What You Should Know Before You Get LASIK
You may be looking into getting a LASIK procedure done to improve your vision and lessen or even eliminate your dependence on glasses or contact lenses. The best LASIK surgeons in Los Angeles have patients that are usually pleasantly surprised by two facts. The first is that LASIK is a procedure that is fast and pain-free. Secondly, they realize how clear, independent vision changes their lives for the best.
If you are shopping around for LASIK in Los Angeles, you should take your time to find out more about some of the surprising advantages of attaining a clear vision with LASIK.
Do Your Daily Activities Without Spectacles And Contact Lenses
Almost every LASIK surgeon in Los Angeles will tell you that you get a powerful sense of freedom when you don’t have to rely on eyewear to see correctly. When you eliminate the need for glasses or contact lenses to see clearly, your routine tasks become more accessible. For instance, if your child is crying in the middle of the night, you can get up to soothe them without having to worry about falling over furniture. Also, you can enjoy a game of basketball without having to worry about breaking your glasses. Maybe you want to be able to go to the movies without having to be concerned about seeing the screen.
Again, sticking with the subject of sports and leisure activities, many LASIK patients in Los Angeles usually decide to take up a new hobby after LASIK. Some individuals choose to take tennis lessons they have always wanted to do but are put on hold because of their dependence on eyewear. Perhaps, you finally join an adult hockey league. Or maybe begin photography or start working on model airplanes. Whatever your passion or what you want it to be, LASK provides you with the clear sight you need to do the activities that give you great enjoyment.
Traveling Becomes More Fun
Traveling with eyeglasses and contact lenses is a significant hassle. However, with Los Angeles LASIK, you no longer have to stress about packing a travel-sized contact lens solution or making sure to bring a spare pair for the road. You can save some space in your suitcase for other items, such as souvenirs.
No More Safety Concerns About Contacts
Almost everyone who wears contacts becomes sloppy about care and cleaning at some point. However, the ramifications of poor contact lens hygiene are very significant. For instance, not washing your hands before handling contacts or not storing them correctly can result in an eye infection.
Worthwhile Investment
If you want to know whether LASIK is worth the cost, just think about it like this. A LASIK procedure is a one-time cost, whereas contact lenses and replacement glasses frames and lenses are repeated costs. Also, you have to think that LASIK reduces the number of optometrist appointments you require to check your prescription regularly.
After weighing over the cost comparison, you will soon realize that LASIK pays for itself over time. On the whole, LASIK and Contoura in Los Angeles can save you money and let you put those dollars toward other things that upgrade your life.
What Does LASIK NOT Correct?
LASIK is a quick procedure that can treat refractive errors and reduce dependence on eyeglasses and contacts in a few minutes. When a qualified eye surgeon carries it out, it is incredibly safe and very successful. Due to its excellent track record, LASIK is one of the most sought-after elective surgeries performed globally and has helped millions of individuals see clearer. Nevertheless, it would help if you kept in mind that LASIK surgery is not an answer for every eye or vision issue, and it is not suitable for everyone.
Cataracts
Typically, cataracts develop in those who are aged 65 and over. It is when the eye’s lens, not the cornea, is diseased and causes blurriness, haziness, or otherwise distorted vision. LASIK surgery is not the ideal solution for cataracts. An eye doctor can only treat cataracts by removing the eye’s natural lens and replacing it with an artificial lens.
Keratoconus
Like refractive errors, keratoconus affects the cornea or transplant tissue covering the eye’s surface, and it causes blurry or distorted vision. Nevertheless, keratoconus cannot be cured with LASIK. As a matter of fact, LASIK can make the condition worse, which happens when the usually round cornea thins out and sticks out into a cone-like shape. Dr. Moosa at Excel Eye has several treatments targeting keratoconus, such as corneal crosslinking, special contact lenses, and corneal transplant.
Glaucoma
Glaucoma is an eye disease identified by an increase in pressure within the eye. As the disease progresses, it slowly damages the optic nerve, which transmits visual information from the eye to the brain. Over time, glaucoma can cause a permanent loss of vision. LASIK cannot treat glaucoma and is usually not an option for those with refractive errors and glaucoma.
Are You A Good Candidate For LASIK?
If you are considering LASIK to correct a refractive error, the best way to determine whether you are a good candidate is to schedule a consultation with Dr. Ferzaad Moosa. He will carry out an eye exam, take your medical history and talk to you about your treatment goals before recommending you for surgery.
To book your visit, don’t hesitate to get in touch with Excel Laser Vision Institute today.
Why Should You Opt for Contoura Vision?
LASIK patients in Los Angeles are curious to find out more about Contoura Vision eye surgery. In a nutshell, it’s an advanced version of LASIK surgery that offers better results to patients who want to stop wearing their eyeglasses. Also, it’s a type of corrective eye surgery in which people who aren’t eligible to undergo LASIK surgery because of abnormalities in the cornea can also get excellent results with this advanced method.
What Is Contoura Vision?
Contoura Vision is also called topography-guided LASIK surgery, offered in one of our clinics in Los Angeles. It’s the most recent advancement in the elimination of eyewear by laser vision correction. Since LASIK & SMILE procedures only correct the power of the eyeglass, a Contoura procedure corrects the corneal irregularities and works on Visual Axis. This means a Contoura treatment provides sharper visual results, which LASIK and SMILE procedures are not possible.
Is Contoura Vision Eye Surgery A Better Option Than LASIK?
When considering LASIK eye surgery cost, both Los Angeles LASIK surgery and Contoura procedures are carried out to enhance nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. However, there are fundamental disparities between these two types of technology, results, and scopes.
- Even though LASIK in Los Angeles phases out the need for eyeglasses or contact lenses, Contoura vision provides more visual acuity and improved refractive results in some instances. Contoura is a computer-aided topographic mapping method that pinpoints microscopic contours on the transparent front of the eye, such as the cornea.
- Contoura heals the anomalies of the cornea’s curvature and the optics. The treatment is based on the visual axis of the eye. Considering that, other LASIK procedures are focused on the eyeball.
