The Different Types Of Refractive Errors According To LASIK Professionals
LASIK eye doctors in Orange County can recognize a refractive error, which is an alteration in the shape of the eye that leads vision to become blurred. The LASIK surgeon educates that refraction, or the bending of light, is what helps all of us to see.
When you look at an object, the light rays it reflects are refracted through the clear, outermost layer of the eye – known as the cornea – onto an inner lens. Then the lens focuses light onto the retina, a layer of light-sensitive tissue located at the back of the eye.
The retina changes patterns of light into electrical signals and transmits these signals to the brain through the optic nerve. In the brain, these signals are identified as images of the objects you notice all around you.
As Doctor Moosa, a LASIK eye surgery professional in Orange County says, a refractive error happens when the eye cannot bend and focus light correctly onto the retina. Vision may become blurry, hazy, or doubled, which results in a person having to squint and strain their eyes. Other usual symptoms include headaches because of the eyestrain or difficulties reading.
When it comes to children, the ophthalmologists confirm that a refractive error can affect a child’s reading level and have a negative impact on their overall learning. It can even result in permanent and uncorrectable degradation in vision, referred to as refractive amblyopia. When adults have a refractive error, they usually experience blurry vision, which can be very uncomfortable, inconvenient, and even unsafe, particularly when they have to drive or operate heavy machinery.
Ophthalmologists and LASIK eye doctors At Excel Laser Vision Institute can quickly ascertain the type of refractive error that is causing you vision loss.
Myopia
Myopia, also known as nearsightedness, is when a person can’t see distant objects clearly. When you have myopia, objects at a distance look blurred, making it a challenge to read a school blackboard or street signs. Myopia happens when refracted light is focused in front of the retina rather than onto the retina. This may happen if the eyeball has an extended shape or if the cornea has too much curvature.
Myopia is usually first discovered in childhood and is common to run in families. Most of the time, myopia worsens over the years throughout an individual’s school-age and adolescent years. Eventually, myopia balances itself out when the person is in their 20s.
Many people with myopia, particularly those younger than age 35, can see objects up close without any issues. Those who are older than the age of 35 may experience presbyopia too, which makes it challenging to see objects up close.
Hyperopia
Hyperopia, or farsightedness, happens when distant objects are easier to see clearly than nearby objects. If hyperopia is considerable, the person’s vision may be blurry at any distance. Hyperopia happens when light is refracted behind the retina rather than onto the retina. This may happen if the eyeball is too short or if there is too little curvature in the cornea.
Hyperopia can happen at any age. Sometimes children can experience slight hyperopia that corrects itself by the time they are adolescents.
Astigmatism
Astigmatism is blurred vision that is caused by an unusually shaped cornea. When a person has astigmatism, the cornea is shaped very similar to a football or an egg instead of a sphere.
When light hits an eye with astigmatism, it gets distorted and refracted to many focus points within the eye rather than on one focus point on the retina. Normally, people with astigmatism have issues seeing objects close up and far away.
Astigmatism can be categorized into two types: regular, in which the eyeball is not spherical but is symmetrical, and then there is irregular, which means the eyeball is not spherical and not symmetrical.
Regular astigmatism is a lot more usual than irregular astigmatism.
Sometimes people are born with astigmatism, and children are usually diagnosed with this refractive error. It usually affects both eyes. There are instances when only one eye is affected – such as an eye injury such as a cut or puncture that results in a scar on the cornea. Also, astigmatism may be caused by a condition known as keratoconus, which is when the cornea thins and starts to bulge outward.
Presbyopia
As you get older, you may realize that your ability to focus up close, especially as you read, gets worse. Presbyopia occurs to many people at some point after the age of 40 since the eyes’ lenses, which focus light, slowly lose their ability to change their shape to let you focus on nearby objects.
Presbyopia and macular degeneration are not the same. Macular degeneration occurs when the macula, located near the center of the retina, is damaged. It usually happens in individuals who are older than 70 and causes blurriness in the central field of vision when you look at objects that are close up or far away.
On the other hand, presbyopia only changes the lens of the eye and causes the whole field of vision to blur when you try to focus on something up close.
Only a thorough examination by an ophthalmologist or optometrist can identify common age-related changes in the eye, such as presbyopia and changes in vision-related to macular degeneration.
If you have any other questions or concerns about refractive errors, contact Excel Laser Vision Institute at (888) 957-3255. Our team of staff is highly trained and experienced. In the office, we also have Dr. Moosa, a well-esteemed LASIK surgeon in Orange County that has a Harvard education and lots of experience working with different prescription levels. Dr. Moosa has helped many professionals achieve their vision goals, from athletes to models to military personnel. Visit our website to learn more: https://www.exceleye.com/.
