Posts Tagged ‘refractive error’

A Guide to LASEK Eye Surgery

LASEK surgery is a form of laser eye surgery that corrects refractive errors by reshaping the cornea – to this day, thousands of people the world over have benefited from this revolutionary procedure. LASEK eye surgery is performed on patients whose corneas are either too thin or too flat for LASIK eye surgery, but both procedures offer the same results in vastly improved vision and negate the need for glasses or contact lenses.

Who Can Benefit From LASEK Eye Surgery?

Patients who suffer from refractive errors will be delighted to learn that LASEK eye surgery can once and for all allow them to live life with more freedom and no longer rely on corrective eyewear.

LASEK eye surgery can be used to treat the following refractive errors:

  • Short-sightedness (myopia) – This eye condition results from the cornea being slightly rounder and shorter than it should be. Due to this, the light that enters the eye converges just in front of the retina, meaning that suffers experience difficulty when trying to see a clear image at a distance. Through LASEK eye surgery, the shape of the cornea is corrected and the light is made to focus precisely on the retina – meaning that the blurred images at a distance will become a thing of the past, eliminating the effects of short-sightedness!
  • Long-sightedness (hyperopia) – Patients who suffer from hyperopia have a cornea that is slightly flatter and shorter than it should be. This results in a blurred image because the light that enters the eye focuses on a point just behind the retina. Most people who suffer from this refractive error rely on glasses on contact lenses, but through LASEK eye surgery, the effects of hyperopia can be permanently corrected. That means no more headaches and straining eyes to get objects – both near and far – into focus.
  • Astigmatism – In this case, the cornea is a more conical shape than it should be – this means that light enters at different angles through this cone. This creates two points of focus and ultimately a blurred image. Although this condition is slightly more complex than myopia or hyperopia, using the right technology, virtually all astigmatism symptoms can be treated through LASEK eye surgery.

What Does the LASEK Procedure Involve?

A patient is deemed an appropriate candidate for LASEK eye surgery when they suffer from one of the above mentioned refractive errors and usually because their cornea is not thick enough to withstand LASIK eye surgery. During the LASEK procedure, an ophthalmic surgeon focuses of the preservation of the corneal epithelium. In this way, the procedure differs from both LASIK and as the surgeon does not create a corneal flap or scrape and remove the epithelium.

LASEK treats the epithelium with a diluted alcohol solution which loosens it; the surgeon then rolls the epithelium tissue back and works with a laser to reshape the exposed corneal tissue beneath. The surgeon then simply smoothly rolls back the epithelium cells in their new reshaped position.

What Happens After Laser Eye Surgery?

Recovery time from LASEK eye surgery tends to take slightly longer than that of LASIK, but in the hands of expert surgeons, the visual outcomes are the same. Patients experience vast vision improvement with maximum convenience.

Post-treatment, patients are usually prescribed medicated eye drops which aid the healing process and relieve any temporary discomfort during this time. For about the first week, patients are given a night shield to wear when sleeping, which prevents any accidental rubbing of the eyes. In some cases, patients are fitted with soft contact lenses to give further protection to the healing eyes.

Patients who undergo LASEK eye surgery will find they have a newfound freedom as they no longer have to rely on glasses or the deal with the hassles of contact lenses or spectacles. Due to their vast visual improvement, many patients say that their self-esteem is boosted, along with their confidence!

The London Vision Clinic is leading laser eye surgery clinic in the UK, boasting world-class ophthalmic surgeons who expertly perform LASIK and LASEK eye surgery. If you suffer from a refractive error and are considering LASEK eye surgery, contact one of the Patient Education Consultants at the London Vision Clinic today to set up a screening to determine your suitability for the procedure.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/vision-articles/a-guide-to-lasek-eye-surgery-1675407.html

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Astigmatism

If you have blurred vision when looking at objects up close, far away, and in between, it may be astigmatism. Astigmatism causes blurry vision due to an irregularly shaped cornea. Most people have some slight astigmatism but not always enough to cause vision problems.