- The contours of the cornea are produced by advanced computer analysis and are programmed into a specially designed laser. During this process, 22,000 points of the cornea are mapped. Once this is done, your eye doctor makes an individualized treatment plan for you. Since everyone’s eyes are different, each treatment plan is customized.
- This topography-guided LASIK surgery improves the abnormalities of the cornea. The quality of your vision is repaired so that the light can get into the eye readily and evenly. That’s why the vision is clear and sharp. This method is an advanced version of the standard corrections. After Contoura Vision, many patients can see more clearly even without eyeglasses than their previous version of vision correction. Also, there are surprisingly fewer problems with glare around the lights. Even studies have recorded a decrease in complaints by the patients about driving at night.
- Contoura vision correction provides impressive results. Among the patients who have received this treatment, 65% (rough estimate) have improvements better than 6/6. Moreover, there’s quicker healing and less tissue damage. In instances where people have had LASIK surgery earlier but are not satisfied with the results, also go for Contoura treatment.
This topography-guided LASIK surgery is the most breakthrough, safest, and latest eyewear removal and vision correction method. So definitely, Contoura Vision treatment is better than LASIK Surgery.
Wavelight Contoura In Eyes That Have Undergone LASIK Or In Eyes That Have Irregular Corneas
Wavelight Contoura can cure eyes that have already undergone LASIK and have irregularities in the cornea that have lowered the quality of vision and side effects.
These side effects consist of glare, halos, ghosting of images, and blurred vision. Patients who have these side effects may be candidates for a topography-guided laser vision enhancement to get rid of the irregularities in the cornea, which could be responsible for the symptoms. These would be considered off-label treatments, but they have been carried out globally, and clinical data have shown better outcomes in select patients. Plus, patients who have keratoconus or post LASIK ectasia may also be candidates for Contoura Vision treatment.
Brief From The FDA Trials With Wavelight Contoura
During a clinical trial that resulted in the FDA approval of Contoura Vision:
98% of people who had the procedure reported they would do it again.
30% of eyes had better vision without glasses or contacts after the procedure than when wearing glasses or contacts before the treatment.
The procedure lessened complaints of glare and reduced sensitivity to light, difficulty reading, and distress while driving at night compared with what patients were previously experiencing before surgery.
Although 20/20 is believed to be normal vision, and 92% of patients had 20/20 or better vision after their Contoura Vision procedure, 65% of patients obtained 20/16 vision, and 34% attained 20/12.5 (Eagles are considered to have 20/5 vision; hawks as good as 20/2.)
In about every patient, the result outperformed glasses and contact lenses for many patients and moved some patients nearer to “eagle eye” vision than ever thought possible.
Who Is Eligible For Contoura Vision Treatment?
Contoura method is a technique that has the green light from the US FDA. It provides exceptional results compared to LASIK and SMILE. That’s why it’s recommended by ophthalmologists and is swiftly achieving lots of attention with patients. Here are the eligibility criteria for patients to undergo this process.
The patient must be above 18 years
The patient should have a consistent prescription for eyewear
The patient must obtain <3D cyl. Power
The patient’s cornea should not be thin
The patient’s eye power should not be spherical >8D
The patient should not be experiencing any significant corneal pathology.
If you want to live a life free from eyeglasses and contact lenses, then talk to an eye care professional at Excel Laser Vision Institute, a reputable LASIK clinic in Los Angeles. Contoura Vision eye surgery can treat many refractive errors and ensure that your vision is in top shape. Contoura professionals will conduct a thorough evaluation of your eye health and condition before determining if you are eligible for Contoura Vision eye surgery or a similar procedure.
Call Excel Laser Vision Institute at (888) 957-3255. Our team of staff is highly trained and experienced in all LASIK eye procedures. Also, we have Dr. Moosa, a well-esteemed LASIK/Contoura surgeon that has a Harvard education and vast experience working with various prescription levels. Dr. Moosa has helped many individuals attain their vision goals. Visit our website https://www.exceleye.com/ or any of our clinics to learn more.
What Is Contoura™ Vision And How Can It Benefit You?
Individuals seeking permanent eye correction solutions are asking for more information about Contoura Vision. Contoura is the most revolutionary customization technology available for laser eye surgery if you don’t know already. The laser eye surgery doctors in Los Angeles perform this type of procedure and explain more about it below.
WHAT IS THE CONTOURA® VISION TREATMENT?
When you consider the LASIK eye surgery cost, you can’t go wrong with a Contoura procedure. Doctor Moosa, the LASIK Los Angeles surgeon of Excel Laser Vision Institute, enlightens us that Contoura Vision is a topography-guided vision correction treatment. It is a visual treatment that’s customized for the patient. Also, it’s the only treatment to accurately map 22,000 elevation points of the cornea to produce a customized treatment to an individual’s vision.
When there are irregular elevation points on the eye, it can disrupt the light entering the eye and block you from attaining optimal Vision. These maps let Contoura Vision produce a customized vision correction treatment that’s one-of-a-kind to your eye. The topography test transmits data straight to the excimer laser for the Contoura Vision treatment. The topography of your eye is as unique as your fingerprint.
How Is Contoura Vision Different From Other Vision Correction Treatments?
There are so many vision correction treatments available that only treat your eyeglasses prescription. However, Contoura in Los Angeles has the technology to allow the Vision to be personalized, based on individualized mapping of the contours, such as a fingerprint, of your eye. The outcomes of the FDA Clinical Trials have revealed that this personalized treatment gives excellent visual results, with 93% of the patients receiving 20/20 vision or better.
Contoura™ Vision, which has been used safely and effectively in the United States, Canada, and Europe for over ten years, is a unique topography-guided LASIK procedure because of the way it maps the eye to guide treatment. It utilizes a topography instrument called the Vario Topolyzer to measure every submicroscopic peak and valley on the cornea to a very accurate degree.
Although wavefront-guided LASIK can generate good outcomes by measuring about 200 points of curvature on the cornea, Contoura Vision measures 22,000 points. That information lets a computer create an individualized treatment profile, which is then programmed into an ultra-modern laser that immediately applies the treatment to the cornea.