Can I Have LASIK On Just One Eye? The LASIK Expert In Orange County Answers
Many patients can’t wait to get to LASIK in Orange County because having laser eye surgery is a remarkable and exciting experience. With the best laser eye surgery at Excel Laser Vision Institute, you can guarantee that you will be able to see more clearly after the procedure.
Although many patients of LASIK eye surgery in Orange County experience a huge improvement in their eyes after LASIK surgery, some of the things are not as simple as it seems. The fact of the matter is that some patients are often concerned whether it is safe or not to get LASIK in both eyes simultaneously or if they should have the procedure carried out on one eye only at first then get back to the other eye at a later date.
How Do Eyes Work?
To get clear vision thru LASIK in your eyes, you need to get the cornea and lens to refract or bend light rays to focus them on the retina in the back of the eye. The retina sends the light rays to the brain in the form of impulses for the brain to understand them as being images. When the light rays are not focusing on the retina, it causes blurry vision or refractive error. The purpose of LASIK is to correct this inaccuracy to provide a better vision.
If you have any part of the eye that is not perfectly shaped, such as the cornea, lens, or eyeball, it can cause refractive errors and make your vision blurry. As a result, there is a difference between the curvature of the cornea and the length of the eye. This can happen in one eye, while the other eye has a near-perfect vision, or it can occur in both eyes in different ways.
Why Would You Get LASIK In One Eye?
In some instances, LASIK is performed on both eyes simultaneously. Nevertheless, there are a few cases in which LASIK is required for only one eye or patient requests that each eye gets treatment on different days.
Here are the two most common reasons patients receive LASIK only on one eye.
Visual Disorders Affecting Only One Eye
The main reason for LASIK being carried out on only one eye is refractive errors, specifically anisometropia (lazy eye). Refractive errors can be a result of several conditions in an eye that LASIK procedures can correct. For instance, you may be nearsighted, farsighted, and experience astigmatism in only one eye. Another visual disorder is Presbyopia. This is an age-related eye condition that affects a person’s ability to see because of seeing up-close, and their vision is blurred.
Patient’s Request
Sometimes a patient may want to have LASIK performed on one eye at a time, usually choosing the “bad eye” first. The reason for this is because they would like to see whether the benefits of LASIK are worth it before getting the other eye treated. Some believe that this is a safe method.
What Is Monovision LASIK?
Monovision LASIK refers to having LASIK surgery to give the patient good near vision in one eye and good distance in the other. Normally, the dominant eye is first determined, and then the patient is first given contact lenses with distance vision in the dominant and near in the non-dominant.
If the patent states that he or she is satisfied with the vision they achieved during this “experiment”, only then are they offered LASIK to get the same result.
If a patient already has good vision in both eyes, the contact lens trial is carried out by just wearing a near contact lens in the non-dominant eye. If all goes well, the patient would then proceed with LASIK for nearsightedness in one eye.
Should I Have LASIK On One Eye Only?
At Excel Laser Vision Institute, a LASIK clinic in Orange County, some patients want to make sure they have a good result in one eye before going forward with the other eye. Patients sometimes believe that it is somehow safer to do one eye at a time, which, judging from the surface, does feel like a more conservative and careful approach.
But here is the issue with thinking in that way:
According to a LASIK surgeon in Orange County, there is no real proof that you will experience fewer complications if the eyes are treated separately. Plus, when you consider the inconvenience factor to the whole situation, such as doubling the number of consultation visits and follow-up appointments, it isn’t difficult to figure out why people usually opt to treat both eyes simultaneously.
Is Getting LASIK In One Eye Necessary?
As you can probably tell right now, there is no general right or wrong answer to this question. If an eye surgeon believes that a patient is a good candidate for LASIK in both eyes, there is usually nothing holding them back from getting both eyes done simultaneously.
If you are concerned about having LASIK in both eyes or you only need LASIK in one eye, then obviously, just get the LASIK performed in that single eye to ensure you get the best treatment for your unique situation.
Contact Excel Laser Vision Institute at (888) 957-3255 so you can talk to an eye care professional. Excel Laser Vision Institute is a reputable LASIK clinic in Orange County. Laser eye surgery can treat many refractive errors and ensure that your vision is excellent. LASIK professionals will thoroughly evaluate your eye health and condition before establishing if you are eligible for LASIK eye surgery or a similar procedure.
Dr. Moosa is a well-known LASIK surgeon with a Harvard education and a wealth of experience working with different prescription levels. Dr. Moosa has helped many professionals achieve their vision goals, from athletes to models to military personnel. Visit our website to learn more: https://www.exceleye.com/.
