New York City LASIK Blog
New York, Manhattan, Long Island LASIK
Archive for July, 2010
Farsightedness
Friday, July 30th, 2010
New York City, Long Island, and Manhattan, NY
If you are able to see distant objects with clarity, but close objects seem to be out of focus or blurry, you suffer from a condition called farsightedness, or hyperopia. Farsightedness affects as much as a fourth of the U.S. population, and may vary in its degrees of severity. Hyperopia is treatable with a number of techniques, and may be permanently corrected. Farsightedness caused by hyperopia may become apparent at any age, as opposed to presbyopia, a condition which occurs in individuals over 40 years of age.
Farsightedness Symptoms
Farsightedness is a condition which makes distant objects appear in focus but near objects appear blurry. This may mean that only extremely distant objects appear in focus, but that objects at middle distance are not in focus, while near objects are blurry. Farsightedness may occur at any age, but is common in children, who may grow out of the condition as they grow and their eyes mature.
It is possible to have more than one vision condition at the same time, and farsightedness may be coupled with other conditions, like glaucoma or cataracts.
Cause of Farsightedness
The reason that some individuals can only see distant objects with clarity rests in the shape of the eyes’ cornea. The convex front surface of the eye should be semi-spherical, or circular, to allow light to pass through and translate to the optic nerve as clear images. When the cornea is too steep, it creates nearsightedness. The cornea being too shallow, or flat, creates farsightedness.
Treatment for Farsightedness
There are a variety of treatments available for farsightedness. The ideal treatment reshapes the cornea or replaces the lens so that light passing through to the center of the eye refracts in a way that allows objects to appear in focus. However, many vision aids can be used to create clear vision:
- Contact lenses
- Eyeglasses
- Laser vision correction, such as LASIK or PRK
Depending on the health of your eyes or the severity of your condition, a certain type of vision correction surgery may be preferred over others.
To find out what type of laser vision correction is best to correct your farsightedness, please contact LASIK surgeon Dr. James Kelly, today at Kelly Laser Center, serving New York in Long Island, Manhattan, and New York City.
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IPL Can Treat Dry Eye
Thursday, July 29th, 2010
New York City, Long Island, and Manhattan, NY
Do you feel like you need to use eye drops frequently throughout the day just to be able to see? Are your eyes frequently dry, or do they feel gritty or as though you have something stuck in them when in reality they are clear? You may even produce more tears than others, but still feel as if your eyes are perpetually dry. If so, you probably suffer from a condition called dry eye.
For years, dry eye has been primarily treated through the use of eye drops, medication, oral antibiotics, or punctal occlusion. But new information is showing the possible use of intense pulse light therapy, or IPL, for treating dry eye.
Explanation of Dry Eye
In contrast to its name, dry eye may not actually be eyes which are less moist than other eyes, but simply be eyes allow too much of their moisture to evaporate. Your eyes have a layer of oil on them which helps retain the moisture your tear ducts produce. This oil is produced by glands that may become clogged or produce too little oil to be effective in preventing dry eye.
For this reason, many individuals who believe they produce too many tears and suffer from dry eye are actually experiencing the condition. Dry eye can also be caused by:
- Autoimmune disease
- Smoking
- Diabetes
- Certain medications
- Menopause or aging
Treating Dry Eye with IPL
Patients who are aware that they suffer from dry eye have often tried over-the-counter eye drops with little success, or finding only temporary relief through the use of warm compresses or even medication. But a new link between IPL treatment, such as is used for minimizing the effects of rosacea, and improving dry eye is creating a stir in the ophthalmology world.
Doctors are finding that patients who have undergone IPL treatment around the eye area are experiencing improvement in dry eye symptoms. IPL treatment is used to improve the health of skin tissue, but also seems to open up the glands which produce oil on the eye’s surface. While the use of IPL for treating dry eyes is still in its early stages, patients are finding relief from a condition they have been coping with for years.
If you suffer from the effects of dry eye, please contact laser vision surgeon Dr. James Kelly today at Kelly Laser Center, serving dry eye patients throughout Long Island, New York City, and Manhattan, New York.
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Nearsightedness
Wednesday, July 28th, 2010
New York City, Long Island, and Manhattan, NY
If you have difficulty seeing visions with clarity you may suffer from a number of common eye problems. But if your difficulty is with focusing on distant objects, you may suffer from a condition called nearsightedness, otherwise clinically known as myopia.