The laser regularises the shape of the cornea, so all of the light rays go through it reach the retina at the back of the eye consistently, creating clear, crisp Vision. Contoura™ Vision is truly personalized. The topography measurements are so precise that it would be inconceivable for any two treatments to be the same.
Another distinction between wavefront-guided and topography-guided LASIK is that wavefront measurements consist of all parts of the eye along the visual pathway, and topography measurements include only the cornea. This is crucial since the cornea is where most of the imperfections can make Vision less than perfect. While the lens of the eye can also bring about poor Vision, it alters over time, which could counteract the changes made to the cornea by LASIK.
ContouraTM Vision: Topography-Guided Laser Vision Correction can enhance the surface of the eye’s cornea in such a manner that it actually improves the quality of Vision better than has ever been achievable before.
During clinical studies, ContouraTMVision – Topography-Guided Laser Vision Correction helped 90% of patients see as well or even better without glasses than they did with glasses. It can work for patients in several ways, helping them attain a better quality of Vision and lowering the potential for night glare.
How Do You Become A Candidate For Contoura Vision?
The LASIK eye specialist in Los Angeles uses the Wavelight® Suite, which provides various vision correction treatments to let the eye surgeon and surgical team create a personalized treatment plan based on many measurements of your eyes and Vision. The Wavelight® diagnostics suite takes numerous measurements, including topography maps and aberrometry maps of your eye. These maps, together with your Vision and prescription details, are used to find out which treatment option will provide you with optimal visual results. If this analysis reveals that a Contoura procedure will give the best visual outcomes, your eye surgeon will recommend Contoura Vision. However, your tailor-made treatment plan may recommend a different method for some eye shapes and vision types.
The Contoura method is a technique that the US FDA approved. It delivers higher quality results compared to Lasik and SMILE. Take a look at some of the eligibility criteria for patients who wish to undergo this procedure.
The patient must be above 18 years
The patient has a steady prescription for eyewear
The patient has <3D cyl. Power
The patient’s cornea is not thin
The patient’s eye power isn’t spherical >8D
The patient isn’t suffering from any significant corneal pathology
If you are considering Contoura Vision surgery to improve your eyesight, contact Excel Laser Vision Institute at (888) 957-3255. Our team is experienced as well as highly trained. Our leading eye surgeon, Dr. Moosa, a well-established LASIK surgeon in Los Angeles, has years of experience in Contoura Vision procedures. He was formerly trained at Harvard University and has a wealth of experience working with various 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/.
Is Dark Mode Better For Your Eyesight?
It’s unavoidable. No matter where you turn your head, you are faced with the window of technology – a screen. This world that we live in, where screens are ever-present, poses a huge risk to our vision. Doctor Moosa, one of the best LASIK eye doctors in Los Angeles, stresses that we should be taking steps to protect our vision, even with something as simple as using our phone’s dark mode setting. However, at the end of the day, is dark mode better for your eyes?
The best LASIK surgeons in Los Angeles, particularly that of Excel Laser Vision Institute, advise us that dark mode can successfully cut down glare and reduce blue light, both of which support your eyes. Nevertheless, dark mode is not everyone’s cup of tea, and in some instances, it can actually lead to more vision issues than solutions.
The LASIK surgeons get down to the nitty-gritty about this hot and current topic. They also explain to us what dark mode is, what are the long-term advantages and is dark mode more superior for your eyes.
What Is Dark Mode?
Dark mode, or sometimes better known as dark theme, is a setting that is available on many smartphone models. Dark mode features an inverted color scheme. This is essentially a light-colored text and icons on a dark background. A good majority of mobile devices default to light mode since this allows for dark text to be superimposed on a white or light background.
You can connect to dark mode through your phone’s display settings and can be switched on and off to accommodate user preferences. When activated, dark mode is shown throughout the entire user interface, including apps.
The Lasik professionals remind us that if we can’t locate this option in our settings, it’s possible this feature has a different name or that the phone or its operating system is outdated and doesn’t have dark mode available.
Surprisingly, dark mode has been around way longer than the typic light mode. When personal computers first came on the scene at LASIK Los Angeles, monochrome monitors were the only option. These monitors were unique since they used phosphorus to look dark on the computer screen. When a key on the keyboard was pressed, electrons would light up the phosphorus into another color, which was usually green to produce letters and symbols against the dark background.
What Are The Benefits of Dark Mode?
There are many perks to using dark mode, such as longer battery life, lower glare, and blue light exposure.
Essentially, dark mode provides you with more battery and less charging. You can actually prolong your battery life by 30%, which means you don’t have to charge your phone as much. Keep in mind that you may find it more difficult to read in dark mode. Dimming the brightness on regular mode also will stretch your battery life.
When your eyes are exposed to blue light, it can result in symptoms of digital eye strain, including dry eyes, headaches, and blurred vision. Although studies do not back any of these notions, science has proven that blue light can meddle with sleep cycles. As a result, you can experience a lack of sleep if you’re exposed to lots of blue light near bedtime.
If you want to reduce your exposure to blue light, try toggling your phone to dark mode to reduce blue light exposure.
A whole slew of phones also has a blue light filter. The filter, which is usually situated in display settings, allows you to modify the amount of blue light beamed from your screen. This is an excellent option for individuals who can’t see properly in dark mode but want protection from blue light.
Do your best to refrain from screen glare. If you’re looking at your screen in a dark room, the bright light from default display settings can cause an annoying glare due to the distressing level of contradiction between the screen and your surroundings. Using dark mode will reduce the glare from your screen immensely for enjoyable viewing.
Also, you can manually dim your screen in light mode or set your brightness to modify automatically based on the surrounding lighting. No matter what option you use, it will effectively lower the glare if you would rather not use dark mode.
Is Dark Mode The Way To View Online?
Although dark mode has many advantages, it may not be all that it is cracked up to be. Using dark mode is convenient since it is kinder on the eyes than a stark, bright white screen. Nevertheless, using a dark screen makes your pupils dilate, which can make it challenging to focus on the screen.
