Saturday, April 19, 2008

LASIK Eye Surgery 23 Questions To Consider

By Keno Toriello

Do you want to know if you qualify for Lasik Eye Surgery? With the growing popularity of this surgical technique, it's become all the more important to separate the hype from the real facts.

Committing to have Laser or LASIK Eye Surgery is a big decision, and before deciding you should ask yourself some simple questions. This way you will be confident you are taking the right form of vision correction.

  • Do you have or have you ever had any problems with your eyes other than needing eyeglasses or contact lenses?
  • Have you check your vision with an eye test?
  • Do you have dry eyes?
  • Do you have thin corneas?
  • Do you wear glasses or contacts all the time, or only some of the time?
  • Do you need an unusually strong prescription?
  • Do you take steroids or other drugs that might prevent healing?
  • Has your prescription changed in the last year?
  • Does your job prohibit refractive surgery?
  • Can you really afford this method of eyesight improvement?
  • Do you have a chronic illness that might slow down or alter your healing?
  • Do you have an autoimmune disease or other major illness?

You might be prepared to make the decision, maybe your vision has been deteriorating over the last years, and you really need an eyesight improvement. But maybe you are not the ideal candidate for refractive surgery. That is why you should still answer more questions prior to having Laser Eye Surgery.

  • Do you have myopia, astigmatism, or presbyopia?
  • Are you willing to have more than one surgery if needed?
  • Do you think this is the last correction you will ever need?
  • Do you realize that long-term results are not known?
  • Do you know that night driving might be difficult?
  • Do you know your vision could be significantly reduced in dim light conditions?
  • Do you know some patients may lose some vision or experience blindness after Lasik Eye Surgery?
  • Do you know that if you have dry eyes they could become worse, or you could develop chronic dry eyes as a result of the surgery if you don`t have dry eyes before?
  • Do you know about glare, halos, starbursts, etc?
  • Do you know the additional risks of having both eyes treated at the same time?
  • Have you read the patient information booklet about Laser Eye Surgery?

Try to understand the above questions regarding Lasik Eye Surgery, to see if you meet the criteria. There are many risks involved, so if you are still thinking you need this procedure, consider finding an experienced doctor that has performed a number of laser eye surgeries.

Keno Toriello is a successful Expert Publisher in the Eye Care and Vision industries, and Webmaster of "Better Eyes Better Vision Program" at http://www.Eyes-Doctor-Secret.com specialized in Natural Vision Correction, Lasik Eye Surgery, Contact Lenses and Prescription Sunglasses. Try a Free Eye Test and see your results!!! Keno Toriello has spent countless hours studying and conducting research, and now he shares his insightful and powerful secrets to you. Copyright 2008. Visit http://www.Eyes-Doctor-Secret.com

Friday, April 18, 2008

Lasik Vision Correction - Important And Useful Facts And Tips You Should Know

By David Parton

Lasik Eye surgery is the logical choice if you are one of the millions of people that are tired of having to wear glasses or pack around a lot of accessories to maintain your contact lenses. For many vision problems,Lasik is a very common and effective treatment.

Do you need to safely correct your vision?

Do your vision problems increase...

While you are playing sports? When you're reading the newspaper? While you're out for a swim?

If you're looking for a safe laser eye treatment, then you must read right to the end of this article...

There are plenty of easy to locate and safe surgical eye treatments for you to check out, especially if you are looking for online information...

The truth about how to benefit from Laser eye treatment

It's a good idea to weigh your options when selecting a qualified refractive eye treatment clinic that you feel comfortable with. You should get a full eye examination by your refractive surgeon that will help him determine your suitability, if you are considering Laser eye correction.

Regarding the risks, potential benefits and any suitable to alternatives of this treatment, you should get a complete and thorough consultation from the ophthalmologist after your eye exam.

Ideal LASIK vision surgery candidates need to have a realistic expectation of the results as well an understanding of the risks and serious commitment to reducing their dependence on corrective lenses and eyeglasses. There are certain guidelines to meet that will establish if you're a good candidate for Laser corrective eye surgery.

You cannot be breast-feeding or expecting a child. There is a minimum age of 18 years.

Some patients have corneas that are thinner than normal.They are not good candidates for this procedure. If your prescription has shown no significant changes in the last twelve months, you are a good candidate for Laser eye treatment.

Laser eye treatment is the first choice of many people opting for refractive eye surgery today. The safety of this procedure is well-documented and you will feel only a mild discomfort. Laser eye treatment is a routine procedure. Both eyes can safely be treated on within the same visit.