Learn More About Polarized Sunglasses And Their Effects On Night Vision
You may have heard of polarized sunglasses from some of your friends or family. If you have trouble seeing where you are going as you drive about at night, you are probably looking for options to improve your sight while you cruise down dark roads.
Indeed, Doctor Moosa, a well-known LASIK surgeon in Orange County, believes that polarized sunglasses are a good way of reducing glare in bright situations such as boating, outdoor sports, or even driving on a sunny day. However, what about instances when you want to lessen the distracting reflection of headlights and street lights at night?
What Are Polarized Lenses?
Doctor Ferzaad Moosa, a LASIK expert in Orange County, gently explains that a “polarized lens” has a laminated filter applied to the lens to prevent a portion of light from passing through the eye. The whole point of wearing polarized sunglasses is to use them for settings where the light is more intense when reflected off flat surfaces, which increases the amount of light and makes it challenging to see clearly.
LASIK eye doctors tell us that light is important for the eye to see, but when more light enters your eye, it knows what to do with it; it causes glare. In layman’s terms, glare occurs when your eyes are exposed to a lot of bright light.
Also, you have to consider that only allowing a limited amount of light into the eye allows polarized lenses to reduce glare, leading to improving vision.
The LASIK experts, particularly Doctor Moosa of excel laser Vision Institute in Orange County, say that the truth about polarized lenses is that they can help to reduce the glare of oncoming traffic lights when driving after dark. Nevertheless, wearing sunglasses of any type in low-light conditions, particularly while driving, is dangerous and absolutely not advised.
Can Polarized Lenses Help With Night Driving?
Even though polarized lenses could lessen glare from oncoming traffic, they don’t automatically assist with night driving and could, perhaps, do more harm than good.
The filter on polarized lenses blocks some light from hitting the eye, so it creates a dimmer view when you wear them. Preventing extra light from an already low-light condition can limit your vision even further compared to the glare of traffic lights.
If you notice that driving at night is becoming a burden, there are other options to wearing polarized sunglasses to get clear vision when driving, especially at night.
What Are Night Vision Glasses?
Night-driving glasses are the go-to choice for people who want additional contrast and clarity on the road, but the effectiveness of this eyewear isn’t as good as expected.
In 2019, the Schepens Eye Research Institute conducted a study to determine how useful night driving glasses really are.
The researchers brought together 22 adults who portrayed a huge population and had them drive in four nighttime driving simulations.
The simulations put the drivers in many different experiences, including a machine that copied the effect of oncoming traffic lights while wearing either clear lenses or yellow-tinted night driving glasses.
The participants in this research study had their reaction times recorded in each scenario every time they saw a pedestrian on the roadway side.
The study’s conclusive results were that wearing night driving glasses made no improvement in driver performance in the most critical task, and that is detecting pedestrians.
Besides that, researchers claim that a slight amount of statistical data revealed a marginal decline in performance when wearing night vision glasses compared to driving without them.
Generally speaking, the results of the study above do not back up the concept that eye care professionals should prescribe night-driving glasses to patients.
What Are The Best Night Vision Glasses For Driving?
If you experience some challenges when driving at night which are affecting how frequent or when you drive, you should take some time to get an eye exam and talk about your issues with an eye doctor. They can prescribe lenses with anti-reflective coating to reduce the glare you experience when driving.
If it turns out that you don’t need a prescription, your eye doctor can recommend non-prescription lenses that can be bought with the same coating to reduce the irritating reflections of headlights and streetlights.
Why Night Vision Glasses May Be A Bad Idea
Normally, glasses with yellow-tinted lenses can improve contrast in specific daylight conditions because the yellow tint prevents some of the sun’s blue light from entering the eye.
This high-energy visible (HEV) blue light is probably the cause of glare when it comes into contact with the eye, compared to other forms of visible light.
Yellow tinted lenses give off a blue-blocking filtration which usually happens with amber and copper-colored lenses.
These darker tinted lenses can prevent a lot more blue light from entering than yellow lenses. However, they also block more light from entering the eye, which lowers visibility even more in low-light conditions.
As a matter of fact, yellow lenses lower the overall visible light to a certain level because they also block some blue light. Perhaps this is beneficial during the day, but not at night when you have to see as much as possible.
It is a shame that some people feel that they have to give up driving at night or low-light glare.
However, if you are really serious about improving your eye vision, then speak to an eye care professional at Excel Laser Vision Institute, a reputable LASIK clinic in Orange County. Laser eye surgery can treat many refractive errors and ensure that your vision is in tip-top shape before you drive on busy and dangerous roads at night. LASIK professionals will conduct a thorough evaluation of your eye health and condition before determining if you are eligible for LASIK eye surgery or a comparable procedure.