You might have noticed that when your eyes dilate, it is more difficult to see. That is because when your pupils dilate, your vision gets less clear. When your pupils contract under bright light, you become more eagle-eyed. Similar to a camera, a smaller aperture offers more depth of focus. That is why some people find it hard to clearly see screen details in dark mode.
Those who have eye conditions such as myopia or astigmatism may also experience halation, which comes from the word “halo.” Halation happens when light fans out past a specific boundary, creating a foggy or blurry appearance.
Therefore, you will probably notice letters seem to bleed into a black background, making it more difficult to read, particularly if the print is small.
Halation is a common and severe condition that some people experience when using dark mode. So, if you already suffer from vision problems, you could take advantage of a dimmed light mode or blue-light-filtering mode. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what model you use to view your phone, as long as it is clear and comfortable viewing. Furthermore, always make sure you visit your eye doctor for regular eye exams and an up-to-date vision prescription.
Eye Muscle Imbalances And How They Should Be Treated
Doctor Moosa, a LASIK specialist in Los Angeles, educates us on the fact that eye muscle imbalance is a highly complex disorder. A common form of eye imbalance is strabismus, a visual issue where the eyes are lined up correctly and point in various directions. One eye could look dead-on, while the other eye turns inward, outward, upward, or downward. The eye turn may be constant, or it could reappear. The eye that is straight and which is misaligned may change or alter.
Normally children experience strabismus. As a matter of fact, a LASIK eye surgery expert informs us that 4 percent of all children in the United States have strabismus. However, strabismus is not only prevalent in children because adults are also susceptible to it. Plus, it can be genetic; yet, many people with strabismus do not have any relatives with the issue.
What Is Strabismus?
It is a shortcoming in eye muscles that leads to horizontal or vertical misalignment. Typically, six muscles move the eye, and the different types of strabismus go hand in hand with the various muscles involved.
The body moves these six muscles around to avoid the eyes from simultaneously concentrating on one object, so two disputing images are transmitted to the brain at the same time. Both eyes look at the same object and send only one image to the brain in normal circumstances.
A child with strabismus and maybe needing corrective eye surgery is usually taught to ignore or suppress the image recognized by the misaligned eye. The normal eye becomes predominant, while the misaligned eye evolves less vision due to absence of use. This vision reduction in one eye is amblyopia, and about 50% of children with strabismus develop amblyopia.
What Is Lazy Eye?
The LASIK eye doctors in Los Angeles inform us that the medical term for ‘lazy eye’ is amblyopia, a condition in which the eyes are misaligned or don’t work well together.
The causes of amblyopia can vary, and most of all, each cause needs different treatment:
Refractive amblyopia: A condition that affects one eye’s vision that makes the prescription a lot stronger than the other. Eventually, the dominant eye will carry out more work, resulting in the weaker eye falling out of alignment. Fortunately, refractive vision issues can be straightened out with LASIK or laser vision correction in Los Angeles.
Strabismus amblyopia: Is an imbalance in the muscles that lay out the eyes. One eye seems to falter behind the other, and in the long run, this results in a weakened vision in the eye that’s faltering.
Deprivation amblyopia: Also known as “obstructed amblyopia,” is when one eye’s vision becomes obstructed, usually by cataracts or another condition. Ultimately, the brain begins to support the other eye. This form of lazy eye is most common very early in life and may occur in elderly people because of age-related vision issues.
Can You Correct A Lazy Eye With LASIK?
LASIK is well known for being a laser eye surgery that enhances vision by fixing refractive vision problems. LASIK can remedy a lazy eye, but only when the root of the issue is a discrepancy in the refractive error between both eyes (refractive amblyopia). LASIK surgery can lead to a similar prescription in your eyes, lowering the issues that come with having one eye working like fury than the other.
Although LASIK isn’t a surefire fix for refractive amblyopia, it is a significant determinant in recovering from the condition. LASIK works well together with other amblyopia therapies that help the brain to begin to comprehend the improved vision in your lazy eye.
If amblyopia results from misaligned/crossed eyes or obstructed vision, laser eye surgery is going to do nothing to improve the condition. Also, LASIK can’t be carried out on minors, so it is not ideal when amblyopia affects children.
Can You Even Correct A Lazy Eye?
Although LASIK can help treat refractive amblyopia, it can’t be of any benefit with other types of lazy eye and cannot treat children. Therefore, there are other ways of treating different types of amblyopia. These treatments are applied on their own and, in some situations, with LASIK.
Most of the time, treatments involve making the vision the same in both eyes so that the brain is forced to use the lazy eye. Occasionally, this means improving the lazy eye’s vision with a more powerful glasses’ lens prescription than in the other eye. For some cases, this means blocking the “good” eye with either an eyepatch or eye drops to obstruct vision, coercing the brain to use the lazy eye.
Eye exercises are also an excellent way to manage a lazy eye. These usually involve the patient focusing on small or fixed objects or words for long periods, making the brain work in conjunction with the eyes.
Another factor is dietary habits since the proper vitamins can help with brain activity and eyesight. Remember that all of these treatments should only be done under your doctor’s guidance.
If you want to discover more about how LASIK can help your eyesight and perhaps correct eye muscle imbalances, contact Excel Laser Vision Institute at (888) 957-3255 or visit our website. Our expert team and highly reputable LASIK surgeon, Dr. Moosa, are happy and willing to answer all your questions.
The Dangers Of Sleeping With Contact Lenses On
We have all been there, but some more than others. You know that feeling of struggle you have after a long day to do even the simplest and basic tasks such as washing your face or brushing your teeth. Suffice to say. It can be a tough assignment. And if you are someone who has to wear contacts, taking them out before you get forty winks isn’t your top ten things to do.
Nevertheless, just like skipping out on brushing your teeth can damage your oral health, laser eye surgery doctors, particularly Doctor Moosa in Los Angeles, warn us that wearing contacts while you sleep can impair and injure your eyes.
Physicians, professors, medical specialists, optometrists, and LASIK specialists like those at Excel Laser Vision Institute in Los Angeles agree that no one should sleep in contact lenses. Although this is practically common sense – you shouldn’t sleep with contact lenses in; it just mistakenly happens. For instance, you “mistakenly” ate a dozen donuts or “mistakenly” maxed out your credit card on your recent Amazon shopping spree.