A patient's vision improvement after Laser eye treatment is virtually instantaneous. Even if you're not a good candidate for this treatment, you can still take advantage of all the many other alternative methods of treatment available to you. Although there can be no guarantees - the majority of Laser eye treatment clients are delighted with the surgical results.

David Parton is a researcher of Eye Laser Refractive Surgery including Types Of Laser Eye Surgery Before you risk Eye Laser Refractive Surgery, Learn what you need to know to have a safe Eye Laser Refractive Surgery procedure.

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Senior Citizen Laser Eye Surgery

By Dr. Frank Thomnpson

Presbyopia is one of the most common conditions affecting senior citizens nowadays. Presbyopia is caused by the eye's inability to focus in old age, especially with near objects. Thus, blurring of vision occurs, more prominently in the dark. Presbyopia typically presents with blurring of vision when looking at near objects, requiring patients to hold objects far away to be able to see or read. Some people who are nearsighted before they are 40 years old find that their nearsightedness is actually surprisingly advantageous, allowing them to see more clearly when presbyopia starts to set in.

Previously, presbyopia was treated with corrective lenses that are able to compensate for the loss of the eye's ability to focus effectively. If the patient has an additional refractive error, convex lenses can be used. If corrective lenses aren't enough, senior citizens can be given a prescription for bifocals or multifocals. The downside to the use of these lenses is that they can occasionally distort the images that you see. Also, the prescription of the glasses changes constantly, as presbyopia progresses.

Senior citizens who would rather not use eyeglasses or contact lenses can opt to undergo laser eye surgery in order to correct presbyopia. Typically, LASIK eye surgery is used in correcting presbyopia. Conventional LASIK eye surgery, however, can further aggravate the senior citizen's inability to see things up close. Thus, instead of employing the typical LASIK eye surgery, a specific approach, known as monovision, is used.

The monovision approach was initially employed using contact lenses. One contact lens corrects near vision in one eye while the other contact lens corrects distance vision in the other. In time, a more permanent form of monovision was developed. Instead of using contact lenses, laser can be used to permanently change the vision of the eye. One eye can be permanently corrected for near vision while the other eye is permanently corrected for distance vision.

Some people find it very hard to adjust to monovision. Before undergoing monovision laser eye surgery, it is a good idea to first try with contact lenses. This will help you determine whether you can handle permanent monovision or not. If you can't, laser eye surgery may not be for you. You may want to consider other forms of treatment for presbyopia. These treatments include the use of intraocular lenses and novel techniques, such as the use of scleral expansion bands and the surgical reversal of presbyopia, or SRP.

If you would like to learn more vital information that is critical to your well being then visit the resources below.

Cons of Lasik eye surgery

Laik corrective eye surgery

Corrective eye surgery

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Blurry Vision in One Eye

By Dr. Frank Thomnpson

Blurred vision happens when the path of light that stretches from the cornea all the way to the retina gets disturbed. Another source of blurry vision in one eye could be disorders in the optic nerves. Optic nerves transmit information to the brain and when these get askew, the images also get askewed. Blurry visions can be corrected by glasses or contact lenses but in some circumstances a thorough examination of the eye may have to be done to find out what could be wrong or what's causing the blurriness.

There are several causes of blurry vision. One of them is a need for eyeglasses. If a patient suffers from myopia or hyperopia, glasses may be needed. In nearsightedness and astigmatism, objects from a distance may appear blurry but nearby objects may be clear. The blurring that happens may be more acute at night or patients may experience seeing ghostly images or double vision. Usually, those in the mid-40s develop a need for reading glasses. Another cause of blurry vision could be cataract. Most people think cataracts only occur in older people, but it can also occur in younger people. Cataracts commonly occur in people who are over 50 years of age. Symptoms that accompany blurry vision include problems with seeing at night, glare problems and color problems. While this is a cause for concern, cataracts do not cause pain or the feeling that something is stuck in the eye. Other causes may be macular edema, macular degeneration, optic neuritis and diabetes.

Blurry vision in one eye can also be traced to flu. When you're sick, your immune system is down so you are most susceptible to infections. If you happen to be coughing as well, you might have also burst a blood vessel at the back of your eye.

You should call your doctor if you experience the following symptoms: if you see flashes in your vision, if you get the sensation that a curtain is being lowered into the part of your vision and if you have become unusually sensitive to light. Go see your doctor too if you have a foreign object lodged in your eye, if your contact lenses become uncomfortable if your blurry vision occurs right after an accident. This blurry vision may signal that you have internal bleeding or you might have fractured the bone surrounding your eye. Your doctor might recommend that you undergo laser eye surgeries or procedures that can relieve you of the discomforts you are experiencing.

Corrective Eye Surgery could be for you.