Definition of Nearsightedness
Myopia is a common vision problem which makes your eyes able to focus on near objects with greater clarity than far objects. For many individuals, this means they can focus on objects anywhere from the tip of their nose up to only a few inches or several feet.
Often the contrast between objects in focus and objects too far to focus on is a fairly sharp one. You may be able to see objects within 12 inches of your face with perfect clarity, but at 18 inches the object becomes very blurry. In contrast, some individuals find that the object becomes gradually blurry as it is moved further away.
Causes of Nearsightedness
The most common cause of nearsightedness seems to be genetic, and is the product of an eye which is elongated, instead of spherical. This means that the cornea of the eye is steeper than is ideal, creating a change in the refraction of light through the eye’s lens and making focusing on distant objects difficult or impossible without vision correction.
Nearsightedness may also be caused by certain types of drug exposure, and in theory it may be caused by viewing objects at close distance too frequently, causing the focusing mechanisms of the eye to seize in one spot or become inflexible and unable to change focus.
Treatment for Nearsightedness
You may begin to experience the effects of nearsightedness at any age, and treatment for nearsightedness can be undertaken at any time after symptoms appear. Common treatments for nearsightedness include:
- Eyeglasses
- Contact lenses
- Laser vision correction
One of the most common types of laser vision surgery for treating nearsightedness is LASIK, which reshapes the lens using a special type of “cool” lasers. These allow eye surgeons to treat vision problems without the danger of injury to the eye by the laser. While laser vision surgery will permanently correct nearsightedness, you may experience presbyopia, a common condition which produces farsightedness as you grow older.
Please contact LASIK surgeon Dr. James Kelly today at Kelly Laser Center to learn more about available treatments for patients with nearsightedness, serving Long Island, Manhattan, and New York City, New York.
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Astigmatism
Tuesday, July 27th, 2010
New York City, Long Island, and Manhattan, NY
As people age, they often notice their eyesight becoming worse, but many people experienced blurred or fuzzy vision at a younger age, and you may not be aware that the cause of your poor vision is a condition called astigmatism. Astigmatism affects millions of people but can be treated with the use of contact lenses or laser vision correction like LASIK.
Description of Astigmatism
Astigmatism is a common condition caused by an irregularity in the shape of the cornea or lens. That may mean that your cornea or lens which should be circular to create the best focus is flat on one side or elongated into an ovular shape. This changes the shape of the light as it enters the eye, making objects unclear.
Unlike nearsightedness and farsightedness, which simply make objects at a close or far distance appear blurry, astigmatism changes the appearance of the shape of objects, making straight lines look convex or blurry. This affects objects at any distance, making both near and far objects appear warped or blurry.
Astigmatism often occurs in conjunction with nearsightedness or farsightedness, and may make it difficult to bring objects at either near or far distances into focus. The cause for astigmatism is most commonly hereditary, and there is no known way to prevent astigmatism. Other individuals experience astigmatism only after an eye injury. However, astigmatism can be treated, and is not usually a progressive condition.
Treating Astigmatism
While it is possible to treat astigmatism that affects the cornea with rigid contact lenses that gradually reshape the surface of the eye, many patients find greater value in the more immediate solution of laser vision surgery to treat astigmatism. Using laser vision surgery to treat astigmatism is an immediate solution and may be able to simultaneously correct nearsightedness or farsightedness if present.
Many patients prefer LASIK as a treatment for astigmatism as it frees them from the use of contact lenses or glasses, and is a permanent procedure. However, patients who have undergone treatment for astigmatism may still find their eyes changing as they age due to a condition called presbyopia, or aging eyes. This is a natural progression of age.
In the New York City area, you can find treatment for astigmatism at Kelly Laser Center, one of the foremost laser vision correction clinics in the state. Please contact LASIK surgeon Dr. James Kelly today to learn more about treating astigmatism, or to schedule your appointment, available to patients in New York City, Long Island, and Manhattan, New York.
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Glaucoma Symptoms
Monday, July 26th, 2010
New York City, Long Island, and Manhattan, NY
People may lose vision or experience vision difficulties for a number of reasons. One of the most common is glaucoma, a disorder of the optic nerve which is often caused by high pressure inside the eye. Glaucoma may also be caused by high blood pressure to the optic nerve. If you are experiencing an increased difficulty seeing, you may be experiencing glaucoma symptoms.
