Posts Tagged ‘UK’
Laser eye surgery is now one of the most common optical procedures in the UK, with thousands of Brits seeking the procedure as an alternative to wearing eyeglasses or contact lenses. It’s suitable for patients with all types of vision correction needs, ranging from short and long sightedness to astigmatisms. What’s more, laser eye surgery is one of the most developed procedures in the optical world, utilising innovative and highly advanced computer controlled lasers to improve a patient’s vision.
While thousands seek the procedure to correct their vision, motivations behind the correction can vary significantly. For instance, countless people seek laser eye surgery simply because it makes everyday life easier. Many people tire of having to search for their glasses first thing in the morning when they open their eyes. Correcting their vision through surgery, however, enables them to see clearly, no matter what time of day. Family life is also often made easier, with parents able to attend to children quickly at night, and never having to worry about children breaking their glasses.
Comfort is another issue when it comes to seeking laser eye surgery. Many contact lens wearers, for example, suffer from dry eyes – particularly in air-conditioned areas – while those who wear glasses often feel their eyes tire out by the end of the day. Contacts and glasses also need to be cleaned on a regular basis, while glasses can easily become fogged in certain environments. Finally, many contact lens wearers can experience infections and abrasions if they’re not careful with how they wear their lenses. Laser eye surgery can tend to all of these circumstances by eliminating the need to wear contacts or glasses altogether.
Another major reason that people seek laser eye surgery is because it enables them to partake in activities that are harder to enjoy with glasses or contacts – for example, swimming, diving, rugby, or tennis. With corrected vision, patients don’t have to worry about their glasses breaking, or their contacts falling out – they can simply enjoy their favourite activities with perfect eyesight.
Finally, one of the biggest motivations behind seeking laser eye surgery is that it enhances self-confidence. Many people feel that not having to wear glasses improves their appearance, which can subsequently boost their confidence and help their performance at work and in personal relationships.
If you’re seeking laser eye surgery, it’s important to find a surgeon who fits your optical needs. It’s also essential that you never decide on a laser eye surgeon or clinic based purely on the cost of eye laser treatment. Paying that extra bit of money could mean you get a higher quality procedure, so it’s vital that you do your research, seek referrals and reviews, and meet with potential surgeons to discuss your laser eye surgery needs.
Andrew Regan writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.
Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/vision-articles/how-laser-eye-surgery-can-enhance-your-life-1755922.html
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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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One quarter of all people in the UK aged over 75 will develop cataracts and after the age of 50 your chances of having cataracts really begin to increase. A cataract causes damage to the eye lens and the only available treatment to restore vision damaged by cataracts is the removal of the cataract and the damaged eye lens. Cataract surgeons then replace the natural eye lens with an intraocular lens to restore vision.
What is a cataract and what causes cataracts?
A cataract damages the eye lens, distorting the way light enters the eye and causing vision to become cloudy.
The eye lens works like a camera: light enters the eye and is sent in a clean line backwards through the eye to the retina. From the retina, electrical images are sent to the brain and these images are what we see.
When the eye lens becomes clouded by a cataract, light defracts as it enters the eye, sending fractured images towards the retina. The images we see become distorted or ‘cloudy’.
Cataracts are caused by a build up of proteins in the eye. These proteins gradually clump together and damage the eye lens. The longer a cataract is left untreated the more proteins that cloud the lens and the more damaged vision becomes.
Cataracts area common problem for people over the age of 50 – with 1 in 4 UK patients developing a cataract in a lifetime. Cataracts develop gradually with age but can also be caused by damage to the eye or as the result of a genetic problem in the case of congenital cataracts.
Different types of cataract can damage different parts of the eye lens and more than one cataract can develop at once. Cataracts commonly occur in both eyes at the same time.
What are the symptoms of a cataract?
The most common symptoms of cataracts are blurred or cloudy vision, difficulty in seeing bright colours, seeing halos or glare around bright lights and poor night vision. Cataracts symptoms will vary according to the type of cataract. As the cataract develops, symptoms of blurred, cloudy vision will increase and vision deteriorates.
How do cataracts develop and progress?
Once a cataract starts to develop, the condition will get worse over time. The speed a cataract develops will vary between patients but the more advanced a cataract becomes the more damage is caused to eye sight.
How are cataracts diagnosed?
Cataracts must be diagnosed by a qualified opthalmologist. The symptoms of cataract may be similar to those of another eye condition and it is important patients have a consultation with an eye clinic before booking cataract operations online.
To diagnose a cataract the opthalmologist will perform a series of eye tests: a visual acuity test, pupil dilation test and a tonometry test. These tests can diagnose a cataract in the very early stages of cataract development which is why regular eye tests are strongly recommended, especially for people aged over 65.
What is recovery like after cataract surgery and what results can I expect?
Cataract surgery is performed as an outpatient operation. The surgery is complete within one hour and patients are able to return home the same day.
Immediately after cataract surgery, vision will be blurred due to the eye drops used to dilate and numb the eye for surgery. Patients are generally prescribed eye drops to protect the eye from infection as it heals and the new replacement lens settles in the eye. It is important that patients try to avoid irritating the eye until fully healed and waering an eye patch while sleeping can prevent rubbing the eye and causing a problem.
The recovery from cataract surgery is fast – most patients feel only a slight ache in the eye for one-two days post-surgery.
The results of cataract surgery are excellent with 95% of patients reporting an immediate improvement in their sight*. Patients can expect an end to blurred vision, annoying glare and halos from bright lights and an improvement in night vision.
What are the risks and complications of cataract surgery?
As one of the most commonly performed ophthalmology procedures, cataract surgery enjoys a very low complication rate and the surgical risks are low. However, as with all surgery it’s important to understand the risks and complications surrounding cataract surgery to help you make appropriate arrangements for the recovery period.
Frequently asked questions about cataracts
Will you be able to see or feel anything during cataract surgery? How long will the new lens last? You can find the answers to the most often asked questions about cataracts and cataract surgery by visiting our cataract FAQ page.
*statistics from NHS Choices
Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/vision-articles/cataracts-and-vision-loss-1583882.html