Does LASIK Help Nearsightedness?

Nearsightedness is a condition where objects in the distance appear out of focus.  It is a common reason for blurred vision, says the staff at Charleston Cornea & Refractive Surgery in Charleston, South Carolina. Nearsightedness (also called myopia) is not a disease.  Nearsighted people might squint when trying to see objects at a distance. 

Teachers commonly notice children with vision problems when they see them squinting at the chalkboard or whiteboard, resulting in an eye exam and some form of vision correction. Nearsightedness often begins in childhood between ages 6 and 12. During the teen years, as the eyeballs continue to grow, it may develop slowly or get worse quickly. By age 20, myopia usually stabilizes and stops getting worse.

The nearsighted eye is usually longer than a normal eye.  Its cornea could also be steeper. When light passes through the cornea and lens, it is focused in front of the retina, making distant images appear blurry.

While contacts and glasses are the most common form of correction for nearsightedness, there are several refractive surgery solutions available to correct nearly all levels of nearsightedness.  Most myopia patients report good results from refractive surgery.  The risk of complications from LASIK surgery is low and decreases with a more experiencedsurgeon. If you are interested in this option, please contact Charleston Cornea & Refractive Surgery for a consultation.

Want to Become a Pilot? LASIK May Be the Perfect Answer

Pilots must meet many physical and emotional requirements before ever stepping into a cockpit.  Good vision is one of them.  For people who want to become pilots, whether civilian or military, vision requirements need to be examined and discussed with the staff at Charleston Cornea and Refractive Surgery in South Carolina.  

While LASIK provides an excellent vision correction result for most people, the FAA has its own position regarding flight status and LASIK, which sometimes changes from time to time.  The military also has established policy on vision requirements and whether or not LASIK surgery can meet the requirements for a future pilot.

Finding a LASIK specialist in your area who is familiar with the unique vision demands of pilots is critical.  At Charleston Cornea and Refractive Surgery in South Carolina, we can discuss your vision needs and how they may impact career aspirations.  Contact us for a consultation.

Computer Use and Eye Damage

Will extensive computer use harm your eyes?  As LASIK specialists, this is a question we are frequently asked at Charleston Cornea & Refractive Surgery in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina.

 

The short answer is no.  Using a computer will not permanently harm your eyes.  However, the over use of computers can cause eye problems. Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS) is the name for eye problems caused by computer use.  CVS is not a single problem but refers to a range of eye problems caused by computer use.

• Symptoms of CVS can include:
• Headaches
• Blurred vision
• Dry eyes
• Red or irritated eyes
• Neck or back pain

People who use computers usually don’t blink as often as those that don’t use computers, causing dry eyes which can lead to irritation.  Normally, humans blink about 18 times a minute, but some studies show we blink only half that often while using computers and other digital screen devices.

Some people can also experience headaches while using computers or video games, which may indicate that the person has a problem with focusing, causing eye strain. Computer-use eye strain can be made worse by improper use of contacts (wearing them too long, wearing dirty lenses), etc.  It’s better to wear glasses at least occasionally while using a computer.

 

We advise that computer users take a break away from the computer every 20 minutes. Sit about 25 inches from the screen and look at the screen in a slightly downward manner.  These techniques may help you avoid common problems associated with the use of computers.

  

Give Dad the Chance at Better Vision

Father’s Day is June 16 this year. Your good ‘ole dad probably has dozens of neckties, fishing lures and golf pants in his closet, so why not give him a gift that may help him view his work and play in a whole new light?

LASIK eye surgery has given millions of Americans the freedom from wearing contacts and glasses to correct their nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism. And while LASIK doesn’t always produce the exact same results for every patient, advanced LASIK technology has made this procedure a possibility for more people than ever. No LASIK center can absolutely guarantee 20/20 vision after LASIK, but many patients do experience these types of results.

Of course, you can’t just go out and buy LASIK for dad, or even yourself for that matter, without first having a LASIK Consultation. An eye surgeon must evaluate a patient’s health first to make sure he or she is a good candidate for the procedure. The surgeon will look at the thickness of the cornea, perform corneal mapping, tear film and pupil size evaluation and assess the patient’s overall medical health.

