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Eye Health Facts That Are No Joke

Eye Health Facts That Are No Joke

Don’t be FOOLED by eye health!

April Fools’ Day is just around the corner but EyeLASIK has some fun eye health facts that are no joke! Read ahead for more.

  • Those little floaters you see occasionally in your vision aren’t foreign particles. They’re actually little bits of collagen. Floaters become more common as you age. However, if you notice larger ones or they become more frequent, be sure to set up an appointment with your doctor. This could be a sign of a detached retina. LASIK can also help with floaters.
  • Have you ever encountered a person with two different eye colors? That person has a condition known as heterochromia. There are three different kinds of heterochromia: complete (where one iris is a totally different color than the other), sectoral (where a part of one iris is a different color than the remainder), and central (where different colors radiate from the pupil like bicycle spokes). You can read more about it here.
  • According to the World Health Organization http://www.who.int/features/factfiles/blindness/en/), 80% of all vision-impairment and blindness in adults is preventable. The reason this number is so high is because many developing countries do not have access to basic eye health facilities. There are also other factors to consider, including diseases such as river blindness and conditions like cataracts.
  • LASIK’s recent history began in the 1970’s. A doctor named Stephen L. Trokel was introduced to a piece of new technology known as the excimer laser. While it took many years and experiments to ensure accuracy for patient safety, the first recent photorefractive keratectomy (or PRK) operation occurred in 1988. The PRK was LASIK’s predecessor! A woman with malignant eye cancer volunteered to allow the doctors to test their new technology prior to her oncologist removing her eye. It was a success and the United States fully approved the procedure in 1995.

 

Well, the joke’s on us, but this blog is done! Everyone at EyeLASIK wishes you a happy (and hilarious) April Fools’ Day!