Your Cornea and Astigmatism

Astigmatism is a type of refractive error. Your cornea bends, or refracts, light as it enters your eye to focus it on the retina. In order to properly focus the light, your eye needs to be spherical in shape. With astigmatism, the cornea is oblong or oval shaped, more like a football. When the irregularly shaped cornea bends the light it creates two or more focal points, rather than one clear focal point, causing the image to be blurry.

Recognizing Astigmatism

Astigmatism can occur alone or in combination with nearsightedness (myopia) or farsightedness (hyperopia). Symptoms include:

  • Distortions in vision making it difficult to make out fine details up close, far away, and in between
  • Blurred vision
  • Eye strain
  • Headaches

Children can be born with astigmatism, or the condition can be caused by trauma to the eye due to an injury or surgery. Keratoconus is a disease of the eye that causes progressive thinning of the cornea and can cause astigmatism.

If you are experiencing the symptoms of astigmatism or any change in your vision, it is important to see your ophthalmologist right away. These can be symptoms of a more serious eye condition or health problem.

Astigmatism in One Eye

When vision is different between your two eyes, your brain chooses the better of the two images, ignoring the bad eye. The eyes do not work together properly and depth perception is affected.

In young children, whose brains are still developing, astigmatism in just one eye can cause lazy eye (amblyopia). Left untreated amblyopia can cause permanent vision loss in the affected eye.

Correcting Astigmatism

Eyeglasses or contact lenses are typically prescribed for people with astigmatism. In the past, soft contact lenses were not an option for astigmatism. Today there are soft contacts available for astigmatism, but they are more difficult to make and cost more than other soft lenses.

Corrective lenses improve your vision while you wear them, but they do not truly correct the astigmatism. Refractive surgery, such as LASIK or PRK, reshapes your cornea correcting the refractive error. If you are also nearsighted or farsighted, the surgery can correct that at the same time, giving you clear vision without the need for glasses or contacts.

If you are struggling with blurry vision, headaches, or eyestrain, please visit Eyes.com to learn more about the causes and solutions.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/vision-articles/astigmatism-1600062.html

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Laser Vision Correction

If you dream of freedom from glasses or contact lenses laser vision correction may be the solution for you. LASIK is the most well-known vision correction procedure, but there are several other types of laser vision correction. By reshaping your cornea, your ophthalmologist can correct nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism, giving you clear vision without the hassle of corrective lenses.

Refractive Error

Nearsightedness (myopia), farsightedness (hyperopia), and astigmatism are all forms of refractive error. Your cornea bends, or refracts, light to focus on the retina. When your cornea is misshapen the light does not focus properly. Refractive surgery reshapes your cornea, correcting how the light is bent and therefore correcting the focus of the light on the retina.

Types of Laser Vision Correction

You have probably heard of LASIK, but might not be aware that there are two types of LASIK, traditional and custom, and that there are several other forms of laser vision correction including:

  • Epi-LASIK
  • iLASIK
  • LASEK
  • InterLase
  • PRK

All are performed using an excimer laser. The technique is different for each type of laser surgery, making laser vision correction possible for people who are not good candidates for LASIK.

The Precision of Today’s Laser Vision Correction

Refractive surgery is not new, but it is being constantly improved. Traditional LASIK has been used to safely and effectively correct vision for over twenty years. Custom LASIK is far more precise, and can give you even clearer vision.

In custom LASIK, Wavefront technology is used to map your eyes and guide the laser. Wavefront is also used to guide other types of laser vision correction. Wavefront diagnosis helps your ophthalmologist determine which type of laser surgery is right for you, and can detect high order aberrations that can be made worse by LASIK surgery.

Improving Your Vision and Your Life

Laser vision correction can mean freedom from corrective lenses for many patients. Those with very poor vision can achieve better corrected vision. Improving your eyesight can open up opportunities that you never had before. It may simply make things like swimming and other hobbies easier and more fun. For some, it can make essential activities, such as driving, possible. Getting rid of your glasses or contacts means waking up each morning with clear vision and never again having to worry about losing or damaging your lenses. To learn more about laser vision correction and what you can do to improve your vision please visit eyes.com today.

To learn more about laser vision correction and what you can do to improve your vision please visit Eyes.com today.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/vision-articles/laser-vision-correction-1600068.html

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What Makes A Good Lasik Candidate?

