How old do you have to be to get LASIK? The short answer: Laser vision correction procedures such as LASIK are approved for people 18-years-old and above. For an in-depth examination of the reasoning behind this, keep reading.

First, we need to examine ocular maturity and what that means regarding development. The eyes are one of the last organs to fully mature; in some people, it can take up to age 20, but for most, they are fully grown by 13. This feat, known as “achieving ocular maturity,” is considered when a patient’s eyeglass prescription remains stable for a year or more. With a consistent prescription, the likelihood of nearsightedness or farsightedness progressing is low.

Second, your vision correction options can be gauged based on how your experience with glasses or contacts has been. Most eye care professionals want to ensure you make the right decision and prefer to personally analyze you based on your habits, compromises, and vision goals. Annual eye exams are imperative to understanding whether LASIK is right for you.

Finally, it’s essential to understand that LASIK permanently reshapes the cornea, the surface of your eye. For this reason, LASIK procedures are done on people over the age of 18. The treatment has a better chance of success throughout the years if the eyes are fully developed before the procedure.

The aging process never ceases, however. While LASIK is effective for younger candidates, when people reach the age of 40, a condition called presbyopia occurs. This is categorized by a loss of flexibility in the natural lens inside your eye and can be corrected with another procedure or by simply wearing reading glasses.

While LASIK lasts for years – decades, even – it’s essential to keep up with annual visits and connect with your doctor when necessary. If your eyes aren’t mature, it’s a good idea to have a thorough evaluation to determine when you are a good candidate. If you are over 18 and have a stable prescription, your eye care professional will help you ascertain whether you are a good candidate for LASIK.

To learn more about how LASIK can improve your life by easing the stress of wearing contacts or glasses, contact the eye care professionals at Rohr Eye & Laser Center today.

Rohr Eye & Laser Center offers the most advanced technology available to provide personalized and extraordinary care to our patients. Whether your goal is to maintain or improve your natural vision, we are here to help you. Call us at 877-579-0202 or visit https://www.michiganlasik.com/ to schedule an appointment today.

Written by the digital marketing staff at Creative Programs & Systems: www.cpsmi.com.

Aging affects every part of your body, even your eyes. Age-related farsightedness, or presbyopia, occurs when the lens inside your eye begins to harden. Books and other close objects become challenging to read or see clearly. Some other age-related disorders include:

• Age-related Macular Degeneration
• Cataracts
• Glaucoma
• Diabetic Retinopathy
• Dry Eye
• Floaters
• Changes to Peripheral Vision

Roughly half of all age-related visual loss can be managed through early diagnosis and treatment. Ensure you get routine eye exams to help prevent some of the complications listed above. Additionally, there are plenty of things you can do at home to protect your eye sight. 

Diet: Well-balanced eating habits help your body in more ways than one. Your eyes are significantly affected by the foods you choose to eat. The following nutritious foods can help avert vision loss:

• Vitamin A: Carrots, spinach, kale, egg yolks, dairy
• Vitamin C: Citrus fruits, juices, broccoli, potatoes, green peppers
• Vitamin E: Whole grains, eggs, sunflower seeds, avocado
• Fatty Acids: Coldwater fish (mackerel, rainbow trout, salmon, etc.), corn oil, sunflower oil
• Lutein: Kale, spinach, broccoli, brussels sprouts, corn
• Zinc: Poultry, red meat, fish, dairy, whole grains

Quit smoking: The sooner, the better. Besides causing a plethora of cardiovascular and lung-related diseases, smoking greatly increases the chances of developing age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, and diabetic retinopathy.

Exercise: All you need is at least 20 minutes a day to stimulate your entire body by increasing blood flow. The optic nerve and retina are included in this circulatory invigoration.

Sunglasses: Ultraviolet rays emitted from the sun can cause cataracts, retina damage, and skin cancer near your eyes. Always wear sunglasses when outside.

To schedule an eye exam or learn about LASIK for seniors, contact the professionals at Rohr Eye & Laser Center today.