Learn about the types of corrective eye surgery

Vision correction without surgery could be an option for you. Visit us now!


Tuesday, April 15, 2008

How Do You Know What To Expect From Laser Eye Surgery?

By Nicola Kennedy

LASIK is a safe and efficacious refractive surgery procedure. It is also the most prevalent of all refractive eye surgery techniques. With such overwhelming prominence, LASIK is often believed to be a panacea for all refractive anomalies. Therefore, the expectation of patients undergoing LASIK is unduly high. But LASIK is a surgical procedure and it’s bound to have a few potential complications and risks. Patients who conjure up an image of LASIK, believing it to be an “elixir for the eye”, are often thwarted at the outcome of the procedure. Satisfactory results often require realistic expectations.

In most patients, LASIK is capable of enhancing un-corrected vision (without the aid of corrective lenses). Over 90% of patients with low to moderate myopia are imparted 20/40 vision, which is the benchmark for qualifying for a drivers’ license in most of the US states. Over 50% of LASIK patients are expected to achieve Snellen 20/20 vision. However, a 20/20 post-LASIK vision does not necessarily mean that you would enjoy crisp and sharp vision. While the Snellen benchmark is a useful visual acuity test, it is not the only way to assess vision. For instance, a Snellen eye exam doesn’t evaluate color and light sensitivity, night vision, or the accommodation power of your eyes (the ability to focus on nearby and far away objects intermittently).

LASIK involves rapid visual recovery and visual acuity is restored within a day or two. But it may take a fair amount of time for the complications and side effects, if any, to subside. During this period, normally 3 to 6 months, the patient might experience halos, glare and starbursts around light sources at night. Ghost vision or double vision is another reported side effect. In general, after LASIK surgery, myopic patients recover hastily when compared with hyperopic patients.

Though LASIK often eliminates the need for eyeglasses and contact lenses, some patients might still require a minimal prescription for certain activities. The need for reading glasses would typically surface beyond the age of 40, since this is when presbyopia (also called “short arm syndrome”) sets in. LASIK may also pronounce the dry eye condition. LASIK is an irreversible procedure and the physical results are permanent. However, eyes may experience age related changes even after LASIK surgery.

If you find a LASIK surgery that you are confident with, you will be able to get more information about what to expect from LASIK laser eye surgery.

The LASIK Surgery Directory - find a LASIK surgery. Nicola Kennedy publishes articles and reports, provides news and views about what to expect from LASIK laser eye surgery at Your Lasik Information.

This article may be reprinted in full so long as the resource box and the live links are included intact. All rights reserved. Copyright Your-LASIK.info

Monday, April 14, 2008

Titanium Eyeglasses

By Adam Zekmueller

It seems that everything these days is made from titanium. It used to be really something to have an aluminum bicycle frame. Now you can get a titanium (oooo!) frame. My wedding ring is titanium. Plus all that aerospace and airplane stuff is titanium. What else is often titanium, you ask? Eyeglass frames, of course! But before we go down that road, let's talk more about the metal.

Titanium comes out of the ground. In rocks. It is popular because of a very high strength-to-weight ratio (thanks wiki!) To use an example, it might take a pound of steel to hold up king kong, but it only takes 1/2 a pound of titanium to do the same thing. While heavier than aluminum, pound-for-pound, titanium is twice as strong.

The benefits for using titanium in eyeglass frames now seems obvious. This metal will result in frames that are equally as strong as steel frames yet are only half the weight. Titanium makes a lot of sense. Don't let any retailer tell you it will change the world, but it will provide a lighter pair of glasses equally as strong as a steel pair. Also, the other side of this is that if you know you'll only be wearing a pair of glasses an hour or two at a time (e.g., sunglasses or fashion glasses), you might get the best bang for your buck out of cheaper steel frames.

A final note is that titanium is often alloyed, or combined, with other metals such as nickel. Some titanium frames are 100% and some are alloys. Unfortunately, the online retailers don't seem to be disclosing this information. I will contact a few and post again in a couple of days. Generally, you want to avoid an alloyed frame if you are allergic to nickel or other metals with which titanium might be alloyed. The rationale behind the alloying process is that the manufacturing process is easier and the titanium becomes easier to manipulate.

This nice looking pair of frames is from EyeBuyDirect

The style name is "Free." It looks like this particular pair runs about $40, plus probably $20 or so in coatings and upgrades. A whole lot better than the $400 I remember my father paying for a pair back in 1999.

Update: I stumbled upon this blogger whose father squished a pair of titanium eyeglasses. They were all mangled, but apparently they were able to be fixed without any breakage! Pretty neat metal, that titanium.

