Thursday, September 19, 2013

Elephant Eyes

 In honor of National Elephant Appreciation Day on September 22, here are some facts about elephant eyes.

  • Their eyes are very small, only about 1.5” in diameter
  • The location of their eyes on the side of their heads allows for peripheral vision but not depth perception; the trunk creates a large blind spot in their vision
  • They have three eyelids: an upper, lower and one that moves vertically for more protection
  • Their long eyelashes keep foreign matter out of their eyes
  • They have the same visual pigments as humans with red/green color-blindness
  • Their range of vision is only about 30 feet - some people might say that elephants are nearsighted!

Because of their poor vision, elephants use their sensitive trunks to navigate. Their poor vision does not hinder their ability to orient themselves, and that’s a good thing since vision correction surgery just isn’t performed on elephants!

It is, however, performed on millions of Americans every year. At Charleston Cornea and Refractive Surgery, we’ve performed many LASIK vision correction surgeries to correct nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism. LASIK in Charleston is considered to be one of the safest medical procedures when performed by an experienced surgeon like Dr. O'Day. Of course, there are risks with any type of surgical procedure, so it’s always advisable to get all of the facts about LASIK before you decide to pursue this popular procedure.

One way to get the facts is by scheduling a free LASIK Consultation at Charleston Cornea and Refractive Surgery. You can find out if your eyes have the right characteristics for LASIK and you can get all of your questions about LASIK answered.

So don’t forget to take a minute to appreciate elephants on September 22 (an elephant wouldn’t forget). And, if you’re stuck wearing glasses or contacts, contact us today to schedule your free LASIK Consultation at charlestoncornea.com or 843-856-5275.

Friday, September 13, 2013

Glasses, Contacts and Sports – How to Improve Your Game



Recently we read that September is National Little League Month. We’re not sure how many people actually celebrate this observance, but it got us thinking about all of those boys and girls on the field who wear corrective lenses as they play. In turn, this made us think of “vision-challenged” adults who continue playing sports of any kind.

Being nearsighted, farsighted or having astigmatism can become a real nuisance in life, especially if you are trying to see to hit a baseball/softball, swim laps in a pool, putt a golf ball into a hole or any other type of sport. Forced to wear glasses or contact lenses as you play, you can face different challenges than those with “near-perfect” vision. Sweaty noses can cause glasses to slide, dirt and debris can get underneath contacts, glasses can be broken and contacts lost.

Think of how much you could improve your game of choice if you were lens-free.

When you add LASIK vision correction to your pre-season training activities, you may be able to erase corrective lenses from your sports equipment list.

Dr. O'Day at Charleston Cornea & Refractive Surgery is ready to be your vision trainer. Schedule your free LASIK Consultation with us today at charlestoncornea.com or 843-856-5275 to find out if your eyes are in the right physical condition to handle LASIK. You can also ask questions about LASIK and learn more about Dr. O'Day's background and experience.