If you think this is just mere talk from the LASIK medical professionals in LASIK Los Angeles, think again. Some people go blind as a result of catching a few zzzz’s with their contact lenses. Therefore, if you or a loved one wears contact lenses, it would be a good idea to discover the possible risks. Keep on reading to get some more helpful information about this risky habit.
Contacts Prevent Oxygen From Going To Your Eyes
The LASIK eye center staff, specifically those at Excel Laser Vision Institute in Los Angeles, let us know that when our eyes are open, they get oxygen from the air, which, just like other bodily functions, is required to perform correctly. That means when you put in contacts, your eyes receive a little less oxygen. And when you close your eyes, the supply of oxygen decreases even further. This makes your eyes more susceptible to irritation and redness, which is responsible for impaired vision.
This deterioration of oxygen supply can also escalate your risk of getting bacterial or fungal infections, along with corneal ulcers.
How Bad Is It To Sleep In Contact Lenses?
If you want the truth from Doctor Moosa, a LASIK specialist in Los Angeles, it is incredibly hazardous to your eye health.
Without a doubt, the LASIK eye center surgeon will tell you that sleeping with your contacts is an awful idea.
Sometimes the only way to make people understand and give them a little motivation is with shock therapy. Here are some frightening problems that could happen if you fall asleep in your contacts:
You Could Get Pink Eye Sleeping In Contacts
A widespread eye problem to arise when you sleep with your contacts is conjunctivitis, better known as pink eye. Generally, this eye infection can also be caused by allergies or contact with someone else who is infected, but it is usually caused by wearing contacts overnight.
What is the reason for this? Sleeping in contacts can make your eyes more vulnerable to microscopic tears on the cornea and can triple your odds of bacteria, as well as fungi, getting in and staying in your eye for an extended period. If you want to prevent a severe case of pink eye, remove your contacts before you zonk out.
You Could Get An Eye Ulcer Sleeping In Contacts
If you sleep in contact lenses, you are at high risk of developing corneal ulcers. A recent study found that corneal ulcers are one of the leading causes of blindness around the globe. Fundamentally, a corneal ulcer is a tiny, open wound in your eye. As mentioned above, contact lenses are notorious for blocking your vision. Therefore, when your eyelids are shut during the night, your cornea is refused the necessary oxygen it needs. As a result, the perfect breathing ground of bacteria reigns over, causing a disruption in the epithelium, bringing about an ulcer.
Not getting treatment quickly can cause lifelong vision damage, so eye doctors strongly recommend that this condition should be treated immediately.
Severe Red Eye Could Happen If You Sleep In Your Contacts
If you nap in your contacts, you could be prone to an eye condition called CLARE, also known as Contact Lens Acute Red Eye. This eye condition brings symptoms such as light sensitivity, redness, tearing, and decreased vision. Some people also refer to it as Tight Lens Syndrome or Contact Lens Overwear Syndrome.
Although you probably can’t stand wearing glasses, which is most likely the reason you wear contacts, to begin with, you may want to change your frames at night, so you don’t forget to remove your contacts before hitting the hay.
Your Contacts Could Start To Fit Incorrectly
Wearing your contacts overnight or for long periods can lead to severe irritation causing bumps to form underneath your eyelids. Giant papillary conjunctivitis (GPC) makes the inside of your eyelid red, swollen, and irritated. Individuals who wear contact lenses when they are sleeping have a high risk of experiencing this awful condition.
The bumps that come out when you have giant papillary conjunctivitis (GPC) make them fit improperly and are challenging to clear up. If you notice this happening to you, avoid wearing contacts for at least a week and see if your symptoms have eased off.
How To Lower Your Exposure To Contact Lens-Related Eye Infections
To lower the dangers of developing any awful symptoms or an eye infection, here are some sound principles of behavior to obey if you are a contact lens wearer.
Don’t reuse disposable contacts.
Never go to sleep in your contact lenses.
Remove your contacts before swimming.
Change disposable contact lenses frequently.
Don’t touch or rub your eyes with unclean hands.
Always use clean, sanitized hands when putting in/taking out your contacts.
Never share your contacts with anyone else.
Do not purchase fashion contact lenses.
Sadly, contacts cause headaches, so do your best to follow the guidelines above when wearing lenses. If you ever experience redness, light sensitivity, pain, decreased vision, or swelling while wearing your contacts, delicately remove them and contact your eye doctor.
Learn About Some Eye Laser Procedure Alternatives
Doctor Moosa, an ophthalmologist and a LASIK surgeon in Los Angeles, will go out of his way to make certain he provides you with the best vision correction option. Without a doubt, LASIK eye surgery is probably the most popular choice, and we have the best LASIK surgeons who can professionally provide this procedure to patients; however, it may not be the best way to go for everyone.
So, the experienced LASIK team in Los Angeles wants to let you know about some LASIK eye surgery alternatives. Many of our highly skilled LASIK surgeons have hands-on experience with a vast range of vision correction procedures.
LASIK Alternatives
At the LASIK clinic of Excel Laser Vision Institute in Los Angeles, we provide many refractive options for vision correction. Depending on your individual requirements and goals, one of these vision correction procedures could be most suitable for you:
Visian ICL
Visian ICL is an Implantable Collamer® Lens that provides many advantages, especially for patients who cannot have LASIK surgery because they suffer from a high level of myopia (nearsightedness), thin corneas, or dry eye. Visian ICL does not cause Dry Eye Syndrome, which can be a worry when undergoing LASIK. Visian ICL also offers UV protection and has an excellent patient satisfaction rate.
Visian ICL is implanted behind the iris, in front of your eye’s natural lens during a 20–30-minute procedure. The patient can expect quick vision improvement with minimal recovery time, and the individual will not be able to see or feel it when it is inserted. Contrary to LASIK, which permanently alters the shape of the cornea, Visian ICL is an additive technology that can be removed if there is a need to do so. The best candidates for Visian ICL are aged 21 to 45 with moderate to severe nearsightedness (prescription between –3D and –20D) and a prescription that has been stable for at least one year. Also, Visian ICL can treat astigmatism (1.0D and 4.0D).