The author is a twenty-something Coloradan who works professionally in local government and blogs as a hobby. As a lifetime wearer of corrective lenses, the author is passionate about helping people from all walks of life afford quality eyewear at a reasonable price. His blog is online at GetBetterGlasses.com

Sunday, April 13, 2008

Save Your Eyes - Don't Buy Cheap Contact Lenses

By Helen Hecker

Be careful about buying cheap contact lenses. They may not be the quality you want. Discount, quality contact lenses are the most desirable. In the U.S. contact lens marketplace, 82 percent of contact lens wearers wear soft lenses, 16 percent wear rigid gas-permeable, and only 2 percent wear hard lenses. The choice of which lens is right for you should be based only on an examination by your doctor or eye care professional, not over the phone

Before you buy contact lenses from anyone other than your eye care professional, it pays to be a wise, informed consumer first. Ophthalmologists are eye surgeons who study and treat eye diseases and can also perform the same duties as optometrists. Optometrists examine eyes, diagnose and treat vision problems, prescribe eyeglasses and contact lenses and in most states they can also prescribe medicine. Opticians grind and dispense eyeglasses and in some states also can dispense contact lenses.

Disposable lenses don't come with instructions for cleaning and disinfecting, while those labeled specifically for planned replacement do come with them. It's important for your eyes to have a good rest, without the lenses, for at least one night following each scheduled removal. There are two general categories of contact lenses - soft and rigid gas permeable. The soft lenses are easier to adjust and are much more comfortable than rigid lenses because they conform to the eye and absorb and hold water.

The expiration date for your lens prescription is currently set by your state requiring a one-year or two-year renewal. If your state has not set a minimum expiration date, government regulations set a one-year date unless your eye doctor determines there's a medical reason for less than a year.

If you live a very active lifestyle, the night and day type of breathable lenses will allow 30 hours of continuous wear. Soft lenses also come as disposable products meaning used once and discarded, or as planned-replacement lenses. Rigid gas permeable contact lenses are more durable, are resistant to deposit buildup, and generally give a clearer, crisper vision. Some eye doctors prescribe disposables as planned-replacement lenses, which are removed, disinfected, and reused before being discarded.

The length of continuous lens wear depends on the contact lens type and your doctor's evaluation of your tolerance for overnight wear. Extended wear lenses are usually soft contact lenses and are made of flexible plastics that allow oxygen to pass through to the cornea.

If you have an insurance plan, the insurance plan's seller's prices may or may not be better than what you can find elsewhere. This should be just one option when you're shopping for contact lenses. Always ask what rebates might be available. Before you buy online, check to see if there are any testimonials on the online supplier's website.

Focus on the value, not just the price. Most people, who are looking for the best price, are really looking for the best value. Get a feel for how the retailer handles customer service calls in the event you have any problems after your order arrives. And check out how long the online supplier has been in business before you buy.

When you receive your order, if you think you've received an incorrect contact lens, see your doctor or eye care professional right away. Don't accept any substitution unless your doctor or eye care professional approves it. You can buy contact lenses from an eye doctor, on the Internet, from an optical store or a warehouse club. When you place your order make sure your lenses are available and not out of stock, because you'll no doubt need them right away.

One sight-threatening concern is the infection Acanthamoeba keratitis, which is caused by improper care of the lens. This hard-to-treat parasitic infection's symptoms are similar to those of corneal ulcers. Make sure to replace your contacts as recommended by your eye doctor because they will wear out as time goes by. Be aware that extended-wear contact lenses - rigid or soft - increase the risk of corneal ulcers, which are infection-caused eruptions on the cornea that can lead to blindness. The symptoms include vision changes, eye redness, eye discomfort or pain, and excessive tearing.

Note that getting a proper fit is essential. Contact lenses that are poorly fitted can lead to eyesores, eye inflammation, and eye abrasions. A basic rule: never swap your contact lenses with anyone else. Soft extended-wear lenses will bind down on the closed eye, but they are porous and allow some tears through during sleep. Because they have so little form, their binding has very little effect on the shape of the eye.

And shopping for contacts online will save you a lot of money. Contact lenses are deeply discounted. If you're looking for cheap contact lenses, you might find that cheap materials or other ways of cutting costs will affect the quality you want for your precious eyes. LASIK or laser surgery and its risks can be frightening and much too expensive for some people. Contacts provide a safe, comfortable and time-tested alternative.

For more information on color contact lenses and where to buy discount contact lenses visit http://www.VisionNurse.com Helen Hecker R.N.'s popular website which offers tips, advice and resources, including information on LASIK eye surgery, sunglasses, eyeglasses and affordable quality contact lenses