First Signs of Glaucoma
The most common first symptom of glaucoma is difficulty with peripheral vision, or viewing side objects. Glaucoma usually manifests with peripheral vision failure or diminished clarity, while difficulty viewing objects directly in front of you with clarity may instead be a sign of macular degeneration.
If glaucoma is allowed to go untreated, it will continue to progress into the inner aspect of vision and will eventually cause blindness. Because glaucoma is the leading cause of permanent blindness, ophthalmologists and optometrists have become diligent about testing for glaucoma and being proactive in treatment. While the blindness caused by glaucoma is irreversible, if caught early enough glaucoma can be treated and its progression controlled.
Additional Symptoms of Glaucoma
Uncontrolled glaucoma will eventually result in tunnel vision and blindness, but other symptoms of glaucoma may include:
- Eye redness or irritation
- Blurred vision or halos
- Acute eye pain
- Nausea accompanying eye pain
While these are some symptoms of glaucoma, it is possible to experience other problems which may indicate glaucoma. If you notice a change in your eyesight or irritation of your eyes, you should make an appointment as soon as possible.
Treatment for Glaucoma
Glaucoma may be treated in different ways, including eye drops and medication, but laser surgery is one treatment being used recently which yields very good results. Relieving the pressure in the eye is the key to treating glaucoma and this may be done with an incision or a laser.
Recognizing the symptoms of glaucoma early on is the key to successful treatment and to preventing the advanced symptoms of the condition. Experienced laser vision surgeon Dr. James Kelly can meet with you and discuss the treatment of your glaucoma. Only a trained ophthalmologist can diagnose and treat glaucoma.
If you are in the New York City area and are experiencing eye or vision irregularities which you think may be linked to glaucoma, you should not delay contacting us for an appointment. Please contact laser surgeon Dr. James Kelly at Kelly Laser Center today to stop the progression of glaucoma. We welcome patients from New York City, Manhattan, and Long Island, New York.
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A Good Diet Can Reduce Macular Degeneration
Sunday, July 25th, 2010
New York City, Long Island, and Manhattan, NY
When you suffer from macular degeneration, your eyesight begins to worsen, making objects which used to appear in sharp definition look blurry. You may have been told that macular degeneration is an irreversible condition from which you cannot recover. However, with the appropriate diet and supplements, you may be able not only to slow the progression of macular degeneration, but begin to reverse its negative effects.
Cause of Macular Degeneration
The commonly accepted cause of macular degeneration is the buildup of waste products or toxins in the macula of the eye, creating spots and damaging vision. Because these toxins attack the macula, or the central part of your retina, the damage affects your ability to focus on objects you look directly at, while your peripheral vision remains unchanged, as opposed to glaucoma which first affects peripheral vision.
While it has been accepted that macular degeneration is somewhat preventable, the improvement of macular degeneration by eating a healthy diet is only now becoming well understood. Poor diet and high counts of free radicals are the primary causes of macular degeneration, and because each of these can be treated, macular degeneration can be combated.
Treating Macular Degeneration with Diet
A vision research study from Tufts University found a link between ingesting certain types of carbohydrates and the development of macular degeneration. Individuals with a higher glycemic index are more likely to develop macular degeneration. This means that certain types of white breads, cake, and other foods sweetened with corn syrup or sugar are more likely to promote macular degeneration.
To treat macular degeneration, you can first of all avoid these types of foods. In addition to avoiding foods and drinks high in sugar and corn syrup, you can:
- Eat more fruits and vegetables.
- Stop smoking.
- Lower and control your blood pressure.
- Consume a healthy portion of omega-3 oils and fatty acids like those found in fish.
- Talk to your ophthalmologist about how else you can prevent or minimize the effects of macular degeneration.
Treating macular degeneration through diet and adding exercise to help lower your blood pressure will not only help improve your eye health, but your overall health. These are also common prescriptions for protecting yourself from heart disease and heart attack.
If you suffer from macular degeneration and would like to learn more about how you can improve your vision, please contact experienced ophthalmologist Dr. James Kelly, M.D., at Kelly Laser Center in New York. We welcome patients from New York City, Manhattan, and Long Island.
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Common Eye Problems
Saturday, July 24th, 2010
Many individuals suffer from eye problems, and most of us will experience some type of vision problem during our lifetimes, if only the effects of aging on our eyesight. If you have perfect eyesight and have never experienced an eye problem, you are in the minority. However, many eye problems are minor and can be easily treated.