Rohr Eye & Laser Center offers the most advanced technology available to provide personalized and extraordinary care to our patients. Whether your goal is to maintain or improve your natural vision, we are here to help you. Call us at 877-579-0202 or visit https://www.michiganlasik.com/ to schedule an appointment today.

Written by the digital marketing staff at Creative Programs & Systems: www.cpsmi.com.

A study published in BMC Ophthalmology showed certain lights are better than others for people with glaucoma. Researchers in South Korea monitored visual acuity, black-and-white contrast sensitivity, and color vision tests on 36 glaucoma patients. The study subjects were situated under three different lights, all displaying various color wavelengths: a three-band fluorescent lamp, a white LED, and a quantum-dot LED. The luminescence was set to the same brightness on all lights.

Visual acuity or black-and-white contrast sensitivity did not change among the three lights; however, patients under quantum-dot LEDs were able to distinguish color better than under the other lights.

According to the researchers, “This finding is very important for glaucoma patients because it is strongly associated with vision-related quality of life in glaucoma patients. Thus, a more high-quality light system could increase the ability of color distinction and may increase quality of life in glaucoma patients because the relationship between ability of color distinction and quality of life has been closed.”

Previous studies showed that glaucoma patients have a lower quality of life because of visual impairment.

Glaucoma patients who take multiple antiglaucoma pharmaceuticals could also benefit from quantum-dot LEDs, as the most commonly-used method for distinguishing the different drugs is bottle cap color.

Rohr Eye & Laser Center offers the most advanced technology available to provide personalized and extraordinary care to our patients. Whether your goal is to maintain or improve your natural vision, we are here to help you. Call us at 877-579-0202 or visit https://www.michiganlasik.com/ to schedule an appointment today.

Written by the digital marketing staff at Creative Programs & Systems: www.cpsmi.com.

Brighter days in summertime bring lots of ultraviolet (UV) rays with them. All eyes should be protected from UV light, which can contribute to the formation of both short and long-term conditions like corneal sunburn and macular degeneration.

To avoid sunlight damage, ensure you protect your eyes with high-quality 100 percent UV-blocking sunglasses. While you’re at it, a hat doesn’t hurt, either. People of all ages can benefit from sunlight protection, but children are especially susceptible as they tend to spend much more time outdoors. Research shows that up to 80 percent of an average person’s total lifetime exposure to UV rays takes place during the first 18 years of life. The same research suggests that roughly 70 percent of Americans do not protect themselves from the sun’s harmful rays.

Lighter-colored eyes such as blue, hazel, and green, have less melanin than brown eyes. This pigment helps protect the retina from UV damage along with blue light, which is emitted from electrical devices. Because of the decreased melanin, those with blue eyes have a higher risk of developing UV-related eye damage.

People with blue eyes might feel uncomfortable in highly-lit areas or on a bright, sunny day. It’s imperative to grab your shades as you head outside to mitigate your chances of developing eye disease or other complications.

Rohr Eye & Laser Center offers the most advanced technology available to provide personalized and extraordinary care to our patients. Whether your goal is to maintain or improve your natural vision, we are here to help you. Call us at 877-579-0202 or visit https://www.michiganlasik.com/ to schedule an appointment today.

Written by the digital marketing staff at Creative Programs & Systems: www.cpsmi.com.

One of the most frequently asked questions about LASIK is: “How long does it last?” Close runner up: “Is it permanent?” The answer to both questions is yes, LASIK is permanent. However, there is a slight chance you will have to wear glasses again in the future. Since your body changes through age, laser vision correction procedures cannot prevent deterioration to the ocular area.

Between the ages of seven and 23, vision changes are expected as the eyes develop and mature. Issues such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism can come and go, increase and decrease, etc., as long as the eye undergoes changes. Once vision has not changed in a year, it is considered fully mature.