As one of the most common outpatient vision correction procedures, Lasik surgery is a relatively straightforward process with the treatment itself taking only minutes. Los Angeles eye surgeons and surgeons in the world perform Lasik surgery on approximately one million eyes every year and it is no different than any other surgery

Laser Assisted in Situ Keratomileusis (Lasik) is intended to eliminate or reduce dependency on eyeglasses or contacts. Beverly Hills Lasik surgery has become more and more popular as the decades progress but still Laser Eye Surgery is not for everyone. Alternative surgery procedures like PRK and Lasik are excellent alternatives to glasses and contact lenses for patients suffering from myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), and astigmatism as well as a wide range of other vision conditions.

A procedure like this can permanently reshape the cornea, which is the clear covering of the front of the eye with the help of a laser. Most patients do not report any problems after the Los Angeles Lasik laser surgery. There are a wide variety of different optical lasers used in this procedure but common for all of them is that the laser will remove some tissue from the cornea.

Patients who have reached or are close to reaching the age of 40 should consider that their vision may be affected by conditions that cannot be treated with Lasik surgery, such as presbyopia. Patients with certain medical conditions or taking certain medications should not choose Lasik surgery because of the implication that it might give, according to top professional Beverly Hills Lasik surgeons. If you’re pregnant or nursing you will fall out of the ideal candidate classification and as it is advised to wait before considering laser vision correction. Patients with a condition called keratoconus are ineligible for the procedure and so are patients who have high levels of refractive error. Both parties are at a slightly higher risk for post-surgical astigmatism.

Laser vision correction surgery is an extraordinary procedure that has helped thousands of people see better and is an exciting opportunity for anyone who suffers from vision problems. Lasik surgery is the preferred vision correction surgery these days, despite its high cost. This type of surgery is however generally not the best option for older patients suffering from age-related conditions. Often these conditions can’t be treated with the Lasik procedure. To learn more about Lasik and laser eye surgery, contact you local Lasik eye specialists to learn more.

Andrew I. Caster, M.D. has performed over fourteen thousand procedures to correct nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. Dr. Caster is widely considered one of the most knowledgeable Lasik surgeons in the United States. Los Angeles Magazine selected Dr. caster as “The Best Lasik Surgeon in Los Angeles” and W Magazine listed him as one of two top Lasik surgeons in the United States. For more information please visit: http://www.castervision.com/

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/vision-articles/what-makes-a-good-lasik-candidate-1530208.html

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Symptoms and treatments of amblyopia

There is vision problem called amblyopia or lazy eye among children below six, which always affects only one eye. Its symptoms include eyestrain, overall poor visual acuity, headache, and one-eye squinting. The patient can also realize the fact that his two eyes are not equally functioning.

Trauma, strong uncorrected nearsightedness or farsightedness and strabismus are some of the reasons that may cause amblyopia. People with amblyopia usually have poor central vision in one eye. Potential blindness can be caused if amblyopia is left untreated.

Since the brain turns off the weaker eye, one treatment for amblyopia is vision therapy exercise, which forces the brain to see through the amblyopic eye. The most common application is patching the stronger eye, which may take several hours each day or all day long for weeks. For convenience, children can take use of prosthetic contact lenses, which block vision in the stronger eye while offering natural eye color.

Atropine eye drops can also be placed in the stronger eye and then its vision can be blurred. This way of treatment eliminates the constant vigilance to check the patch. Certain studies have proved that atropine drops have become an effective alternative to patching. The disadvantage of atropine is its broad side effects, including light sensitivity, flushing and potential paralysis.

Since strong uncorrected refractive error can be one of the reasons that cause amblyopia, corrective eyeglasses and contact lenses may be prescribed to treat this vision problem. And sometimes eyeglasses are in a combination of patching.

The best way to treat strabismus-caused amblyopia is surgery, which corrects the problematic muscles.

Early treatment of amblyopia is essential, since it will never disappear naturally and may lead to permanent visual problem as serious as vision loss. And the risk of eye diseases on the stronger eye should also be considered.

this article is come from:http://vision.firmoo.com/eye-diseases/symptoms-and-treatments-of-amblyopia.html

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Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/vision-articles/symptoms-and-treatments-of-amblyopia-1332819.html

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