Nearsightedness Is On the Increase in the U.S. as LASIK Continues to Grow

A study shows that nearsightedness (myopia) is more common in the United States than it was more than 30 years ago, a National Eye Institute study states.

Dr. DAVID G. O’DAY, MD, a LASIK corrective surgery specialist in Charleston, has reported an uptick in patiences with nearsightedness over the years.

Researchers compared National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data from 4,436 black and white participants from 1971 to 1972 and from 8,339 black and white participants from 1999 to 2004. The participants were 12 to 54 years old.

The prevalence of myopia increased from 25 percent in 1971-1972 to 41.6 percent in the later period. The incidence jumped from 13 percent to 33.5 percent among blacks, and 26.3 percent to 43 percent among whites.

The findings appeared in an issue of the Archives of Ophthalmology.

Even though myopia can be treated with eyeglasses, contact lenses or refractive surgery, its high prevalence costs Americans billions of dollars a year, the researchers noted.

“The question of whether myopia prevalence is increasing is therefore important to health planners and policy makers,” the study authors concluded. “Identifying modifiable risk factors for the development of myopia could lead to the development of cost-effective interventional strategies.”

What Causes Nearsightedness?

If an eye doctor has diagnosed you with myopia, or nearsightedness in Charleston, this means you have a refractive error that causes distant objects to appear blurry. Nearsighted people can usually see close objects clearly but they may need to wear corrective lenses to see well at a distance.

Nearsightedness can occur for one of two reasons:

• The eyeball is too long
• The cornea is too steep

When either of these conditions are present, light entering the eyes will focus in front of the retina (the back of the eye), instead of directly on the retina, causing blurred distance vision. Myopia can usually be corrected with glasses or contact lenses.

After age 21, myopia can be corrected surgically for some patients through LASIK vision correction. Dr. O'Day performs blade-free LASIK in Charleston to alter the shape of your cornea by removing a microscopic amount of tissue so light can focus correctly on the retina. This procedure has been highly effective in helping nearsighted people achieve 20/20 vision.

According to the American Optometric Association, nearsightedness affects almost 30% of the United States population. This vision condition usually develops in children and it may progress into a person’s early 20s. But with today’s advanced LASIK technology in Charleston, achieving clear distance vision can be a reality.

LASIK is not right for everyone. If you are nearsighted and are curious to know if LASIK might work for your eyes, contact Charleston Cornea & Refractive Surgery today at 843-856-5275 or charlestoncornea.com to schedule a free, no-obligation LASIK Consultation. 

Will School Make You Nearsighted?

Researchers in Germany have uncovered a possible link between spending more years in school and the prevalence and severity of nearsightedness. In the Gutenberg Health Study, they looked at 4,658 Germans ages 35-74 who had myopia (nearsightedness), which causes distant objects to appear blurry while close-up objects are clear. The study did not include participants with cataracts or anyone who had refractive surgery.

The Findings

• 53% of university graduates had myopia
• 39% of high school graduates had myopia
• 24% of participants without a high school education had myopia

The myopia became more severe with each additional year of school.

Don’t Sacrifice Education for Vision

We are not recommending that people drop out of school to possibly protect their vision. Instead, while you are pursuing your education, be aware of your environment and how it is affecting your eyesight. For example, take frequent breaks from your computer and give your eyes a rest.

Another Reason Why Recess is Important

If these findings are valid, it makes sense for students to increase their time outdoors…making recess an important part of the school day (regardless of your level of education).

Already Nearsighted? You Have Options

Of course, people can have myopia regardless of the amount of schooling – you can be born with this condition where your eye is too long or too steep, causing light rays to focus in front of your retina rather than on the surface. If you are already nearsighted, you have options to correct your vision, including LASIKvision correction in Charleston. This quick and virtually painless procedure uses a laser to microscopically reshape the cornea so light will focus on the retina (the back of the eye) and clear vision can be obtained.

To learn more about your own vision characteristics and find out if LASIK technology in Charleston may help you see with 20/20 vision, contact Charleston Cornea & Refractive Surgery by scheduling your free LASIK Consultation at charlestoncornea.com or by calling 843-856-5275. 

Get More Enjoyment from 3D Movies

Movies, televisions and even theme park rides in 3D really help to bring the action to life. Of course, in order to get the full effect of 3D experiences, the viewer must wear special 3D glasses. In fact, if you view a 3D movie without the glasses, the blurry image on the screen can be very uncomfortable on your eyes.

