, it is “astigmatism” not “stigmatism” as it is commonly referred to. You don’t have “a stigmatism”...you have astigmatism.
Similar to nearsightedness and farsightedness, astigmatism is a refractive error. It is simply a problem with how the eye focuses light. It is not a disease or eye health problem.
Spring brings with it a renewed energy to tackle the latest fitness trends as we strive to improve our physical fitness. If you are a HIIT enthusiast, swimmer or jogger...LASIK can make your workout experience better. This week’s blog will breakdown how glasses can be a hindrance with various fitness routines.
Are you finding yourself moving your phone closer to you and further away trying to find the sweet spot where the text is clear? Do you have the text size on your phone set to the largest size? Do you have to pull your head back when your kid puts something in front of your face to read? If you answered yes to these questions you are likely developing presbyopia.
Presbyopia is a normal aging change of the natural crystalline lens, which sits right behind the pupil within the eye. When we are young, this lens is able to change shape to focus from distance to near. As we age, this lens hardens. At some point in our 40s, this hardening reaches a point that we find ourselves holding things further away to maintain clarity while reading. Eventually, things are still blurry when we hold things at arms length. This is when we move on to reading glasses or bifocals to help. As we continue to age the strength of these reading glasses or bifocals will need to increase in power until around age 60 when things typically will plateau.
Nearsightedness, myopia, is the most common cause of vision problem in people under the age of 40. The number of people with nearsightedness continues to grow. Just a few decades ago, the number of Americans with myopia was about 25%. Today, over 40% of Americans are nearsighted. In fact, it is projected globally that 50% of the world’s population will be myopic by 2050.
Children who are nearsighted often struggle to see things on the board at school or are unable to see things like a clock or television clearly. Adults, typically struggle seeing road signs or recognizing faces across a room. Individuals may squint to see these distant objects. However, these people will be able to see well for near tasks such as reading and working on a computer.
It is important to monitor children’s eye health with annual eye exams. As their bodies are developing, vision changes can occur. Often, nearsightedness will develop during these years. Children will experience increased visual demands as their schoolwork becomes more advanced and they begin driving toward the end of this timeframe. During these years, children will participate in sporting activities that require optimal vision and sometimes eye protection. Having a comprehensive eye examination ensures that their eyes are healthy and seeing to the best they can. Common visual treatments during this stage are glasses and contact lenses.
When you reach different milestones throughout your life, LASIK is worth considering to enhance one’s lifestyle or simply as a reward. LASIK is a safe, effective procedure to reduce one’s needs for glasses and contact lenses. It can help provide you with hassle-free vision to better enjoy life visually. It can also be a reward for the hard work that was required to conquer a particular task. Why not relieve yourself of the need for glasses and contacts?