LASEK
LASEK, or(laser-assisted subepithelial keratomileusis) surgery, is different from its LASIK sibling. LASIK focuses on corneal sculpting, whereas LASEK concentrates on the cornea’s very top layer or epithelium. An instrument is used to create a flap of corneal tissue; then, the eye surgeon applies an alcohol solution to loosen epithelial cells. After that, the cornea itself is sculpted. Healing normally takes around four days.
PRK
Photo-Refractive Keratectomy (PRK) is a laser vision correction surgery that involves removing the outer layer of the eye’s surface to avoid an incision in the cornea. Like LASIK, a laser is then used to vaporize the cornea to correct refractive errors. Visual improvement and recovery time may take slightly longer than LASIK eye surgery or Visian ICL lens implantation procedures, but it is still an excellent option for many people.
PRK may be an option for patients who cannot have LASIK surgery because they have thin corneas but can only correct nearsightedness with a prescription up to -8 D. The most suitable candidates for PRK are over 18 and have had a stable prescription for at least one year.
CLE
Clear Lens Exchange (CLE) is a vision correction surgery that involves an experienced eye surgeon replacing the eye’s natural lens with an artificial intraocular lens (IOL), just like cataract surgery. CLE can correct a vast amount of vision errors depending on the type of IOL that is selected.
If this procedure sounds familiar to you, it is because it is very similar to cataract surgery and is usually performed on one eye at a time.
Wavefront-guided LASIK
During a traditional LASIK procedure, the laser is programmed to carve the cornea based on the patient’s vision correction prescription, focusing on 20/20 vision. Unlike wavefront-guided LASIK, which has the laser programmed with the patient’s wavefront data, which creates a three-dimensional model of the existing cornea, the laser can sculpt it more precisely for vision correction.
This three-dimensional map looks very similar to a mountain range, allowing technology to correct smaller abnormalities on the surface, getting better correction than just a prescription number for glasses or contact lenses. Also, this procedure lowers the risk of side effects such as problems with night vision or light sensitivity.
EpiLASIK
Just like LASEK, this procedure concentrates on the epithelial tissue of the cornea. A special microkeratome, called the epi-keratome, separates a thin sheet of epithelial tissue from the cornea and is lifted to one side. After it is treated, it may be replaced or removed, depending on the requirements of the reshaped cornea to create perfect vision.
Conductive keratoplasty (CK)
It is a non-invasive procedure that precisely treats mild to moderate farsightedness in patients over the age of 40, usually when presbyopia develops. This utilizes thermal refractions created to radiofrequency (RF) energy rather than a laser, applying heat to the cornea to change it. Instead of removing layers of cells, the RF emissions make the peripheral areas of the cornea contract, tightening it like you would a belt, which increases the curvature of the cornea itself. Also, CK is used to create monovision, or blended vision, which improves a person’s ability to focus on all depths. One eye’s near vision is enhanced while the other eye is set to far vision. For the majority of people, farsightedness will return as the eyes continue to age.
How To Choose The Right Vision Correction Surgery
There are many elements and influences to think about when deciding on a vision correction procedure. Your eye doctor is the best person to make a suitable choice for you based on your prescription, lifestyle, and the advantages you are looking for. At Excel Laser Vision Institute in Orange County, our advanced eye care team has the experience that is vital when trying to find the right procedure for you. Call Excel Laser Vision Institute at (888) 957-3255 or visit our website to learn more about LASIK alternatives or to schedule an appointment.
Getting Blurry Vision? Know More About IOL Here
If you are age 60 and above and have noticed a decline in your vision, it could be time to get in touch with a surgeon at Excel Laser Vision Institute, a cataract and LASIK clinic in Los Angeles. Doctor Moosa, our LASIK eye surgery doctor, says that it is very normal for people at this age to experience blurry or even cloudy vision, which may be a tell-tale sign that they have cataracts. It is a typical condition in older adults and can be treated by your eye doctor in Los Angeles through laser vision correction.
What Are The Symptoms Of Cataracts?
Cataracts usually start off slowly. As a matter of fact, eye specialists at a cataract and LASIK clinic in Los Angeles say that you may not know you have them until they begin to block light. After that, you may notice the following:
- Vision that is cloudy, blurry, foggy, or filmy
- Nearsightedness (in older people)
- Changes in the way you see color
- Complications driving at night (glare from oncoming headlights, for example)
- Problems with glare during the day
- Double vision in the affected eye
- Issues with eyeglasses or contact lenses not working well
What Causes Cataracts?
Cataracts happen when protein accumulates in the lens of your eye and makes it cloudy. This prevents light from passing through clearly. As a result of this, a person may experience loss of eyesight. Also, there are many types of cataracts.
How Your Eye Functions
Your eye has a lens, which is a window made of clear protein and water that sits behind the pupil. The lens focuses light onto the retina, which transmits it to your brain.
As a person starts to get older, the proteins alter, and parts of your lens turn cloudy. This is referred to as a cataract. It can make objects appear blurry or give them a brownish tint.
Cataracts are the main cause of blindness, particularly in the elderly. However, they can be corrected through cataract surgery that is performed over 2 million times a year in the United States.
What Is An Intraocular Lens Implant?
If you are considering corrective eye surgery at a cataract and LASIK center in Los Angeles, it may be a good idea to understand what an intraocular lens implant is. Essentially, an intraocular lens implant (IOL) is an artificial replacement for the lens of your eye. It forms part of the surgery to treat cataracts. An intraocular lens implant, or IOL, consists of clear plastic material, and it is around a third the size of a dime. There are various different types:
Monofocal IOL
This is the most common intraocular lens implant. It is very different from your natural lens, which can stretch or bend to help your eye focus since this implant stays focused at one fixed distance. If yours focuses at a distance, you might be able to see things far away but need glasses to read or see close up.
Multifocal implant
This implant is similar to glasses with bifocal or progressive lenses because this lens has areas that help you see things at different distances. It could take several months for your brain to get used to so your vision appears natural. Keep in mind that it can sometimes cause more halos or glare around lights than a monofocal lens.