Call Excel Laser Vision Institute at (888) 957-3255. Our team of staff is highly trained and knowledgeable. In the office, we also have Dr. Moosa, a well-esteemed LASIK surgeon in Orange County with a Harvard education and a wealth of experience working with different prescription levels. Dr. Moosa has helped many professionals achieve their vision goals, from athletes to models to military personnel. Visit our website to learn more: https://www.exceleye.com/
How to Prevent and Treat Photokeratitis
According to Doctor Moosa, one of the LASIK experts in Orange County, photokeratitis is like a sunburn for your eyes. While typically caused by UV exposure, this condition can also be produced with artificial light from tanning beds, halogen desk lamps, arc welding equipment, and laser lights. People can also develop photokeratitis from light reflected on snow and ice at high elevations. During photokeratitis, natural or artificial light damages the cornea and conjunctiva, which can cause vision problems and discomfort.
Even after receiving the best laser eye surgery in Orange County, people can still experience photokeratitis from sunlight exposure. That is why it is so important to protect your eyes with UV-blocking glasses. Here are some of the most common symptoms of photokeratitis to watch out for:
- Headaches
- Halos
- Blurred vision
- Swelling eyes
- Twitching eyes
- Light sensitivity
- Color changes
- Red, watery eyes
- Temporary vision loss
Symptoms of photokeratitis typically set in within six to twelve hours of exposure. However, there are some cases in which it takes as little as an hour. Symptoms can last for up to forty-eight hours. LASIK professionals in Orange County particularly those at Excel Laser Vision Institute say that the severity of the symptoms will depend on the length of exposure. However, even minor symptoms can increase a person’s chances of developing serious conditions like macular degeneration or cataracts in the future.
Whether you have had LASIK eye surgery or not, photokeratitis is a serious condition that must be prevented. The best way to protect your eyes from harmful UV rays is to purchase a pair of sunglasses that block 100% of UV rays. Sunglasses should be worn on any outdoor occasion since UV rays can still shine through even on a cloudy day. Sunlight can also reflect from surfaces such as water or snow, which is why it is so important to have the right protective lenses with you when spending time outside. Wide-brimmed hats and visors can also protect you from UV light.
Photokeratitis can also happen in the workplace. If you are exposed to UV radiation on the job, then it is imperative to wear goggles, face shields, or safety glasses to protect yourself. Do your research and discuss employee safety with your employer to see what equipment is already provided. Some people may consider getting UV absorbing contacts which block harmful light from reaching the eyes.
Treatment for photokeratitis depends on the severity of the condition. If you are experiencing any of the symptoms, then it is advisable to go inside and turn off any lights. Avoid rubbing your eyes or irritating them in any other way. Eyecare experts suggest using a cold compress to relieve any discomfort. Additionally, people may try artificial tears or ibuprofen to ease any painful symptoms. Keep track of your symptoms and note when they flare-up. If they do not subside in more than two days, then it may be necessary to visit an ophthalmologist. In most cases, using protective gear such as sunglasses and hats will help reduce any immediate symptoms. Speak to your eye doctor about photokeratitis to learn more.
A LASIK Surgeon in Orange County Explains Styes and Chalazion
Eyelid bumps can be unsettling to find, especially if you have never experienced one before. LASIK experts in Orange County say that a painful bump on the eyelid could be classified as a stye. If it is painless, then it may be a chalazion. Here, we will delve into the difference between these two and what you can do if you find one.
A stye is a localized bacterial infection that can develop within a blocked oil-producing gland or in a follicle at the base of an eyelash. When fully developed, styes are a painful white or yellow bump that resemble a tiny eyelid pimple. Fortunately, many styes can heal on their own. Once the infection has cleared up, many styes will turn into a chalazion, which is painless.
Chalazion can also develop independently of styes when a meibomian gland becomes blocked. The meibomian glands are located in the eyelid and are responsible for secreting oil when we blink. This layer of protection prevents tears from evaporating too quickly, which causes dry eye. When a meibomian gland gets blocked, a painless chalazion can form. In some cases, they may grow so large as to obstruct vision.
According to Doctor Moosa, a LASIK surgeon in Orange County, many people who wear contacts are more susceptible to developing bacterial infections like a stye. When opting for laser eye surgery, patients eliminate one cause of irritation, which is contact lenses. Here are some of the other ways that people can develop a stye or chalazion:
- Blepharitis (also known as eyelid inflammation)
- Skin conditions (e.g. acne, rosacea, seborrhea)
- Viral conjunctivitis (also known as pink eye)
- Tuberculosis
Before receiving LASIK eye surgery in Orange County, an eye care professional will evaluate your eye health. Any infections or blocked meibomian glands will need time to heal. According to Doctor Moosa, a LASIK doctor in Orange County, styes typically take one to two weeks to heal. Chalazions can take up to a month to go away. You can speed up the process by keeping the area clean and trying some home remedies, according to the suggestions of your eye doctor. Here are some of the common ways to treat chalazions and styes:
- Use a warm compress – Many doctors recommend gently pressing a warm washcloth to your eye for five minutes in order to open up the skin’s pores and allow the eyelid pump to drain. You can try this several times a day to lessen the size of the bump.