However, just like the rest of your body, the eyes continue changing through time. For most people, the subtle changes are not a factor until the age of 40. At this time, people report their near-range of vision being blurry. The age-related alterations in vision are dubbed presbyopia. In time, the eye lens stiffens and becomes cloudy, which is called a cataract.

Laser vision correction procedures do not treat the lens; rather, they reshape the surface of the eye, which is known as the cornea. LASIK alters the surface of the eye permanently and can improve your vision for years. Your vision will improve, whether it be from nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism. The laser reshapes the cornea, correcting the imperfections that create vision issues.

Occasionally, nearsightedness or farsightedness can occur with people going through presbyopia. Purchasing a pair of glasses to last the rest of your lifetime might not be out of the question. So yes, the eyes can change, but they won’t return to being as bad as they were before LASIK.

A recent study in the Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery concluded quality-of-life and satisfaction rates stayed high five years following LASIK, according to patient-reported data. The study also reported over 94 percent of patients were not wearing distance prescription lenses five years after undergoing LASIK.

To learn more about LASIK or schedule a consultation, contact the experts at Rohr Eye & Laser Center today.

Rohr Eye & Laser Center offers the most advanced technology available to provide personalized and extraordinary care to our patients. Whether your goal is to maintain or improve your natural vision, we are here to help you. Call us at 877-579-0202 or visit https://www.michiganlasik.com/ to schedule an appointment today.

Written by the digital marketing staff at Creative Programs & Systems: www.cpsmi.com.

One of the greatest challenges for scientists remains making blind people see again. Diego Ghezzi, Medtronic Chair in Neuroengineering (LNE) at EPFL’s School of Engineering, has been studying and developing technology to help blind people see. A retinal implant they created works with camera-equipped smart glasses and a microcomputer to form artificial vision.

Ghezzi said, “Our system is designed to give blind people a form of artificial vision by using electrodes to stimulate their retrial cells.”

The camera embedded within the smart glasses records images through the perspective of the wearer’s vision. This information is then transferred to a microcomputer placed in one of the eyeglasses’ end pieces. Light signals are created by the microcomputer and transmitted to electrodes in the retinal implant. When a person wears the glasses, they see a simplified, black-and-white version of the landscape in front of them. When the retinal cells are stimulated, dots and light appear in a simplified way. However, wearers will have to interpret multiple dots of light to decipher shapes and objects.

“It’s like when you look at stars in the night sky – you can learn to recognize specific constellations. Blind patients would see something similar with our system,” said Ghezzi.

The technology has yet to be tested on humans, as the research team needs to be certain of their results first. The engineers developed a reality program that enables patients to see implants in a virtual setting.

Are you looking to improve your vision without glasses or contacts? Contact the eye experts at Rohr Eye & Laser Center today.

Rohr Eye & Laser Center offers the most advanced technology available to provide personalized and extraordinary care to our patients. Whether your goal is to maintain or improve your natural vision, we are here to help you. Call us at 877-579-0202 or visit https://www.michiganlasik.com/ to schedule an appointment today.

Written by the digital marketing staff at Creative Programs & Systems: www.cpsmi.com.

Research from Flinders University in Australia suggests people with myopia (short-sightedness) experience poorer sleep quality than those with normal vision. The study found that people with myopia have more delayed circadian rhythms and reduced melatonin production (a hormone responsible for regulating sleep) compared to people with normal vision. Myopia results in the inability to see objects at a distance. People affected can only clearly see things up close.

Dr. Ranjay Chakraborty, optometrist from the Flinders University Caring Futures Institute, said the study adds to the growing evidence of the potential association between disruption of the circadian rhythm and myopia development. “Disruptions in circadian rhythms and sleep due to the advent of artificial light and the use of light-emitting electronic devices for reading and entertainment has become a recognized health concern in several fields, but its impact on eye health has not been studied extensively. These findings provide important evidence that optimal sleep and circadian rhythms are not only essential for general health, but also for good vision,” Chakraborty said.

Levels of melatonin were measured in participants through saliva and urine samples. In the study, the circadian timing and production of melatonin were measured in both people with myopia and those with normal sight. Melatonin is secreted in our brains soon after dark, peaking around 2 to 4 a.m.

