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Friday, December 27, 2013

Things to Know Before Getting LASIK Surgery lasik durham nc, nearsightedness and astigmatism, Existing eye

Millions of Americans wear glasses or contacts to correct vision problems like farsightedness, nearsightedness and astigmatism. However, both options do have downsides: glasses can fall off during strenuous activities, while contacts can be complicated to put on. Many of those who suffer from some degree of vision impairment certainly welcome other ways to get vision correction.

In recent years, LASIK surgery has become the answer to that need. In this procedure, lasers are used to remove tiny parts of the cornea to correct the latter’s shape, thus leading to improved eyesight. Before getting the procedure, however, you need to check if you meet the conditions of a suitable candidate.
Good Health
As in all surgeries, even minor ones like LASIK, patients should ideally be in good health to avoid complications. If you have untreated diabetes, autoimmune diseases or collagen vascular ailments, LASIK surgery might not be for you.

Other Eye Problems
Existing eye problems like strabismus (muscle imbalance) or amblyopia (lazy eye) can affect the surgery’s success and impede healing, so make sure to disclose all eye conditions to your doctor before the procedure.

Break from Wearing Contacts?

Prior to surgery, your doctor will map out your cornea’s shape to determine how much to remove. However, wearing contact lenses for prolonged periods can change your cornea’s shape and throw off the measurements. To avoid this, you’ll be asked to stop wearing contacts and allow your cornea to return to its original shape prior to the surgery.

When Blurred Vision Gets in the Way

Nearsightedness defined
Myopia is an eye condition where the eyeball is too long for the cornea’s and the lens’ ability to focus, making it difficult to clearly see from afar. The condition can also happen when the eyes’ cornea and lens are too curved relative to the eyeball’s length. Myopia can be inherited and generally starts in childhood, particularly between ages 8-12.

What are the symptoms?
Nearsighted persons have blurred distance vision and are likely to squint their eyes frequently. More often than not, someone afflicted with myopia also experiences frequent eye strains or headaches.

How to treat myopia

A professional eye doctor will diagnose the degree of nearsightedness by means of a comprehensive eye exam. The blurred vision can be corrected with glasses, contact lenses or refractive surgery.

Eyeglasses and contact lens prescription will typically be preceded by a minus sign to indicate the degree of nearsightedness. Essentially, a higher number means that you are more nearsighted and you may need to wear your glasses or contact lenses all the time.

While surgical procedures are deemed to be more expensive, they can lessen the need for contacts or glasses. Laser technology or manual incisions are used to remove small amounts of corneal tissue to allow light rays to better focus on the retina.