Myopia, or nearsightedness, is the most common refractive error of the eye a situation where the eye does not refract light or bend properly to a single focus to view images clearly. In this case, close or near objects look clear while there is poor distance vision which causes distant objects to appear blurry. However, myopia is not an eye disease, but an eye focusing disorder.

Although myopia has a genetic link, its effect is usually more driven by environmental stress associated with near work such as computer use, reading, hand games, and a lack of quality outdoor time. In fact, an increasing cause of myopia is because of the adaptation of the eyes to prolonged periods of near work. Therefore, myopia is referred to as a “nearsighted” disorder one that impacts between 25-40 percent of the total U.S. population today.

Myopia – Correction Options

Myopia is a major health concern today with increasing prevalence over time. The main correction or treatment options include the use of glasses, contact lenses, and LASIK surgery.

Glasses

The use of glasses is the most common correction option for myopia especially with children. Correction glasses correct the angle through which light hits the retina. An eye doctor, ophthalmologist or optometrist, is best placed to examine your eye, testing your vision with the use of focus exercises and eye charts to arrive at the exact prescription for the disorder.

Contact Lenses

Eye examinations and vision tests are also used to determine the exact lens prescription for a patient just as they do for glasses. The mechanism of operation of contact lenses is like that of glasses they change the direction through which light enters the eye. However, contact lenses are immensely thinner than glasses due to their proximity to the cornea. There are two different types of contact lenses, soft lenses, and rigid gas-permeable lenses.

Soft Lenses

Soft lenses are designed with flexible soft plastic that allows it to adhere to the eye surface easily. Soft lenses cover a large portion of the eye including the iris, pupil, and even extending to the white. While some soft contact lenses are designed to be worn for a specified period before they are disposed, others can be taken out after use, cleaned, and stored properly overnight for use again.

Rigid gas-permeable Contact Lenses

In comparison to soft lenses, rigid lenses are a lot smaller covering the pupil and slightly extending into the iris. Rigid lenses are made of a thin rigid plastic and they float on the eye tears like soft lenses, while oxygen passes through the lens to the eye surface. It may become necessary to clean the lenses when an eyelash or dust particle gets between the eye and the contact lens.

LASIK (Laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis) Surgery

Although contact lenses and eye glasses are myopia correction options, they are only temporary. Distant objects would still appear blurry if you are not using them. Laser surgery on the other hand, is a permanent myopia correction option which does not require any daily cleaning or corrections. It is the most common refractive error treatment option which adjusts the shape of the cornea to allow passage of light through it, while light hits the retina just at the right angle.

If you are looking to reduce or even get rid of your eye glasses and/or contacts let us at Rohr Eye & Laser Center help you! We offer several types of LASIK eye surgery including PRK, AK, CK, Cataracts surgery and more. We perform all these eye laser treatments with state of the art equipment. We are a leader in laser vision correction, and our goal is to help you achieve superior vision. Contact us today or view our website http://www.michiganlasik.com/  to schedule an appointment.

If you have some or a combination of the most common eye annoyances such as blurry vision, spots or night glares, then it is worth seeing an eye doctor or an optometrist who will examine your eyes for both vision and health problems. In some cases, eye doctors may provide low vision care or vision therapy, or correct refractive errors by prescribing contact lenses and or eyeglasses.

An ophthalmologist, on the other hand also specializes in vision care and will also perform eye exams, diagnose and treat disease, prescribe medications and perform eye surgery. An optician will use prescriptions authorized by an optometrist or an ophthalmologist to fit and sell your eyeglasses.

Understanding LASIK

So, when is LASIK vision correction necessary, who performs the procedure, what vision problems can the surgery treat, and most importantly, is it safe especially for seniors? Short for laser-assisted in-situ keratomileuses, LASIK is an FDA approved procedure that has proven to be a very safe and effective way to treat and correct common vision problems such as astigmatism, near and farsightedness.

While LASIK may not be suitable for people with strong lens prescriptions, such as a high degree of short-sightedness, however, the eye laser surgery can also be used to correct an aging effect that makes it hard for an individual to focus on things up-close using a technique known as monovision LASIK.

What To Expect During LASIK Procedure

The most important goal of eye laser surgery is to alter the shape of the cornea, so it does a better job of focusing images onto the retina for sharper vision. An eye surgeon performs LASIK using a cool, non-thermal beam of light that is computer controlled. The procedure doesn’t hurt because the surgeon places anesthetic eye drops in your eye first, then proceeds to cut across the cornea of the eye, raises a flap of tissue and carries out reshaping to correct your vision. While the entire procedure takes approximately 15 minutes per eye, the laser treatment only takes less than a minute.

People who qualify for eye laser surgery report an immediate improvement in their vision with no complications or side effects and because there’s usually no stitches or bandages required after eye laser surgery, recovery is also very quick. Therefore, anyone over 18 years and meets the requirements can benefit from LASIK procedure, this includes seniors too.

Are You Eligible For LASIK?

An eye care specialist can help you determine your eligibility for LASIK, but the general guidelines are:

• You must be 21 years and older and have healthy eyes, which means your eyes must not have any conditions that will affect postoperative healing, including eye infections, severe dry eye, glaucoma, cataracts, a degenerative or autoimmune disease
• Your vision must also be stable for at least a year before surgery
• Pregnant or nursing women are not eligible as hormonal levels can affect the shape of the eye

Therefore, consider eye laser surgery if you are tired of fumbling with contact lenses or eyeglasses and you meet the above requirements.

If you are looking to reduce or even get rid of your eye glasses and/or contacts let us at Rohr Eye & Laser Center help you! We offer several types of LASIK eye surgery including PRK, AK, CK, Cataracts surgery and more. We perform all these eye laser treatments with state of the art equipment. We are a leader in laser vision correction, and our goal is to help you achieve superior vision. Contact us today or view our website http://www.michiganlasik.com/  to schedule an appointment.