     If you currently wear regular eyeglasses for nearsightedness (myopia) in Charleston to see distant objects clearly, going to a 3D movie can be a real hassle. You have the options of:

• Wearing 3D glasses over your regular eyeglasses (this is also uncomfortable)
• Wearing contact lenses instead of your regular eyeglasses (although not everyone can wear contacts)
• Purchasing special 3D clip on glasses that you wear over your regular eyeglasses to watch 3D movies (you have to remember to bring them with you)
• Watching the alternate 2D version of movies instead of the 3D version (and miss out on some special effects) 
• Having LASIK vision correction to possibly correct your myopia and eliminate your need for glasses 

Dr. O'Day at Charleston Cornea & Refractive Surgery has performed thousands of LASIK procedures on myopic patients. While not all of them have been fans of 3D movies, they all wanted to find out what life could be like if they didn’t have to wear glasses or contacts. Most of them didn’t enter into the decision to have LASIK lightly. They researched the LASIK process in Charleston. Then they learned if their eyes were right for LASIK (through a free LASIK Consultation at Charleston Cornea & Refractive Surgery) and interviewed Dr.O' Dayextensively to make sure he had the best experience, the best LASIK technologies and best “chair-side” manner. 

There are a lot of 3D movies coming out in spring/summer 2014: How to Train Your Dragon 2, Transformers: Age of Extinction; Maleficent, Godzilla, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Guardians of the Galaxy and more. If you would like to have a more enjoyable 3D summer, find out if Charleston LASIK vision correction is right for you. Call Charleston Cornea & Refractive Surgery at 843-856-5275 or charlestoncornea.com.

Driving After LASIK

LASIK vision correction in Charleston is a very quick procedure that is performed to correct a patient’s myopia, hyperopia or astigmatism with the ultimate goal of 20/20 vision without lenses. While most patients do not experience pain during the procedure, it is not uncommon for patients to feel anxious prior to surgery. Some patients may elect to take a mild sedative prior to surgery just to “take the edge off” and make it easier to fully relax.

Whether or not you take relaxation medication prior to surgery, you must arrange for someone to drive you home after surgery. Some patients are able to see more clearly immediately after surgery; however, your vision will not be completely stabilized and there can be sensitivity to light, glare or starbursts for the first few days after surgery. You may also still have the relaxation medication in your system.

Slight physical discomfort after LASIK may also make it difficult to drive home. These eye discomforts can include:

• Itching
• Tearing / watering
• Mild burning sensation
• Mild pain

It is important to refrain from rubbing your eyes after surgery, which is why you will be given an eye shield to wear for protection.

Each patient will heal at a different rate after LASIK. Some patients will be able to drive themselves to their post-operative appointment the next day while others may require help getting to and from the appointment. Pay attention to your own eyes and make smart decisions about driving after LASIK.

To learn more about what to expect after LASIK in Charleston, schedule a freeLASIK Consultation at Charleston Cornea & Refractive Surgery. Our team will fully explain the LASIK process and perform tests to see if you are a good candidate for LASIK. Call 843-856-5275 or visit charlestoncornea.com today. 

It’s Your Last Chance to Think about Yourself before the Holidays!

The holiday season is right around the corner. That means an endless stream of holiday parties, gift-buying, present-wrapping, cooking, baking, decorating…and on…and on…and on…

Before the holiday craziness hits, take a moment to do something good for yourself...something that will help make your holiday season a little easier…especially if you currently wear glasses or contacts to correct myopia, hyperopia or astigmatism.

We’re talking about LASIK vision correction.

Did you know that more than 14 million Americans have had LASIK to correct a refractive error? This is when your eye is shaped in a way that light does not focus directly on the back of the eye (the retina). LASIK uses lasers to remove tiny, precisely targeted amounts of corneal tissue to create a slightly different shape and allow light to focus properly. The effectiveness of this procedure depends on several factors:

• The LASIK technology being used
• The experience of the surgeon
• The health and condition of your eyes

The best news is that the entire surgery only takes minutes per eye, and most patients are able to return to work (or their holiday preparations) within a day or two after surgery. And, if you’re concerned about spending too much money before the holidays, Charleston Cornea & Refractive Surgery offers LASIK financing options to make the procedure budget-friendly.

Treat yourself to a free LASIK Consultation. You might learn that you could remove the added stress of glasses and contacts from your holidays. Contact Charleston Cornea & Refractive Surgery in Charleston today by calling 843-856-5275 or visiting charlestoncornea.com.

Moo-ve Into Better Vision with LASIK

Did you know that July 18, 2013 is Cow Appreciation Day? In honor of this unique observance, here are a few fun facts about how cows’ eyes differ from human eyes:  

• Cow eyes are larger
• Cows cannot move their eyes like humans; they must turn their heads
• Cow eyes glow at night
• Cow eyes are oval shaped
• Cows have only black irises

At Charleston Cornea and Refractive Surgery, we’re not in the business of treating cow’s eyes; however, we are in the business of correcting the human vision problems of myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness) and astigmatism through LASIK eye surgery.

LASIK won’t make your eyes glow at night like cows, but it just might free you from the need for contacts or glasses. The LASIK procedure actually changes the shape of your cornea so light can be focused onto your retina properly, resulting in clear vision, even 20/20 vision, for many patients.

If you’d be interested in learning more about how you might be able to moo-ve into better vision with LASIK, contact Charleston Cornea and Refractive Surgery today to schedule your free LASIK Consultation. Call us today at 843-856-5275 or visit us online at charlestoncornea.com.