Symptoms:
Stinging, burning, itching, sandy or gritty feeling and excess tearing.

Anyone of these symptoms can leave your eyes feeling very irritated and uncomfortable and can even blur your vision. There is no cure for dry eyes, but new technologies continue to improve the treatment of dry eyes. Artificial tears used throughout the day and gel at bedtime are the first steps in the treatment. If this does not improve the comfort of your eyes, you need to contact your eye care professional to be evaluated for further treatment.

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Symptoms:
Red, itchy and irritated eyes. Loss of lashes, sties and Chalazia can also occur.

Blepharitis is an infection of the eyelids. It is a very common and permanent condition, yet the severity may change over time. Keeping the lids around the base of the eyelashes clean is essential. The best way to do this is wet a washcloth with comfortably warm water and hold it over the eyes for a few minutes. As the washcloth becomes cool, re wet it again with the warm water -- repeat this 2 to 3 times. Then use the washcloth to gently scrub around the eyelashes. If the symptoms lessen, do not discontinue the lid hygiene. This should become a daily routine in order to control the Blepharitis and its symptoms. In some cases medication is needed.

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Floaters appear in all shapes and sizes. They may appear as small specks, clouds or cobwebs moving in your field of vision. They are usually more noticeable when looking at something with a light-colored background or on a bright, sunny day. The most common cause of floaters is a Posterior Vitreous Detachment. This usually happens when people reach middle age. The vitreous gel, which fills the inside of the eye, may start to thicken or shrink and pull away from the back of the eye, forming clumps or strands and causing a Posterior Vitreous Detachment. As the vitreous pulls, you may notice flashes of light. This is a very common occurrence, but you should notify your ophthalmologist as soon as possible so he may determine that a more serious condition--such as retinal tear--has not occurred.

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Conjunctivitis is usually associated with swelling of the lid and a yellowish discharge. The eyes may itch and have mattering around the lids in the morning. Conjunctivitis may be caused by a variety of factors. The most common factors are bacteria (as in "Pink Eye"), virus, allergies or chemical. The most common form of Conjunctivitis is Bacterial Conjunctivitis. This is very contagious and can easily be transmitted. The best treatment is to see your ophthalmologist for antibiotic drops as soon as the symptoms appear. Hand washing is a good precaution in the spread of the disease.

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Symptoms:
Loss of vision, usually in one eye and lasting up to 20 minutes, an aura of kaleidoscope-like lights or sensitivity to lights. You may experience one or all of these symptoms.

For some people, this is a warning sign of the onset of a migraine. There are no serious complications caused by migraines, and treatment in most cases is not necessary unless associated with the common migraine.

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Is LASIK Right for You?
If you answer yes to the following questions, LASIK may be the right choice for you:

• Are you 18 years of age or older?
• Has your prescription been stable for one year or more?
• Is your prescription within –1.00 to 11.00 diopters of myopia, or up to +5.00 dopters of farsightedness, or do you have an astigmatism up to 5.00 diopters?
• Are your eyes healthy and free of disease or serious ailments?
• Are you informed about both the risks and benefits of LASIK?
• Do you know about the alternatives to LASIK?
• Do you have realistic expectation about how LASIK can improve your vision?

These are the questions you should have the answers to before scheduling a LASIK procedure. Your ophthalmologist can answer all these questions and more.

What Happens During LASIK Surgery?
During LASIK surgery, a thin incision is made to form a flap in the surface of the cornea. The flap is folded back to reveal the cornea’s midsection, called the stroma. Next, an excimer laser is used to remove a thin layer of the stroma. Lastly, the flap is repositioned. As with any surgical procedure, there are risks involved with LASIK. Side effects may include excessively dry eyes, corneal scarring, corneal edema, persistent eye pain or discomfort, glares and halos in the line of vision, and a decreased ability to see well at night or in fog. However, most of these subside as healing progresses after surgery.

What LASIK Can Do For You
According to the Eye Surgery Education Council (ESEC), more than 90 percent of patients who undergo LASIK experience vision improved to 20/40—the minimum vision standard for driving an automobile or playing sports without corrective eyewear. Fifty-six percent of patients report post-surgery 20/20 vision. Although LASIK will not prevent age-related eye conditions or diseases, results are permanent. Most patients return to their normal daily activities the day after surgery. For more information about LASIK or to schedule an examination, please contact us today.

LASIK to treat Hyperopia
Hyperopia occurs when light rays focus behind the retina rather than on it. The deficiency, which allows one to see distant objects much more clearly than near objects, is generally caused by a too-short eye or an exceptionally flat cornea. In cases where the cornea is too flat, hyperopia can usually be treated with LASIK. LASIK will increase the curvature of the cornea, thus allowing light rays to focus properly.

To find out if your hyperopia can be treated with LASIK, please contact us today.

LASIK to treat Astigmatism
In a normal, healthy eye, the cornea is round. In a astigmatic eye, it is football shaped, which prevents the eye from focusing light in just one place on the cornea; instead, light rays focus at more than one point, blurring near, middle, and distant vision.

LASIK can streamline the surface of the cornea, correcting irregular curvature and improving the eye’s focusing ability. It can ultimately improve near, middle, and distant vision.

To find out if your astigmatism can be corrected with LASIK, please contact us today.

LASIK to treat Presbyopia
As we age the lens of the eye loses its flexibility, impairing the eye’s ability to focus and eventually affecting near vision. Called presbyopia, this naturally occurring condition most commonly affects the reading vision of people over the age of 40.

Unfortunately, LASIK cannot be used to treat presbyopia; instead, it is best reserved for those with myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism. In fact, it has been found that when LASIK is used to treat presbyopia, reading vision can worsen—making one even more dependent on one's reading glasses than before.

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