Eye fatigue – sometimes called eye strain, eye fatigue is much more common since computers have become a regular part of our everyday lives. Eye fatigue can be alleviated by taking frequent breaks from the computer screen, following good posture, and exercising your eyes by allowing them to focus on distant objects periodically.
Eye infections – especially common in children, eye infections may be caused by sickness or by coming into contact with certain substances or germs. Most eye infections do not create permanent vision problems if promptly treated by a qualified ophthalmologist.
Eye injury – eye injuries can be caused by trauma or abrasion. Many individuals suffer injuries to their eyes from contact lenses which are improperly cleaned or damaged. Most eye injuries can be treated, though more severe injuries may result in vision or eye loss.
Nearsightedness – myopia is a common eye problem which makes it difficult for your eyes to see distant objects clearly. While there is no known cure for nearsightedness, many individuals choose to treat nearsightedness with contact lenses, glasses, or LASIK surgery.
Farsightedness – also known as hyperopia, individuals with farsightedness have difficulty seeing close objects with clarity. Farsightedness can be treated with surgery or vision aids.
Glaucoma – a condition caused by increased pressure inside the eye, glaucoma can lead to blindness, but is treatable if diagnosed in early enough stages.
Aging eyes – the product of your eyes aging is often difficulty focusing on near or far objects. This condition, called presbyopia, is often treated with reading glasses or contact lenses.
Astigmatism – occurring when the shape of the cornea is elongated, rather than circular, astigmatism makes it difficult to focus. Astigmatism is often treated with “hard” contact lenses which imitate the effects of a round cornea. Astigmatism can also be treated by laser vision surgery.
Cataracts – a milky substance that covers the surface of the cornea, cataracts are a progressive condition that eventually causes partial or complete blindness. Fortunately, cataracts can be treated with intraocular lenses like Crystalens and ReSTOR® that are used in lens replacement surgery.
If you are in the New York City area and are experiencing any of these types of common eye problems, please contact LASIK surgeon Dr. James Kelly at Kelly Laser Center today, to learn more about treatment options available to patients in your area, and in Manhattan and Long Island New York.
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ReSTOR®
Friday, July 23rd, 2010
If you suffer from cataracts and have begun considering what your life will be like as those cataracts progress, there is an option available to you that can allow you to stop considering a future with limited eyesight and begin looking forward to a future with clear vision. Intraocular lenses can replace the progression of cataracts with a prosthetic ocular lens and allow you to see clearly indefinitely.
Many aging individuals find the need for reading glasses or bifocals, but with ReSTOR® IOLs, you can have the convenience of a progressive lens that allows you to see both near and far while removing the continued threat of cataracts.
History of Multifocal Lenses
Two centuries ago Benjamin Franklin was credited with the invention of a glasses lens that would allow the wearer to see both near and far. In reality, that lens was most likely two separate lenses cut in half and held together in an eyeglasses frame. In the late 1800’s the design became two lenses that were fused together, and eventually evolved into a reading segment molded into a distance lens.
Similarly, the first IOLs were single-focus only, but a tapered design allows the ReSTOR® lens to simulate the changing focus of your natural eyes, enabling both near and far vision.
ReSTOR® IOLs
The ReSTOR® intraocular lens is an in-eye lens that replaces your eye’s natural lens. Rather than a strictly bifocal lens, ReSTOR® allows you to see at virtually any distance. Though the lens itself does not change shape, your eyes will learn to look through different parts of the lens to focus at different distances. Many patients find that they do not need reading or distance glasses after receiving ReSTOR® lenses.
Lens Replacement Procedure
The procedure for replacing the eye’s natural lens with a ReSTOR® lens is identical to any other lens replacement surgery. A small incision is made on the surface of the eye and the natural lens removed. The ReSTOR® lens is placed where the natural lens used to be in a procedure that typically takes 15 minutes for each eye.
Recovery from lens replacement surgery is brief but for two weeks you should avoid any strenuous activity that would increase your blood pressure. You should also avoid activities that change the pressure inside your eyes.
Please contact cataract surgeon Dr. James R. Kelly to learn more about intraocular lenses and to find out if you are a good candidate for the ReSTOR® lens. Kelly Laser Center serves patients from New York City in our Manhattan and Long Island, New York, offices.
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Cataracts
Thursday, July 22nd, 2010
New York City, Long Island, and Manhattan, NY
As you age, you will find your eyesight changing in many ways. For most of us, that simply means an onset of presbyopia, or the aging of eyes that causes us to become more dependent on reading glasses. But thousands of others develop a more serious condition called cataracts. If cataracts are left untreated they will eventually cause blindness, but modern ophthalmology has found a treatment for cataracts.