Myopia is the most common vision disorder and, in severe cases, can lead to several blinding diseases in adulthood, such as retinal tear and detachment, glaucoma, or cataracts. Road signs and other long-distance objects are generally difficult for people with myopia to read.

“Because myopia typically develops during childhood, as a next step, we would like to examine circadian rhythm training, total production of melatonin sleep and light exposure at night in young children – the actual target population for myopia prevention,” said Dr. Chakraborty.

“Such a study will provide novel insights into the biological and environmental factors underlying myopia, which will aid in early diagnosis and treatment of myopia in children,” Dr. Chakraborty said.

Myopia doesn’t have to hold you back – talk to the eyecare experts at Rohr Eye & Laser Center today.

Rohr Eye & Laser Center offers the most advanced technology available to provide personalized and extraordinary care to our patients. Whether your goal is to maintain or improve your natural vision, we are here to help you. Call us at 877-579-0202 or visit https://www.michiganlasik.com/ to schedule an appointment today.

Written by the digital marketing staff at Creative Programs & Systems: www.cpsmi.com.

A new study shows that the eyes are telltale signs for understanding diseases of the brain. Scientists at the UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences found that retinal scans can distinguish vital changes in blood vessels that might provide an early sign of Alzheimer’s disease. These scans provide insight into how one of the most common Alzheimer’s risk genes (APOE4) gives way to the disease.

Fanny Elahi, MD, Ph.D., assistant professor of neurology, member of the UCSF Memory and Aging Center (MAC) and lead author of the study, said, “The most prevalent genetic risk for Alzheimer’s disease is a variant of the APOE gene, known as APOE4. We still don’t fully understand how this variant increases risk of brain degeneration, we just know that it does, and that this risk is modified by sex, race, and lifestyle. Our research provides new insights into how APOE4 impacts blood vessels and may provide a path forward for early detection of neurodegenerative disease.”

The effects of APOE4 capillaries in the brain have been studied in mice. Elahi has long suspected these tiny blood vessels might play a crucial role in Alzheimer’s disease due to their important functions through the blood-brain barrier, such as delivering nutrients and oxygen, ridding the body of waste, and monitoring immune system responses. Elahi says damage to these blood vessels could lead to multiple issues, including the protein buildup and cognitive decline seen in Alzheimer’s patients. Since we cannot  visualize individual capillaries in living peoples’ brains, Elahi focused on the eyes instead.

Through a non-invasive eye scan, APOE4-associated capillary changes were detected in humans. Light-penetrating tissue shares biology with the brain, so researchers believe the retina might help establish APOE4 variants and how similar capillaries inside the brain are affected.

After analyzing the retinal scans, a reduced capillary density in APOE4 carriers was found, signifying an effect that increased with age. The team also compared the abnormalities found in the retinal scans to brain perfusion and found that people with higher density retinal capillary density also had greater brain blood flow.

Elahi said, “This is the first time that we have demonstrated in living, asymptomatic humans that the smallest blood vessels are affected in APOE4 gene carriers. That’s important because it suggests that the increased risk of brain degeneration and Alzheimer’s disease in APOE4 carriers might be through its effect on blood vessels. This is just the beginning. But the implications for early detection and possible intervention can be significant in combatting Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative disorders. It’s much harder to regenerate neurons than to stop their degeneration from happening in the first place. Similar to cancer, early detection can save lives.”

Rohr Eye & Laser Center offers the most advanced technology available to provide personalized and extraordinary care to our patients. Whether your goal is to maintain or improve your natural vision, we are here to help you. Call us at 877-579-0202 or visit https://www.michiganlasik.com/ to schedule an appointment today.

Written by the digital marketing staff at Creative Programs & Systems: www.cpsmi.com.

