What Are Your Options When You Have Presbyopia?
Presbyopia is an eye condition that many LASIK Orange County doctors find in older adults. In this condition, the lens can no longer focus on nearby objects.
For laser eye surgery Orange County doctors, this eye condition is a natural and usually frustrating part of aging. Typically, Presbyopia becomes noticeable in a person’s mid-40s and worsens until the age of 65. As a matter of fact, the term “presbyopia” comes from a Greek word that means “old eye.”
Doctor Moosa, a premier LASIK surgeon in Orange County tells us that you will become aware of Presbyopia when you begin to hold books and newspapers at arm’s length so you can read them. A simple eye exam can affirm Presbyopia. Fortunately, LASIK surgeons in Orange County have different treatment options such as contact lenses, eyeglasses, and surgery.
What Causes Presbyopia?
The LASIK Orange County experts tell us that the clear lens sits inside the eye behind the colored iris. It alters shape to focus light onto the retina, so your eye allows you to see. The lens is soft and flexible in younger eyes and easily changes shape, allowing you to focus on objects close-up and far away. After age 40, the lens becomes stiffer, and it doesn’t alter its shape as effortlessly. This makes it more challenging to read, thread a needle, or do other close-up tasks.
Unfortunately, you can’t stop or reverse the normal aging process that causes Presbyopia. Nevertheless, Presbyopia can be corrected with eyeglasses, contact lenses, or surgery. Individuals who have issues seeing both near and far can take advantage of progressive lenses. Modern medicine recognizes that one day presbyopia will be treated with eye drops. If you do not do something about your Presbyopia, you will suffer from headaches and eye strain.
Also, there is a risk of premature Presbyopia in some people. Patients with cardiovascular disease, anemia, diabetes, farsightedness, eye disease, and multiple sclerosis are at increased risk for premature Presbyopia.
The symptoms of Presbyopia include difficulty reading small letters, having a headache or eye strain. Such people have to hold the material farther away from the eye.
What Are The Treatment Options?
When you ask about laser eye surgery costs, you will find that various treatment options may help you correct this condition. Different options available are non-prescription glasses, prescription glasses, contact lenses, surgery, and orthokeratology lenses. Every option has its pros and cons, and your ophthalmologist may recommend an option that best suits you depending upon your condition and lifestyle.
Reading Glasses
If the only vision problem you have is Presbyopia (you don’t suffer from farsightedness, nearsightedness, or astigmatism), eyeglasses may be all you require. Reading glasses help correct close-up vision issues by bending (or refracting) light before it goes into the eye. You can purchase reading glasses without a prescription, but an eye exam should determine the distinguishing power of reading glasses that you require.
Bifocals, Trifocals, or Progressive Lenses
If you already wear eyeglasses for other vision issues now, you might need bifocals, trifocals, or progressive lenses.
Bifocals correct close-up and far vision. You may or may not notice a line that divides the lens. The bottom of the lens refracts light for close-up vision, while the top portion refracts light to let you view distant objects.
Trifocals have three lens areas to correct for close-up, mid-range, and far vision.
Progressive lenses correct vision such as bifocals and trifocals. But rather than a line that separates each refractive area, refraction changes slowly in the lens from top to bottom.
Contact Lenses
Some people would rather wear contact lenses over eyeglasses. There are two kinds of contact lenses that correct Presbyopia:
Monovision contacts. These correct one eye for distance vision and the other for close-up vision. You have to adapt to monovision lenses and train your brain to see this way. The issue that some people have with monovision is that you can misjudge something’s distance or speed.
Multifocal contacts. These lenses have many rings or zones set at different powers. With this design, you are only using both near and far vision at the same time. However, you can train your brain to automatically opt for the proper focus for what you want to see. You may notice that using a multifocal lens makes your vision less sharp compared to using a monofocal lens.
Surgery
When some patients want to achieve monovision, they do refractive surgery. This can reduce their dependence on glasses for near and far objects. With the use of a laser, an eye doctor alters the cornea for clear far vision in one eye and close-up vision in the other. In a lot of ways, this is like wearing monovision contact lenses. An eye doctor may advise you to try monovision lenses before having LASIK surgery. This will help you decide whether or not monovision is a comfortable option for you.
At Excel Laser Vision Institute, we have a team of skilled and committed staff who will quickly answer all of your questions and put you at ease about your surgery. We only use advanced laser vision correction technology to carry out vision correction procedures. Our Harvard-trained surgeon, Dr. Moosa, serves at our Orange County and the Los Angeles offices. After we have assessed your prescription and eye health, we can discuss which eye correction treatment is more suitable for you, the necessary financing you may require, and the next steps. Start your journey towards a clear vision that eliminates your dependence on eyeglasses and contact lenses today.