- Use antibiotics or steroid drops – In some cases, a stye or chalazion may be incredibly inconvenient. If your eyelid bump is unusually large or painful, then your eye doctor may recommend the use of some prescribed drops or antibiotics.
- Keep your eyes clean – In order to avoid irritating a stye or chalazion more, do not rub your eye and always wash your hands before touching the area.
- Avoid squeezing the area – Unlike pimples, you cannot pop a chalazion or stye. Squeezing them could actually cause more complications. So, make sure you are treating the area according to your doctor’s wishes. You may be prescribed drops, oral pills, or ointments to help the area heal.
- Surgery – In the most extreme cases, a doctor may find it necessary to remove an eyelid bump via a simple surgery under local anesthesia. Make sure to discuss the procedure with your doctor so you have all the right information before you go in.
What You Need to Know About Allergies and LASIK
If you have allergies, then you know that our eyes can be very sensitive to things like pollen. Swelling, irritation, dryness and other uncomfortable symptoms can arise during allergy season. To make matters worse, those who rely on contact lenses may develop even worse symptoms when pollen, dirt, and dust attaches itself to the eye. For this reason, many people choose to get LASIK at Excel Laser Vision Institute in Orange County.
During allergy season, contacts are one of the worst options for vision correction. They can agitate sensitive eyes and become infected, causing conditions like pink eye. When spending time outdoors, contact lens wearers have to be wary of dander, pollen, and other particulate matter sticking to their lenses. This phenomenon typically happens during the spring and summer, but is not limited to allergy season. Throughout the year, people who wear contacts have to over prepare in order to prevent infections from developing and spreading. While these steps are necessary to promote ocular health, they can be exhausting. For some, it becomes too much work. That’s when people search for the best laser eye surgery in Orange County.
Contacts are too much work and glasses are too fragile, so where does that leave patients with myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism? Fortunately, technology in the ocular field has dramatically improved over the last few decades. Laser technology has allowed eye care professionals to develop techniques such as PRK, SMILE, and LASIK eye surgery in Orange County. Now, patients can have their vision corrected to 20/20 or above!
When you visit a LASIK clinic such as excel Laser Vision Institute in Orange County today, you may find that they are booked many months in advance. That is because so many people are becoming aware of the gift that is laser eye surgery. Patients with allergies are finding some relief in their corrected vision, which allows them to go without contact lenses or glasses for a majority of their life.
If you have allergies and you’re interested in LASIK eye surgery, then the good news is that your allergies do not disqualify you for the procedure. In fact, many LASIK specialists recommend laser eye surgery for those who suffer from allergies. However, having allergies does not immediately qualify you for LASIK either. Here are some of the factors that determine LASIK candidacy:
- Prescription level (astigmatism, farsightedness, nearsightedness)
- Age 18 +
- Thickness of corneas
- State of ocular health
- Prescription stability
LASIK specialists recommend that you schedule your procedure at a time when your allergy symptoms are at their lowest. This will prevent any additional risk of inflammation or irritation during the surgery. Your LASIK doctor will evaluate your eyes first to determine if you are eligible for the procedure. Other than that, a recent study has shown that patients with allergies were no more prone to complications during their LASIK surgery than patients without allergies. Thus, the surgery is just as safe and just as effective. Speak to a LASIK surgeon today about laser eye surgery and learn how you can achieve your vision goals!
How to Prepare Yourself
If you have been selected as an eligible candidate for LASIK in Orange County, then congratulations! You are on the road to clear vision and a world of possibilities. With a distinguished LASIK surgeon in Orange County like Dr. Moosa, you will receive quality of care before, after, and during the procedure. In order to prepare for the day of the surgery, please be sure to follow your surgeon’s instructions and keep these general practices in mind:
Hydrate
Water is necessary for your body to function at its highest capacity. Unless otherwise directed, be sure to consume plenty of water before your procedure. Hydration will allow your body to begin the healing process as quickly as possible. Plus, it will also diminish dry eye. Experts recommend at least 8 glasses of water a day (1 glass = 8 ounces). If you are not already meeting this requirement, then you will probably want to increase your water intake before your LASIK eye surgery in Orange County.
