Contact Lenses are very useful and often preferred over glasses. I mentioned a few "do's" n "don'ts" in my initial post ... However, since then I've still been approached by people on the topic of sleeping in your contacts, so I felt the need to elaborate on this topic based on my own personal experience.
For starters The Contact Lens is placed on the cornea and may move around slightly but for the most part stays in place if the Base Curve is a good fit for your cornea. Despite popular Belief your contact will NOT get stuck behind your eye and stick to your brain. Its is recommended for Contact lens wearers to change the lenses at least once per month. Protein deposits and bacteria can build up on the contact causing irritation, infection and noticeable blurred vision.
From my experiences as a tech and having encountered hundreds of contact lens wearers, those who are the most successful in maintaing good vision and "allowed" to safely continue to use contacts are those who use them responsibly.
NEVER SLEEP IN CONTACTS!
When the lid is closed for an extended period of time and there is a contact lens in there, oxygen cannot reach the surface of the cornea. Ulcers often develop on the cornea which can lead to larger problems like a potential need for a cornea transplant where a cadaver cornea is sewn on to the surface of the eye.. OR contact lens neo-vascularization where blood vessels grow into the iris. Both results can potentially lead to blindness so don't sleep in them.. its not worth it!
When contacts are left in for a long period of time (a month or longer), the lenses can adhere to the surface of the eye and when they are finally removed, the epithelial layer of the cornea is removed as well... (not a good situation)
Symptoms of irritations caused by misuse of contact lenses include but are not limited to light sensitivity (photophobia), excessive tearing, general irritation.
EXTENDED WEAR CONTACTS
Don't believe the hype! Some contacts do allow more oxygen to flow to the cornea but STILL has the potential to cause complications. Just take them out !
Clean/replace contacts as needed. As mentioned earlier the deposits can cause infections and burry vision. Use rewetting drops and preservative free artificial tears NOT "Vie-ZEEN" to treat dry eyes.
In all, contacts both hard lenses or soft are great ways to improve vision when used responsibly!
p.s. dont sleep in your contacts!!! ;0)
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Friday, August 19, 2011
LASIK AND MORE!
There are many questions surrounding the topic of "Lasik" So here are some general facts and thoughts about the procedure and others like it.
For starters, Lasik is not the only laser surgery available . There are others that have the same outcome but very different procedures. Lasik seems to be the poster-child of laser vision correction surgery due to the fact that there is a very short healing time. Generally, patients are able to see clearly within a few hours. During a lasik procedure the cornea is cut and a flap is created. The flap is then lifted and laser treatment occurs from the laser then the flap is put back down where it will heal without sutures. Artificial tears are an imperative part of the healing process as most nerve endings that trigger tear production are severed during the creation of the flap. Other variations of this procedure including "LASEK" and "EPI-LASIK"are done but with different flap creation practices. Generally the same concept and the use of artificial tears is the still recommended. IF YOU GET THIS DONE.. USE UR DROPS!
PRK is another procedure that is used to correct vision. The United States Air Force requires PRK and prohibits Lasik as PRK Lasers are use to reshape the outer layer of the cornea. A great deal of discomfort and light sensitivity during the healing phase occurs but pain medication is usually recommended to endure what feels like multiple scratches on the surface of your eyes. The desired vision can take days to weeks to be completely attained. Unlike Lasik there is no "flap" created which has the potential to become displaced at high altitudes of frequent flyers. PRK is beneficial because research shows that regeneration of nerve endings occurs at a faster rate than those of Lasik. ALSO, for those people who are NOT a candidate for lasik becuase their corneas are too thin to cut and create flaps, PRK is an alternative solution!
There is yet another form a corrective surgery called "Clear Lens Exchange" This surgery is a much more invasive procedure yet is still one of the most safe procedures in medicine. IF a person is NOT a candidate for Lasik or PRK then removing the natural lens and an artificial lens with the corrective power can be surgically inserted. This is the same procedure as Cataract surgery but this procedure is not covered by medicare.
If you are interested in Laser Vision Correction Surgery then a consultation visit is required to ensure that you are a in fact a candidate. Cost of the surgery may be formulated based on age and the magnitude of your refraction. If corneas are naturally too thin or of one suffers from a corneal degenerative disease such as Karatokonus then most laser procedures will not be recommended and glasses and/or contact lenses can be used regularly. A stable prescription for 2 years or more decreases the possibility that the eyes will continue to change after the surgery. It is possible for the eyes to continue to change after the correction has been made by the laser. In most cases a "touch up" can be done. For more information contact an Ophthalmologist who does Laser correction surgery. Please post comments you there is additional information that was omitted or personal testimonials are requested!