What you can do is schedule a LASIK Consultation for dad with us at Charleston Cornea and Refractive Surgery. Dad may need a bit of a push to pursue vision correction, and Father’s Day could be the perfect opportunity. We’ll take good care of him – we promise!

If you think your dad might benefit from LASIK eye surgery, contact us today at 843-856-5275 or charlestoncornea.com to schedule his LASIK Consultation. If he’s approved for the procedure, we have LASIK financing options to help make LASIK affordable for virtually any budget.

Possible Cause for High-Grade Nearsightedness Discovered

A recent study published in the American Journal of Human Genetics has identified gene mutations associated with severe, high-grade myopia (nearsightedness). Researchers at Duke Medicine found these mutations in the SCO2 gene that metabolizes copper, which is important to regulate oxygen levels in eye tissue. When there is too much oxygen, the eye’s development can be altered.

"This is the first time a gene mutation for autosomal dominant nonsyndromic high-grade myopia in Caucasians has been discovered," said senior author Terri Young, M.D., MBA, professor of ophthalmology, pediatrics and medicine at the Duke Eye Center, Duke Center for Human Genetics and the Duke-National University of Singapore Graduate Medical School (Duke-NUS). "Our findings reflect the hard work and collaboration of our international research team."

"Our findings, plus information from the literature, suggest that copper deficiency could predispose people to develop myopia," Young said. "While this wasn't directly tested in this study, it's possible that our diets - which are deficient in a number of minerals and vitamins - play a role, and it may be something as easy as taking a supplement with copper that helps thwart the development of myopia."

Other factors besides gene mutations are likely responsible for myopia development. Additional myopia research will continue.

Nearsightedness is one vision condition that is often corrected through LASIK eye surgery. However, laser vision correction is not appropriate for all patients who have myopia, especially high-grade. The FDA has approved certain lasers to treat varying levels of myopia, even up to -.12 diopters; however, some doctors 

may recommend a different type of procedure for patients who don’t meet the right vision requirements.

If you have any degree of nearsightedness and would like to know if you are a good candidate for LASIK, contact Charleston Cornea and Refractive Surgery to schedule a LASIK Consultation: 843-856-5275 or charlestoncornea.com.

Cool Facts About Dolphin Eyes -Part 4

This is the final installment of cool facts about dolphin eyes that we learned about from Joy Clausen Soto, Senior Dolphin Trainer at SeaWorld.

“Dolphin eyes ‘glow’ at night! Just like cats and dogs, dolphins have a layer of reflective cells behind their retina which helps them see better in low light conditions.”

It would be pretty cool if we could make our patients’ eyes glow in the dark. Unfortunately, technology just doesn’t allow us to do that yet.

What we do see, however, is the ‘glow’ of many of our patients’ faces after they’ve had a successful LASIK procedure. This glow may come immediately after the procedure, when they can read a clock on the wall, or it may come several visits later when their vision has stabilized and they realize what type of freedom they now have. Not all outcomes are the same, of course, and not everyone experiences this glow.

Many people research LASIK technology and surgeons for years before making the decision to move forward. Sometimes they end up wasting a lot of time, energy and even anxiety thinking about LASIK…only to learn that they aren’t good candidates for LASIK in the first place.

Everyone has their own unique set of eyes. Even if you think you have the same eyeglass prescription as another person who had LASIK, your own genetic make-up and health conditions may preclude you from having a successful outcome. Without a detailed eye examination from an experienced LASIK surgeon, you’ll never know if you have the right conditions to possibly reverse your nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism.

We hope you’ve enjoyed learning a little bit dolphins – and learning a little about LASIK along the way. We’d love to tell you more. Contact Charleston Cornea and Refractive Surgery in Charleston to schedule a LASIK Consultation and see if you’re a good candidate for LASIK. Call 843-856-5275 or visit charlestoncornea.com today.