Cataracts are a condition of the lens where a cloudy or milky substance covers the lens, blurring or blocking vision. Cataracts are most common in older individuals but may develop at any age. Cataracts are a progressive condition which worsens without treatment. While there is no known cure for cataracts, the most effective treatment is to replace the lens of the eye entirely. The technology for replacing the ocular lens has only become available within the last few decades, but is a relatively safe procedure with a very high success rate.
Cause of Cataracts
Like many eye problems, there is no single cause for cataracts. However, there are many contributors which may cause cataracts either early or late in life. Some of the most common contributing causes or risk factors of cataracts include:
- Aging – the most common contributing factor, many individuals simply seem to develop cataracts because they are advanced in life
- Diabetes – metabolic problems can lead to cataracts
- Eye injury – most common cause of cataracts in children and young individuals
- Eye disease – some diseases like glaucoma can lead to cataracts
UV overexposure or frequent cranial X-rays – exposure to outside factors can promote or cause cataracts
Preventing cataracts is not a single step that you can follow, but protecting your health will help prevent cataracts. You can avoid smoking, eat a healthy diet, and seek prompt treatment for other health problems to help prevent the development of cataracts.
Treatment for Cataracts
For many individuals, preventing cataracts is out of the question because they have already developed. However, if treated early on lenses with cataracts can be replaced by intraocular lenses, or IOLs, often with Crystalens IOLs or ReSTOR® lenses. While advanced cataracts may not be treatable, visiting Dr. Kelly for a consultation can let you know if you are a good candidate for lens replacement surgery.
If you are in the New York City area and suffer from cataracts, your condition may be treatable. Please contact cataract surgeon Dr. James Kelly today to learn more about IOL treatment available to patients in Long Island Manhattan, New York.
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Lasik Safer Than Contacts
Wednesday, July 21st, 2010
New York City, Long Island, and Manhattan, NY
If you have been struggling with contacts and putting off getting LASIK because you are concerned that it may not be safe, now is the time to reconsider. Not only do contacts cost you time, money, and comfort, but LASIK is actually safer than using contact lenses.
Complications with Contacts
Contacts complications are a relatively common occurrence. Many individuals find the need for eye drops when wearing contacts, or simply feel that their eyes are dry or scratchy, especially after the prolonged wearing of contacts. However, these are only minor inconveniences and are not in themselves usually dangerous to the eyes, unless the wearer persists in rubbing his or her eyes.
More serious complications are also unfortunately frequent, because the eye is designed to go uncovered so that it can breathe and remain healthy. Some of the more serious complications which wearing contacts can cause include:
- Conjunctivitis
- Eye injuries (scratches and scrapes from lenses)
- Infections
- Wrong prescriptions
- Contacts stuck under lid creating inflammation and granulation around lens into cyst-like tissue
- Damage to tear ducts
- Contact allergy (hypersensitivity to lens material)
- Hypoxia (eye suffocation)
While it is unlikely that you will experience all these complications, the likelihood that you will experience at least one of them significantly increases with wearing contacts. Constantly touching your eyes expose them to a much higher number of germs and contamination, but cannot be avoided when you wear contacts.
Why Your Eyes Need to be Naked
Wearing contacts for extended periods of time also has its own dangers. For example, you probably know that your eyes need to breathe, but did you know that they take in oxygen through osmosis, simply absorbing the majority of it through the surface of your eye?
Your eyes need a certain amount of internal pressure to be able to function well, but when a large portion of the surface is covered by a relatively or completely impermeable contact lens, they are prevented from absorbing oxygen. When you sleep, your eyes are less able to breathe than when your eyes are open, but contact lenses increase the difficulty substantially.
The LASIK procedure is considered a “permanent” procedure, meaning it is unlikely that you will need to have the procedure repeated later in life. This means that, after LASIK, you will not need to expose your eyes to the dangers of germs and being covered by an impermeable lens. LASIK often not only removes the need for contact lens use, but improves patients’ eyesight to better than 20/20 vision. You can find out if you are a good candidate for LASIK through a LASIK surgery consultation.
Please contact LASIK surgeon James R. Kelly, MD, today at Kelly Laser Center to learn more about your options for replacing your contact lenses with vision surgery, serving patients in New York City, Long Island Manhattan, New York.
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