For starters, Lasik is not the only laser surgery available . There are others that have the same outcome but very different procedures. Lasik seems to be the poster-child of laser vision correction surgery due to the fact that there is a very short healing time. Generally, patients are able to see clearly within a few hours. During a lasik procedure the cornea is cut and a flap is created. The flap is then lifted and laser treatment occurs from the laser then the flap is put back down where it will heal without sutures. Artificial tears are an imperative part of the healing process as most nerve endings that trigger tear production are severed during the creation of the flap. Other variations of this procedure including "LASEK" and "EPI-LASIK"are done but with different flap creation practices. Generally the same concept and the use of artificial tears is the still recommended. IF YOU GET THIS DONE.. USE UR DROPS!
PRK is another procedure that is used to correct vision. The United States Air Force requires PRK and prohibits Lasik as PRK Lasers are use to reshape the outer layer of the cornea. A great deal of discomfort and light sensitivity during the healing phase occurs but pain medication is usually recommended to endure what feels like multiple scratches on the surface of your eyes. The desired vision can take days to weeks to be completely attained. Unlike Lasik there is no "flap" created which has the potential to become displaced at high altitudes of frequent flyers. PRK is beneficial because research shows that regeneration of nerve endings occurs at a faster rate than those of Lasik. ALSO, for those people who are NOT a candidate for lasik becuase their corneas are too thin to cut and create flaps, PRK is an alternative solution!
There is yet another form a corrective surgery called "Clear Lens Exchange" This surgery is a much more invasive procedure yet is still one of the most safe procedures in medicine. IF a person is NOT a candidate for Lasik or PRK then removing the natural lens and an artificial lens with the corrective power can be surgically inserted. This is the same procedure as Cataract surgery but this procedure is not covered by medicare.
If you are interested in Laser Vision Correction Surgery then a consultation visit is required to ensure that you are a in fact a candidate. Cost of the surgery may be formulated based on age and the magnitude of your refraction. If corneas are naturally too thin or of one suffers from a corneal degenerative disease such as Karatokonus then most laser procedures will not be recommended and glasses and/or contact lenses can be used regularly. A stable prescription for 2 years or more decreases the possibility that the eyes will continue to change after the surgery. It is possible for the eyes to continue to change after the correction has been made by the laser. In most cases a "touch up" can be done. For more information contact an Ophthalmologist who does Laser correction surgery. Please post comments you there is additional information that was omitted or personal testimonials are requested!
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
*FIRST POST*
General information pertaining to ... eyes.
Contact lenses:
1. "Thou shallt NOT EVER EVER EVER SLEEP IN YOUR CONTACTS !! " Although some brands claim to be "Extended wear" it is not wise to sleep in your contacts. Contact lenses can act as a barrier between the cornea and the lubrication it needs to stay healthy. Leaving your contacts in for a long period of time without removing them can lead to more serious issues (including but not limited to) corneal abrasions, corneal ulcers, PINGUECULA (google it), neo-vasular growth in the iris from a decrease of oxygen to the front surface of your eye.
2. Change the lenses regularly ..every 3-4 weeks
One-a-days are awesome but can potentially be a blow to the wallet.
3. Multifocal lenses are available for those who suffer from what I like to call "short arm syndrome" aka presbyopia
Dry EYE
Keratitis Sicca is a MAJOR issue in the world today. If you are wondering what that means .. its a fancy way of saying "dry eye." Eyes that are dry can cause discomfort and lead to a compromise in vision. There is no cure for K. Sicca but fortunately there are MANY treatments including tear duct plugs, lubrication drops, RX drops like "Restasis" are helpful but may take a while (2-3 months) to take affect but the claim is that they "help you make more of your own tears" Changes in your lifestyle may help as well ie sleeping with the fan on can contribute to dry eye.
DIABETES
Diabetes is the number 1 cause of new blindness in america. Diabetic Retinopathy is the condition in which the retina is damaged by the effects of long term diabetes. The progression of the disease is usually gone unnoticed by the patient until it is too late, there are treatments and procedures that can be done to monitor the changes associated with this diagnosis but ultimately maintaining controlled Blood Sugars and A1C Hemoglobin levels...
EYE think thats enough for one night. there will be many more post coming soon !
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