Discontinue Contact Lens Use
It is common practice for LASIK surgeons to ask patients to stop wearing soft contact lenses one week before their surgery (for hard contacts, one month before). This is because contacts have a hand in shaping the cornea, which can impact the effectiveness of the LASIK procedure. Make sure to check with your doctor so that you know exactly when or if you need to give your eyes a break.
Dress Comfortably
It’s normal to be nervous for a procedure, even one as quick and painless as LASIK in Orange County. So, in order to make yourself more comfortable, plan your outfit in advance. LASIK surgeons recommend wearing cool, loose clothing on the day of the surgery. This will help relax you at the eye clinic and also be convenient when you get home (and want to rest). LASIK experts also recommend avoiding clothes that produce lint. This is simply for sterilization measures in the operation room.
Get a Designated Driver
Not only will you need someone to drive you home after the surgery, but you may also like to have a friend that will help soothe you when you’re waiting for your procedure. LASIK is an elective procedure in which patients are given numbing eye drops. Patients are not put to sleep for the procedure. The procedure will be over before you know it! But, just in case you’re nervous about it, it would be nice to have someone with you through the process. Once your eyes are deemed healthy, your doctor will clear you to drive again (typically the next day).
Don’t Wear Makeup, Lotion, or Perfume
It’s imperative to avoid any contaminants on the day of your procedure. This includes products like lotion, makeup, and perfume. Anything that may interact with your eyes or irritate your eyes are strictly prohibited. This will ensure that your LASIK procedure runs as smoothly as possible. LASIK doctors recommend taking a shower or at least washing your face before leaving your house for the procedure.
The Effects of a Concussion on the Eyes
Concussions are defined as traumatic brain injuries. The word “concussion” comes from the Latin root “concutere” which means “shake” or “dash together.” When the brain hits the inner walls of a person’s skull, this can cause serious symptoms such as fatigue, nausea, vomiting, headaches, ringing in one’s ears, amnesia, dizziness, and confusion. A brain is a powerful tool that, when damaged, can affect every aspect of the body. According to experts at Excel Laser Vision Institute, a LASIK clinic in Orange County, concussions can also affect your eye health.
While many people lose consciousness after suffering a concussion, this is not always the case. In fact, symptoms can appear much later from the time of the concussion, which can make them difficult to self-diagnose. These are some of the symptoms that might arise directly after an injury or a few days after:
- Loss of balance
- Irritability
- Dazed look
- Change in sleeping or eating habits
- Lack of interest in things
- Excessive crying
- Vomiting
- Seizures
While concussions can be hard to identify, Orange County LASIK experts say that the eyes can be a great tool for diagnosing head trauma. The King-Devick test is a test that eye doctors may use to track eye movements, visual interpretation, and attention. There are also some apps that are being developed to measure a patient’s pupil in reaction to light in order to diagnose concussions. Concussions will not normally show up on MRIs or CT scans which is why it is so important to have other methods for measuring them.
Patients interested in getting LASIK eye surgery should be aware that concussion symptoms can often mirror other vision problems. This is known as Post-Traumatic Vision Syndrome. Some of these symptoms include:
- Difficulty reading (losing one’s place)
- Light sensitivity
- Blurry vision
- Difficulty focusing
- Loss of peripheral vision
- Frequent headaches
- Double vision
- Difficulty moving eyes
Concussions can do more than affect your vision. They also pose a risk to your general eye health. Consult your eye doctor if you have recently suffered a concussion so that they can evaluate your eyes. These are the more serious effects that a concussion can have on your eyes:
- Optic nerve damage: The pressure from a concussion can lead to partial or total loss of vision.
- Retinal detachment: The impact of a concussion can cause the retina to detach from the eye. This requires immediate surgery.
- Vitreous hemorrhage: A concussion may cause blood vessels to leak into the vitreous humor which can cause floaters, blurred vision, a red tint and other symptoms. Medicine may be required to help the healing process.
Before returning to normal activities after suffering a head injury, it is important to get a doctor’s opinion. This is to prevent a second, more damaging head injury that may jeopardize the healing process entirely. The most common treatments for a concussion are rest and pain management. It can take up to a few weeks to fully recover, depending on the severity of the head injury. For more information on concussions and eye health, consult a medical professional.
If you are tired of dealing with blurry vision, contact Excel Laser Vision Institute at (877) 963-4238 for a free LASIK consultation. We are a highly-regarded eye care clinic that offers the best laser eye surgery in Orange County and Los Angeles.
