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The Right Sunglasses For Healthy Eyes

The Right Sunglasses For Healthy Eyes

The Right Sunglasses For Healthy Eyes

With spring just around the corner, you’re probably thinking about all the ways you can have some fun in the sun. While catching some rays can be a good thing, if you don’t protect your eyes, catching any rays at all can be a really bad thing. If you are exposed to the UV rays from the sun for long periods of time without any eye protection, you are putting yourself at risk for a number of preventable eye diseases.

Some of these include:

  • Cataracts
  • Skin cancer of the eye lids and surrounding areas
  • Melanoma of the eye itself
  • Macular degeneration

 

Whenever you are out in the sunlight, it is important to wear sunglasses – but not just any sunglasses. There are a few things you need to look for in a pair of sunglasses other than how you look when you wear them.

Choose the Right Sunglasses for Healthy Eyes

The most important thing to remember when choosing a pair of sunglasses for healthy eyes is that darker lenses are not necessarily better. The lenses need to absorb UV rays. A pair of dark sunglasses that do not absorb any UV rays can actually be more dangerous. The darker the lenses, the more your eyes dilate, meaning more UV rays are able to enter your eye.

Make sure the sunglasses say they protect your eyes from UVA and UVB rays. The label should say 99 to 100 percent UV absorbent or UV 400.

You should also choose a pair of sunglasses that provide maximum coverage; the bigger the frame, the better the coverage. Wrap-around sunglasses are a great option because they block UV rays that can enter from the side.

If you’re going to be on the water, your risk of damage from the sun’s rays is doubled because of the reflection of the light off the water. You may want to invest in a pair of polarized sunglasses, which will help block glare as well as UV rays.

Beware of Older Sunglasses

If you already have a favorite pair of sunglasses, it’s important to make sure they are in good condition. If you see any scratches or other signs of wear on the lenses, have them tested by a licensed optician to make sure they are still effective. Scratches and abrasions can affect the ability of the lens to filter UV light.

No matter what your style, select sunglasses with the right protection everytime. Selecting the right sunglasses can be expensive, especially prescription sunglasses. Ditch that expense with laser vision correction.

Contact Eye LASIK Midland for a free consultation!








 

Eye LASIK Surgery & Results

Eye LASIK Surgery & Results

The body is a miraculous thing. There are so many functions to be thankful for, but certainly our vision tops the list. Beautiful sunsets, green meadows, seeing the faces of the ones we love and hitting the perfect shot on the course rely on our vision. One of the most asked questions about laser vision correction surgery, is how long do the results last. Let’s discuss 2 topics relating to that question.

Will LASIK keep me from ever wearing glasses again?

If you wear eye glasses you know that the eyes are constantly changing which is why your prescription lenses need to be changed from time to time. Unfortunately laser eye surgery, no matter how successful, cannot halt the natural changes and deterioration in our eyes as we age.

Some of the biggest changes in our eyesight usually occur during our forties. Presbyopia, a decline in your ability to focus is a common problem. It may become more noticeable in your 40s, making it more difficult to see while reading or doing close work. If you have opted for LASIK surgery before that age for nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism, then it is likely that you will notice changes which require the need for reading glasses for reading and close work during your forties.

How Long Will the Effects of LASIK Surgery Last?

Once the full healing process after Eye LASIK surgery has been completed, your optimum visual acuity will be reached. After 3 to 6 months your eyesight will have reached its optimum benefit from the surgery. In many cases 20/20 vision is achieved, but some patients find they need reading glasses for close work. This may be diagnosed shortly after the LASIK surgery or a few years down the road. Occasionally, if your vision is not clear after LASIK, a further minor surgery may be recommended to obtain visual acuity. This is called an enhancement and is required by around 10% of LASIK patients. If your eyesight remains at 20/30 or worse than a low power pair of eyeglasses will usually be prescribed to be worn as needed. For those over the age of 40-45 who opt for LASIK surgery to correct nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism, the outlook is good for the improved eyesight achieved to remain for many years. No-one can tell what changes the eye will naturally undergo with age, but these changes will not be halted by LASIK surgery. Natural deterioration of eyesight, whether you have LASIK surgery or not will still take effect. Most patients who undergo LASIK surgery see immediate improvements in their vision and no longer need to wear eyeglasses. This benefit can last for many years, making it well worth considering for the near term. Tests on those who had laser eye surgery more than 10 years before showed excellent long-term results with patients retaining on average 20/25 vision. Unfortunately, the term ‘permanently’ with regard to our eyesight rarely applies, with or without Eye LASIK surgery.