Accommodating IOL
This is a more flexible option, especially if you are looking for a lens that mimics a lot like your natural lens and focuses at more than one distance. It can prevent you from requiring reading glasses.
Toric IOL: Your eye surgeon may recommend this if you have astigmatism or a cornea that’s more football-shaped than round. This can make vision blurry all over, not just close up or far away. This lens reduces astigmatism, so you won’t need glasses to correct it after your surgery.
How Is the Surgery Performed?
If you have a cataract, you should visit an ophthalmologist. This doctor specializes in cataract surgery and other issues requiring surgery. They will most likely let you know that it is recommended to remove the cataract until it begins to affect your daily life. They can perform the surgery at a hospital or an outpatient clinic.
To prepare you for surgery, your doctor will do the following:
- Measure your eye. This will help them select the right implant for you.
- Give you medicated eye drops to take for a few days ahead of time
- Ask you to stop taking some medicines or to avoid wearing contact lenses for several days beforehand
On the day of surgery, they will tell you to do the following:
- Numb your eye
- Administer a drug to help you relax. You may see light during the procedure, but you should feel nothing or only gentle pressure.
- Create a tiny cut through your cornea to get to the lens
- Break the lens up into pieces and remove it bit by bit
- Put the implant in place.
- Let the cut heal by itself. You will not have any stitches.
You can usually go home in less than an hour, but it is important that someone else drives you.
Follow-Up Care
It takes around 8 to 12 weeks to heal fully. During that time:
- Keep your eye protected with sunglasses as much as possible, and sleep with your eye shield at night.
- Don’t rub or press your eye, even if you have the urge to scratch it or you notice the eye begins to ooze a bit of fluid.
- Take the medicated eye drops your doctor prescribes. You may have to use them for several weeks to help your eye heal.
- Avoid most exercise or heavy lifting. The doctor will advise you when you can do those things again.
If you want to learn more about intraocular lens (IOL) implants, contact Excel Laser Vision Institute at (888) 957-3255 or visit our website. Our expert team and well-esteemed cataract and LASIK surgeon, Dr. Moosa, is ready to answer all your questions.
How To Delay The Progression Of Cataracts
Patients often ask whether there is a way of delaying cataracts since they may have a family member who has it. Laser eye surgery doctors in Los Angeles tell us that cataracts are the leading cause of blindness in the United States. Unfortunately, there is no guaranteed way to prevent them, but making some lifestyle changes could reduce your risk of getting them.
How Do Cataracts Happen?
The doctor at Excel Laser Vision Institute, a LASIK eye center in Los Angeles, points out that the real reason why medical professionals can’t find a way to delay cataracts is that it is more complicated than keeping a clear lens from becoming cloudy. So, the whole point isn’t about keeping the lens clear but more about how to stop it from aging. For now, scientists haven’t found a way to delay aging. However, they have a good idea of what causes it biochemically. And the same can be said for cataracts.
Every year, the lens in your eye lays down new layers, kind of like how a tree lays down new rings each year. Over time, the center of the lens gets more compressed, and it results in hardening and cloudiness. There is a type of biochemical bond referred to as a disulfide bond, and it occurs between the cysteine amino acids of the crystalline proteins in the eye. LASIK eye surgeons in Los Angeles confirm that there is no way to stop it or delay it.
How Do You Prevent Cataracts From Getting Worse?
Nevertheless, Doctor Moosa, a LASIK surgeon in Los Angeles, gives us five ways to prevent cataracts or keep them from getting worse. These methods are not difficult to incorporate into a healthy lifestyle, but they can possibly prevent you from becoming blind.
Stay Away From Lengthy Exposure To UV Light
Although a small amount of exposure to the sun is healthy, prolonged exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet rays can intensify cataract progression.
This doesn’t mean you have to lock yourself indoors most of the time. It is okay to go out as long as you protect yourself from the dangers of prolonged exposure to ultraviolet light.
When the sun is out, and you want to be outside, make it a point to wear sunglasses. As mentioned above, lowering the amount of ultraviolet light that reaches your eyes will help you prevent getting cataracts.
Also, don’t be fooled when there is a cloudy day since the sun’s rays can pass through thin clouds. The peak hours of the day for sun exposure are between 10 am, and 3 pm or else 11 am and 4 pm daylight savings time.
Don’t Use Steroid Drops
Sometimes ophthalmologists will prescribe steroid eye drops to treat dry eyes and arthritic flare-ups in the eyes. These steroids imitate the effects of cortisol in the body to lower inflammation.
Although steroid eye drops are useful when administered properly, they can have damaging side effects, which consist of the acceleration of cataracts.
If you do have to use steroid eye drops on a regular basis, you should have regular eye exams carried out. If you notice cataracts developing, speak to your optometrist or ophthalmologist as soon as possible.
Look Out For Medicinal Side Effects
Commonly prescribed medications have side effects that could trigger the cataract progress. If you are at risk for cataracts and take medication on a regular basis, ask your medical professional about any side effects you have to be aware of.
If you are taking necessary medication that could speed up cataracts, it is crucial that you avoid sunlight during peak hours, wear sunglasses or a hat during sunny days, and have regular eye exams.
Taking medication to enhance your life may not be worthwhile if it results in cataracts. So, think about your options carefully.
Think About Cataract Surgery
When cataracts have already set or progressed to a point where it disrupts many aspects of your life, you should think about having cataracts removed.
You can only remove it through cataract surgery, a process that involves removing your eye’s natural cloudy lens and replacing it with an artificial lens. One of the leading eye surgeons at Excel Eye Institute will discuss and advise you of the options for corrective lenses that are appropriate for you.
This is the best way to treat cataracts that have already set in, but it may not be the best solution for everyone. Make sure to contact your laser eye clinic to figure out if cataract surgery is the right option for you.
Live A Healthy Lifestyle
Research has shown that a healthy lifestyle can lead to reducing the development of cataracts.