Alcohol-based hand sanitizers have become all the rage during the COVID-19 pandemic. The availability has sky-rocketed, and dispensers are available everywhere. Many adults are aware to not touch their eyes after rubbing the sanitizer throughout their hands, but children typically rub their eyes frequently. Some hand sanitizer automatic dispensers are almost eye-level with kids, which sometimes causes them to accidentally spray directly into their young eyes.

The chemical makeup of hand sanitizer can be moderately damaging to the ocular surface due to the elevated alcohol content. Ethanol causes severe discomfort and can kill corneal cells, sometimes requiring a corneal transplant.

A team of researchers using data from the French Poison Control Center (PCC) found a sevenfold increase in French reports of ocular hand sanitizer accidents in children from the same period in 2019.

From May 2020 to August 2020, the number of hand sanitizer eye exposures in public places increased from 14.4 percent to 52.4 percent. In 2020, a total of 16 children were hospitalized. Ten boys had a mean age of three-and-a-half years in 2020, while one 16-month-old boy was admitted in 2019.

Total hand sanitizer incidents in 2020:

• 16 children were admitted to the hospital
• Eight children developed a corneal or conjunctival ulcer
• Six patients’ corneal ulcers involved over 50 percent of the corneal surface
• Two children required amniotic membrane transplants

Hand sanitization and disinfection are crucial for public health. However, these findings insinuate health authorities need to ensure hand sanitizer stations are being used properly. The public should be warned about proper usage and safety concerning young children and the dangers of hand sanitizer.

Rohr Eye & Laser Center offers the most advanced technology available to provide personalized and extraordinary care to our patients. Whether your goal is to maintain or improve your natural vision, we are here to help you. Call us at 877-579-0202 or visit https://www.michiganlasik.com/ to schedule an appointment today.

Written by the digital marketing staff at Creative Programs & Systems: www.cpsmi.com.

Night blindness, or the inability to see at night, is generally a symptom of some serious vision issues. Also known as nyctalopia, it’s important to get your eyes checked regularly to ensure everything is functioning properly. If you notice you can’t see as well in dim light while driving or adjusting from outdoors to indoors, you might have night blindness.

Symptoms of night blindness include reduced contrast sensitivity, difficulty seeing people, places, or things outdoors at night or in a dim-lit area, trouble driving at night, excessive squinting at night, or difficulty adjusting from darkness to light.

Here are some underlying factors that can cause night blindness:

1. Vitamin A: this vital vitamin helps keep your cornea (thin layer in front of your eye) clear. It’s also an essential component of rhodopsin, a protein that lets you see in low-light conditions. Though uncommon in North America, deficiency of Vitamin A can induce night-blindness.
2. Glaucoma: the actual eye disease itself, along with the medications used to treat it, can cause night blindness. Glaucoma is associated with pressure build-up in the eye that damages the optic nerve.
3. Cataracts: a buildup of protein clouds the eye’s lens, which leads to impaired vision at night or in poor lighting conditions.
4. Diabetic retinopathy: damage to the eyes’ blood vessels and nerves can result in vision loss, including challenges with nighttime sight.
5. Myopia: also known as nearsightedness, makes distant objects appear blurry; patients describe a starburst effect around night lights.
6. Keratoconus: this irregularly shaped cornea can result in blurry vision and sensitivity to light which can worsen at night.
7. Usher Syndrome: a genetic condition that causes both hearing and vision loss, night blindness is also an effect.
8. Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP): this progressive genetic eye disease can be associated with other conditions and lead to night blindness and peripheral vision loss.

After a proper diagnosis, treatments for night blindness can be mitigated by your eye care professional. There is no proven way to prevent night blindness.

If you are experiencing night blindness, we can help. Contact us and schedule an appointment today.

Rohr Eye & Laser Center offers the most advanced technology available to provide personalized and extraordinary care to our patients. Whether your goal is to maintain or improve your natural vision, we are here to help you. Call us at 877-579-0202 or visit https://www.michiganlasik.com/ to schedule an appointment today.

Written by the digital marketing staff at Creative Programs & Systems: www.cpsmi.com.