How To Speed Up Recovery Time After Corrective Eye Surgery
Corrective eye surgery involves using a surgical procedure called Laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) or Photo-Refractive Keratectomy (PRK). Both procedures are designed to help you see clearly again so you can handle your everyday tasks without the need for glasses or contacts. Laser eye surgery does not require a lot of time, but there are things you should be aware of and keep in mind if you want to learn how to speed up PRK recovery.
What Happens After Lasik Surgery?
Once you have completed LASIK or PRK eye surgery, your eyes will start healing immediately because the initial healing happens rapidly. However, if you are experiencing some blurred vision and fluctuations in your vision for several weeks or even months after laser eye surgery, don’t be alarmed since this is quite normal.
At laser vision correction clinics in Los Angeles your ophthalmologist or LASIK surgeon will usually request to see you the day after your surgery to check your visual acuity and make sure your eyes are healthy and healing as they should be. Many patients can legally drive without their eyeglasses or contact lenses and can go back to work the day after their LASIK procedure.
Once you do corrective eye surgery, there are regular follow up visits that are scheduled for a period of six months or longer to continually monitor your vision and eye health. In many circumstances, a patient’s vision should be stable by the time they reach the six-month post-op visit.
It is also important to note, that if you experience dry eyes, halos, glare or other visual disturbances after LASIK eye surgery, most of these symptoms should be gone, or somewhat reduced at the six-month visit.
How Long Does Blurred Vision Last?
You have to keep in mind that LASIK or PRK surgery in Orange County involves an incision, and your eyes need to heal after that procedure. The body heals through the inflammation process, so this can temporarily impact clear vision. The American Academy of Ophthalmology says it is not uncommon for a patient’s vision to stay blurry for several weeks or even months after LASIK.
Since experiencing blurred vision is a symptom of the body going through the healing process, there isn’t much that can be done to treat this problem. Most of the time, the blurring will fade over time, however, the precise amount of time needed can be different from every individual.
What Happens If My Vision Is Still A Problem?
If your vision is troubling you 90 days after corrective eye surgery, your eye surgeon may advise you on a LASIK enhancement procedure to sharpen your eyesight.
Many surgeons will wait at least 3 to 6 months before performing an enhancement. The reason why they wait for so long is that they want to make sure any residual refractive error is totally stable. This is more advantageous for the patient since it increases the possibility that the last treatment they require helps them reach the level of visual clarity they have been aiming for.
After a successful LASIK or PRK surgery in Los Angeles, you should do your utmost to protect your eyes from injuries, and you should continue to do so even after your surgeon informs you that your eyes have completely recovered.
What Are Mistakes To Avoid After LASIK Surgery?
After your laser eye surgery, your doctor will run down a list of the Dos and Don’ts with you and go over how to speed up PRK recovery. Nevertheless, it is very easy to forget these precautions, since they are things we naturally do every day and we have become completely innate to doing these activities. You will recover faster if you avoid these mistakes post-surgery:
Not Getting Enough Rest
Even though laser eye surgery is a very easy and simple process, your body still needs lots of rest so it can properly heal itself completely just like more demanding procedures. Therefore, it is recommended to take off a few days from work or school, so you can just concentrate on yourself and getting enough rest for a quicker recovery.
Don’t Use Gadgets Immediately After Surgery
Televisions, computers, smartphones, and other digital devices put a huge strain on your eyes. You could experience uncomfortable dryness as well. So, it is best to wait for a day or two after eye laser surgery before you go back online and watch television.
Not Wearing Sunglasses
Not only do you need to protect your eyes from the blue light that your gadgets emit, but you also need to protect your eyes from the harsh UV rays the sun produces after your surgery. A good way of doing this is to wear sunglasses and spend lots of time indoors while you are healing.
Don’t Wear Eye Makeup
It is advisable not to wear eye makeup for some time after surgery because if the makeup gets into your eyes it could cause irritation. You should also avoid lotions, moisturizers, and other face products since there is a risk that it can get into your eyes. Keep away from them until your doctor informs you that you have fully recovered.
Don’t Rub Your Eyes
It is common to experience some mild discomfort after LASIK surgery. Therefore try to stop yourself from rubbing or dabbing near your eyes for about two weeks to avoid getting any infections or causing contamination.
Do Not Drive After Surgery
Your laser eye surgeon will strongly advise you to find a person who can drive you home after your LASIK surgery. As you are most likely fully aware, driving requires you to focus yourself visually and this can be very tiring particularly after the procedure. Once you have booked your LASIK procedure, make sure to arrange your transportation for that day in advance.
Be Careful When Taking A Bath Or Shower
You can take a long, hot soak in the tub or a shower after LASIK, but try not to get water or soap in your eyes. This could sting, and in the worst cases, can cause an infection.
Make sure you choose a professional you can trust to provide you with the clear, crisp vision you are looking for. Your LASIK surgeon should give you all the guidance and care you need to heal properly. If you are interested in getting 20/20 vision, give Excel Laser Vision Institute a call at + (818) 907-8606 today.