LASIK Experts Evaluate the Safety of VR Headsets
LASIK experts in Orange County such as those at Excel Laser Vision Institute have observed that, with more time inside, people have been increasing their daily screen time. All day, people are working from home on their computer or laptop and then taking breaks by looking at their phone or watching TV. We live in a world of screens. For many people, it’s their main source of productivity and entertainment. It’s no wonder that our screens are getting more and more technologically complex. The invention of virtual reality (VR) headsets is proof of this.
According to Doctor Moosa, a LASIK surgeon in Orange County, too much screen time can be hard on our eyes. It can cause eye strain, fatigue, and dry eye. This is the main reason why eye doctors will recommend taking regular breaks and blinking often when using a digital device. So, how does this translate to VR headsets? Virtual reality has been around for a long time but it has become a commercial success only recently. Since 2020 began, about 71% of Americans started using VR headsets more. As a more immersive digital device, some consumers are wondering if VR is more damaging to our vision than our normal screens. Will everybody be needing LASIK eye surgery after consistently playing with virtual reality? The answer is not cut and dried.
VR headsets can simulate a 360 degree experience that immerses the user in a new world. Instead of looking at a flat screen, the user wears goggles that are constructed with different displays. Each display is given a separate video feed that seamlessly transitions into the next. This presents the illusion of being in a new, 3D environment. Virtual reality can offer a fun, interactive experience for working out, gaming, or simulating adventure. However, it can also affect our bodies. Some users report feeling overwhelmed and nauseous by the VR perspective. This is known as cybersickness.
In terms of affecting vision, Orange County LASIK experts say that VR does not pose a significant danger to our eye health. However, like anything, it requires moderation. VR participants may experience digital eye strain because of decreased blinking. This can lead to dry eye and fatigue, much like with normal screens. The best way to avoid these symptoms is to take frequent breaks and focus our eyes on things in the real world.
Another thing to keep in mind with VR headsets is that they can affect people with strabismus (wandering eye) or amblyopia (lazy eye). With these conditions, the 3D effects of virtual reality may not be as striking. Plus, using VR with these conditions may lead to greater eye fatigue due to the lack of depth perception. Users who wear glasses may also run into some issues when using VR headsets. Not all headsets are built to accommodate glasses and thus may be uncomfortable for the user. Unfortunately, VR has not been constructed to accommodate the user’s vision needs. So, if they are nearsighted, farsighted, or have astigmatism, they are still required to wear their prescription to enjoy the experience.
If you have a refractive error and would like to enjoy VR without contacts or glasses, then schedule a consultation at Excel Laser Vision Institute. We can discuss laser eye surgery, one of the most innovative vision correction alternatives on the market. Achieve your vision goals with us today!
Important Details to Know Before Deciding to Get Laser Eye Surgery
Our bodies become more susceptible to wear and tear as we get older – our joints become frailer, memory isn’t as sharp, and vision becomes blurry. For these issues, there are various solutions to focus on them. One of the more pioneering procedures to ever appear in the last few decades is laser eye surgery.
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What is a Laser Eye Procedure?
Many people ask about laser eye surgery costs because it is a very sought-after procedure since it is quick, safe, and painless. During a LASIK procedure, the LASIK surgeon creates a flap of tissue over the cornea and peels it back to have access to the cornea. Afterward, the laser will beam right into the eye to reshape the cornea, which is how the vision improves.
The whole procedure doesn’t take more than a minute. Once it is completed, the patient is given eye drops to ensure that their eyes don’t go dry.
Typically, LASIK surgery patients recover within 24 to 48 hours. This all depends on a person’s healing capabilities, but you can have peace of mind that you won’t have to wait a long time until you can see the world clearly again.
Who Should Get LASIK Surgery?
People who are sick and tired of wearing eyeglasses or contact lenses may want to go through LASIK surgery. This is a type of refractive eye surgery.
For the most part, many people who get laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) eye surgery attain 20/20 vision or better, which is sufficient for most activities. However, most people will still require glasses for driving at night or reading as they age.
LASIK has an excellent performance record. If there are ever complications that result in a loss of vision, they are rare, and many people are happy with their results. Specific side effects, especially dry eyes and temporary visual disturbances (such as glare), are fairly common. However, these usually clear up after a couple of weeks or months, and a minority of people think of them as long-term issues.
A person’s results rely on their refractive error and other factors. Those with mild nearsightedness usually have the most success with refractive surgery. Individuals with a high level of nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism have less predictable results.
Keep on reading about what to think about as you decide whether this surgery is suitable for you.
What Happens During LASIK?
There are quite a few variations of laser refractive surgery. LASIK is the most sought-after and most commonly performed eye surgery. Most of the time, the term “LASIK” is used to indicate all types of laser eye surgery.
Normally, images are focused on the retina that’s in the back of the eye. When it comes to nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism, they finish up being focused either in front of or behind the retina, ending in blurred vision.