And this is a very logical finding since a healthy lifestyle helps to fight against many ailments. But, what exactly comprises a “healthy lifestyle”?
Here are a few suggestions from existing studies:
Diet Guidelines
- People who have a diet that consists of colorful fruits, vegetables, and whole grains may show a reduced possibility of developing cataracts.
- Studies suggest that antioxidant vitamins in these fruits and vegetables may lower the risk of cataracts.
- Carrots are a great source of beta-carotene, which is converted into vitamin A in the body and is excellent for eye health.
- The consumption of fish has been linked to a reduced risk of cataracts.
- Fish are high in omega-3 fatty acids, which have been known to reduce cataract progression.
- A diet high in carbohydrates may speed up cataract progression.
- Foods that are rich in a variety of vitamins and minerals may delay cataracts.
Lifestyle Guidelines
- Dehydration can quicken the development of cataracts.
- Alcohol may accelerate the development of cataracts.
- Smoking will increase the chance of developing cataracts.
- Obesity may increase the chances of developing cataracts.
- Individuals with diabetes may be at a higher risk of developing cataracts.
Many people over the age of 50 will eventually develop age-related changes in their lenses, known as “early cataracts.” It may be challenging to prevent cataracts from progressing entirely, but you could live cataract-free by taking account of these guidelines.
Find Out From LASIK Surgeons How Smoking Can Affect Your Eyes
Any medical professional will tell you that smoking is very harmful to your health. As a matter of fact, LASIK doctors and ophthalmologists will go into a huge rant on how smoking can make a huge negative impact on your eyes.
The best LASIK surgeons in Los Angeles, like Doctor Moosa, let us know that cigarettes contain about 4,000 chemicals. The reality is that some of these poisonous chemicals can result in long-term cellular damage in the eye, increasing the risk of corneal infections and prolonging healing time.
The LASIK surgeons take a look at five different diseases that have a higher possibility of developing in smokers. Some of these diseases are so dangerous that they could result in permanent blindness.
Five Ocular Diseases That Smokers Might Get
Cataracts
The LASIK eye specialists make it clear that daily smoking can put you at increased risk for cataracts. Cataracts, which are the clouding of the eye’s natural lens, occur to almost everyone when they reach the age of 80.
When cataracts begin to develop, they can result in blurry vision and, with some extreme case scenarios – complete blindness. A recent study revealed that there is a strong connection between smoking and the increased risk of age-related cataracts. Not surprisingly, those who smoke cigarettes regularly are most likely to get cataracts at an earlier age than non-smokers.
Graves’ Ophthalmopathy
Not only does smoking tobacco harm your lungs, but it also increases your risk of developing eye-related problems caused by thyroid disease. Graves’ ophthalmopathy affects the immune system, in particular, the thyroid.
As a result of this condition, the tissue and muscles around the eyes are damaged. Complications start because of this disorder, and a person can suffer from double vision, eye-bulging, eye inflammation, eye pain, and vision loss.
Uveitis
Doctor Moosa, one of the leading LASIK surgeons in Los Angeles points out that exposure to toxic chemicals, especially those found in cigarettes, causes uveitis – an inflammation of the eye. Also, it can affect the iris, which is the colored part of the eye. In general, smoking can put you at a higher risk of acquiring this disorder, leading to serious complications such as glaucoma and vision loss.
Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD)
If you are a daily cigarette smoker, you are three times more likely to get a chronic disease known as age-related macular degeneration. Age-related macular degeneration, otherwise known as AMD, causes the macula, the oval-shaped pigmented area near the retina’s center, to deteriorate and lead to vision loss. The macula is the part of the eye that provides acute vision. If you have AMD, your central vision will be impaired. As a result of this, you probably will not be able to participate in everyday tasks that involve your eyesight, such as reading, writing, or driving.
Diabetic Retinopathy
You have a higher risk of getting diabetes if you are frequently exposed to tobacco smoke. Diabetes can cause an eye disorder known as diabetic retinopathy, which occurs when the eye’s blood vessels are damaged. As a result, there are many vision complications, such as blindness.
With all this information around, it is vital that you are aware of the negative impact cigarettes can have on your overall health. It is advisable that if you are currently a regular smoker, that you should consider kicking this bad and harmful habit. Quitting smoking is the first step forward in lowering your chances of developing harmful ocular diseases and enhancing your health.
Dry Eyes
When a person experiences dry eyes, they usually don’t have enough tears on the eye’s surface, which are required to preserve eye lubrication and keep them healthy. Those who suffer from dry eyes can experience eye redness, itchiness, a sensation that something foreign is in their eye, and watery eyes.
Tobacco smoke is a well-known eye irritant and aggravates dry eyes even when the smoke is derived from second-hand smokers, and it is especially harmful to contact lens wearers. People who smoke have twice the likelihood of developing dry eyes.
Smoking And Infant Eye Disease
Women who smoke while pregnant can transmit dangerous toxins to the placenta, harming the unborn child. Smoking during pregnancy can increase the possibility of any fetal and infant eye disorders and other serious health problems.
These eye issues include strabismus (crossed eyes) and underdevelopment of the optic nerve, which is a leading cause of blindness in children.
Plus, women who smoke during pregnancy are more likely to give birth prematurely. Most babies born prematurely are at higher risk of eye issues than full-term babies.
Premature babies usually have vision problems that include retinopathy of prematurity, a potentially blinding disease.
If you are a smoker, especially one who has been smoking for many years, or is experiencing some unusual vision loss, or is concerned about your eye health, then it is a good idea to talk to an eye care professional at Excel Laser Vision Institute, a reputable LASIK clinic in Los Angeles.
Laser eye surgery can treat some eye diseases, such as cataracts that cigarette smoking can cause at an earlier age. LASIK professionals will conduct a thorough evaluation of your eye health and condition before deciding if you are eligible for LASIK eye surgery or a similar procedure.
If you are serious about quitting smoking and want to check or improve your eyesight, contact Excel Laser Vision Institute at (888) 957-3255. Our team of staff is highly trained and experienced. Our leading eye surgeon, Dr. Moosa, a well-esteemed LASIK surgeon in Los Angeles, has 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/.