No matter what your age, always monitor your vision changes, make healthy lifestyle and dietary choices, and see your eye doctor for yearly eye exams to keep your eyes healthy for years to come!

Ready to take the next step? Schedule your free consultation.





Improved Vision for Athletes & Fans

Getting in the game with improved vision

Texas is very synonymous with sports, so whether you’re playing or watching, chances are you’re involved in the sports life! And what a great thing it is to enjoy an active lifestyle; making new friends, improving your body and mind, and participating in a little healthy competition. To fully participate in any sport or even to enjoy watching, your eyesight plays a crucial role. For athletes, you cannot be troubled with contacts that itch or feel uncomfortable. Obviously, neither can you wear glasses that could be bumped or broken during a game. And for spectators, there’s nothing worse than missing a critical play because the wind blew dust into your eyes, irritating your contacts. We can all benefit from improved vision.

Thankfully there is a solution to all of these problems – LASIK surgery. LASIK makes it possible to enjoy everything there is about sports without the inconvenience of contacts or glasses. Because there are so many people in the community who are great candidates for LASIK surgery, we work with everyone to make it as affordable as possible. We offer various payment plans with monthly amounts that work for you when you’re ready to enjoy improved vision.

Upon your initial consultation, we’ll determine when would be the best time for you to have surgery. For example if you’re about to begin softball season, we would need to know this to ensure your proper healing time. Even after your vision improves, the cornea needs time to fully repair and recover and we need to take necessary precautions. This repair time typically takes about two weeks. Following post-operative instructions is very important for a fully success result.

Sports enthusiasts should be interested to know that many professional athletes including Troy Aikman, LeBron James, Tiger Woods and Greg Maddux have all had LASIK surgery and have achieved excellent results. LASIK surgery can make contacts and glasses a thing of the past for anyone who wants to enjoy the fun of athletics.
So whether you’re swimming every morning to stay in shape, playing racquetball on the weekends for fun or even watching your grandkid’s soccer game, we’re confident that you can be seeing and enjoying the sports life even more. Your eyesight will be new and improved thanks to LASIK!

Epi-LASEK Eye Surgery – is it for you?

As medical research advances, we as consumers have the benefit of knowing how to best take care of our bodies. Whether it’s understanding what type of exercise we should do to achieve a healthier body, or what types of foods benefit our health, living in the information age has many advantages. One thing we continue to struggle with is changes to our bodies that are simply genetic. For instance, there’s nothing we can do at this time to prevent our eyes from developing nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism. It’s simply part of our genetic code and the changes to our eyes are bound to happen. The good news is, technical advances in refractive eye surgery have made it possible to correct these conditions.

LASIK vs. Epi-LASEK Eye Surgery

Many people are familiar with the concept of LASIK eye surgery, which corrects the surface of the cornea by creating a small surgical flap of tissue, which when reshaped and closed creates the vision correction. LASIK is the right type of surgery for many people. However, some other people may have better results with a different type of refractive eye surgery called Epi-LASEK. The difference is subtle, but may be appropriate for certain individuals.

Are you a candidate for Epi-LASEK Eye Surgery?

In Epi-LASEK eye surgery, only the epithelial or surface cells of the cornea are used to create the new corneal surface. Following the surgical change, a highly oxygen-permeable contact lens is inserted, which allows the proper regrowth of the epithelial surface. Generally by the third day post-op, the contact lens is removed by the doctor. This type of surgery may be necessary for individuals with thinner corneas, who would not be good candidates for traditional LASIK surgery. This may also be the right type of surgery for people who have professions or hobbies where there is a higher chance of being hit in the eye, because with LASIK surgery a larger corneal flap is created and could be dislodged by trauma to the eye.
Two advantages of LASIK versus Epi-LASEK are these: less post-operative pain and discomfort, and possibly a quicker return to normal vision. This is not to say that Epi-LASEK eye surgery is extremely uncomfortable, in fact, most people only need over-the-counter pain medication. Some patients who have Epi-LASEK surgery may also take longer to achieve full vision correction. Although Epi-LASEK patients may experience a slower recovery time than LASIK patients, the fact remains that the surgery is very safe and effective and may be right for certain individuals. You will never be left to make this decision on your own. After your eye shape and vision correction needs are determined, our doctors will consult with you on which surgery would give you the best results. Our patients can have complete confidence that Eye Lasik Midland will provide the optimal surgical approach with full vision correction as our goal.