- Nearsightedness (myopia) is a condition that lets you see objects nearby clearly, but objects that are far away appear blurry. When your eyeball is a little bit longer than normal or when the cornea curves too sharply, light rays focus in front of the retina and blur distant vision. A person can see objects that are close more clearly, but not those that are far away.
- Farsightedness (hyperopia) is a condition that lets you see objects far away clearly, but nearby objects are blurry. When you have a shorter than average eyeball or a cornea that is too flat, light focuses behind the retina rather than on it. This blurs near vision and occasionally distant vision.
- Astigmatism results in overall blurry vision. When the cornea curves or flattens unevenly, the outcome is astigmatism, which interrupts the focus of near and distant vision.
Normally, blurry vision is corrected by bending (refracting) light rays with glasses or contact lenses. Nevertheless, reshaping the cornea (the dome-shaped transparent tissue at the front of your eye) itself can provide the necessary refraction and vision correction
Prior to a LASIK procedure, your LASIK eye surgeon will determine the detailed measurements of your eye and assess the eye’s overall health. Your eye surgeon may ask you to take a mild sedative medication just before the procedure.
Eye-numbing drops will be administered once you are lying comfortably on an operating table. Then he or she will use a unique type of cutting laser to alter the curvature of your cornea accurately.
Whenever the laser beam sends a pulse, a very small amount of corneal tissue is taken off, allowing your eye surgeon to flatten the curve of your cornea or make it steeper.
Typically, an eye surgeon creates a flap in the cornea and then lifts it before reshaping it. Also, there are variations that involve a thin flap to be raised or no flap is used at all. Nonetheless, each technique has its pros and cons.
What are the Kinds of Laser Eye Procedures?
Every LASIK eye surgeon may specialize in specific types of laser eye procedures. Their differences are usually small, and none are clearly better than any others. Depending on your individual situation and preferences, you may consider:
- 1. Laser-Assisted in Situ Keratomileusis (LASIK): It’s the most commonly performed eye laser surgery, LASIK involves making a partial-thickness corneal flap and utilizing an excimer laser to ablate the bed of the cornea. The flap is then put back into its original position. Discomfort after surgery is very little, and vision recovery usually takes place in 1 to 2 days.
- 2. Photorefractive Keratectomy (PRK): With PRK, instead of creating a flap, the top surface (epithelium) is scraped away. This corneal abrasion takes three or four days to heal, and the outcome is moderate pain and blurred vision in the short term.
It was considered that these disadvantages were canceled out by the theoretical advantage that PRK was safer for those who are more likely to be stuck in the eye — for instance, those involved in law enforcement, military, or contact sports. However, even with standard LASIK, the risk of eyeball rupture is still very low, so there is probably no significant advantage with PRK. Additionally, LASIK is a better option than PRK for correcting more severe nearsightedness (myopia).
3. Laser-Assisted Subepithelial Keratectomy (LASEK): LASEK is no different from LASIK surgery, but the flap is made by using a special cutting device (microkeratome) and exposing the cornea to ethanol. The procedure lets the surgeon remove less of the cornea, making it a good option for those who have thin corneas. LASEK does not have any considerable advantages over LASIK for individuals at greater risk of eye injuries.
4. Epithelial Laser-Assisted in Situ Keratomileusis (epi-LASIK): In an epi-LASIK procedure, your laser eye surgeon separates the epithelium from the middle part of the cornea called the stroma) using a mechanized blunt blade device known as an epikeratome and reshapes the cornea with a laser. This procedure is similar to LASEK.
5. Small-Incision Lenticule Extraction (SMILE): This is a more contemporary type of refractive surgery that allows the eye surgeon to reshape the cornea. To do this, the surgeon uses a laser to make a lens-shaped bit of tissue known as the lenticule which is located below the cornea surface. When the lenticule has been used to reshape the cornea, it is then removed through a very small incision.
6. Intraocular Lenses: A laser eye surgeon can use surgically inserted corrective lenses in the eye, which are also known as intraocular lenses) to enhance vision. It’s normally carried out as part of cataract surgery, which involves removing the old, cloudy natural lens. Additionally, it may be an alternative to LASIK for older adults who may require cataract surgery in the future.
Younger people with high levels of nearsightedness that cannot be properly treated with corrective lenses may be offered intraocular lenses. However, these are not a typical options for most people.
7. Bioptics: Bioptics uses one or more techniques, such as intraocular lenses and LASIK, to treat nearsightedness or farsightedness.
If you want to discover more about LASIK procedures, contact Excel Laser Vision Institute at (310) 905-8622. A member from our dedicated team will be happy to answer all your questions about the type of refractive surgery that is best suited for you!