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Just as you’re encouraged to see a dentist for your teeth and a doctor for your physical health, you should also check in with your eye care specialist regularly for eye exams.

No matter your age, preventative checkups are needed for detecting diseases such as diabetes, high cholesterol, cardiovascular diseases and hypertension. Eye exams are also a good identifier of overall health. Far often than not, people put off or neglect these vital exams not realizing early detection could mean saving your sight, seeing your doctor once a year to once every two years is recommended.

During your exam, your doctor will check for refractive errors, this happens when your eyes have trouble focusing light which in turns makes vision appear fuzzy or blurry. Your doctor may recommend glasses, contact lenses or surgery depending on their findings. The most common refractive errors are:

Myopia; or nearsightedness
Astigmatism; difficulty focusing due to the cornea
Hyperopia; or farsightedness
Presbyopia; focus problems due to age

In addition to refractive errors, your eye doctor will check for other typical eye diseases and symptoms that may need corrective lenses or red flags that could spell a loss of vision. Below are examples of what they are looking for:

Amblyopia; this occurs when one eye incorrectly translates an image, or one eye turns in or out, causing “lazy eye”.
Strabismus; this is a condition where the eyes do not correctly align, it is commonly referred to as “crossed eyes”. Left untreated, it may lead to amblyopia, which affects depth perception.
Cataracts; this disease affects all ages and is the common blame for blindness and vision loss globally. The lens develops a “cloudy” layer, and when very advanced, can lead to operations to extract the lens. Many can develop cataracts when born and more than 20 million Americans develop them in one eye or both.
Eye diseases; diabetic retinopathy is the most common disease leading to blindness in the United States, early detection can reduce vision loss, yet nearly 50% of patients dismiss exams or have them performed when the condition is already very advanced. Glaucoma is a combined set of diseases leading to vision loss. This happens when normal fluid pressure increases inside the eye. Many times, a patient slowly loses vision, going unnoticed till the disease is too far accelerated. Regular eye exams detect such diseases quickly.

Your doctor is able to test for other diseases such as high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease as well as diabetes, and while not a substitute for exams with your physician, eye exams can be a great early detector for ailments all over the body.

Free eye tests performed in eye care facilities “while you shop” and those provided by school nurses, volunteers and health care providers are helpful, but are also too brief to detect any serious issues. These types of exams do not replace regular full eye exams with your eye doctor. Family care physicians and pediatricians are limited in their eye care knowledge and are apt to miss eye treatment warning signs. Complete routine eye exams should be performed by an ophthalmologist or optometrist.

Following your exam, your doctor will provide recommendations for upkeep and eye wellness; these may include glasses or contacts to treat refractive errors or possibly surgery for more severe issues. Even if all is well, it is still suggested to see your eye doctor regular to ensure continued good eye health.

Doctors may also suggest supplements or vitamins for your eyes to promote healthy eyes, improve vision or treat complications such as dry eyes. These combined with a healthful diet loaded with antioxidant rich fruits and vegetables also boost eye welfare.

Eye exams are imperative in every season of life and while the eyes may be the “windows to the soul”, they are also the windows to your health.

If you are interested in scheduling an eye exam, please call 1-888-539-2211. IQ Laser Vision offers five convenient Southern California locations.

Glaucoma is an eye disease in which the pressure inside your eyes increases enough to damage the nerve fibers in your optic nerve and cause vision loss. The increase in pressure happens when the passages that normally allow fluid in your eyes to drain become clogged or blocked. Glaucoma often is called the “silent thief of sight,” because most types typically cause no pain and produce no symptoms until noticeable vision loss occurs.
 
Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness in the U.S. Glaucoma can be a devastating disease if not diagnosed and treated.  It most often occurs in people over age 40. People with a family history of glaucoma, African Americans, and those who are very nearsighted or diabetic are at a higher risk of developing the disease.
 
A less common form of glaucoma is acute angle-closure glaucoma, symptoms can occur suddenly and can include blurry vision, halos around lights, intense eye pain, nausea and vomiting. If you have these symptoms, make sure you see an eye doctor or visit the emergency room immediately so steps can be taken to prevent permanent vision loss.
 
Normal-tension glaucoma (also termed normal-pressure glaucoma, low-tension glaucoma or low-pressure glaucoma) is an open-angle type of glaucoma that can cause visual field loss due to optic nerve damage. But in normal-tension glaucoma, the eye’s IOP remains in the normal range. The cause of normal-tension glaucoma is not known. But many doctors believe it is related to poor blood flow to the optic nerve. Normal-tension glaucoma is more common in those who are Japanese, are female and/or have a history of vascular disease.
 
Everyone should be concerned about glaucoma and its effects. It is important for each of us, from infants to senior citizens, to have our eyes checked regularly. Early detection and treatment of glaucoma is the only way to prevent vision impairment and blindness.

There are a few conditions related to this disease which tend to put some people at greater risk. This may apply to you if:
·         You are over 45 and have not had your eyes examined regularly
·         Someone in your family has a history of glaucoma
·         You have abnormally high intraocular pressure
·         You are of African descent
·         You have diabetes
·         You are highly myopic (nearsighted)
·         You have regular, long-term steroid/cortisone use
·         You have a previous eye injury
 
Glaucoma cannot be prevented but if diagnosed and treated early, it can be controlled. Generally glaucoma can be treated successful if diagnosed. Treatment can involve glaucoma surgery, lasers or medication, depending on the severity. Eye drops with medication aimed at lowering IOP usually are tried first to control glaucoma.
 
Despite the fact that glaucoma patients are being treated for their eye condition, LASIK or other laser vision correction options may still be an option for patients who are near-sighted, far-sighted or have astigmatism.
 
Many patients with glaucoma may have been told that due to the elevated pressure within their eyes, they were not considered a good candidate for LASIK.  If the glaucoma is under good control, LASIK can still be an option to a patient’s vision problems. 
 
Candidates must be thoroughly screened, undergoing a complete eye examination, including a retinal exam. During the examination, the LASIK surgeon will make observations and measurements to determine if LASIK is a possibility.  The surgeon may consider between the PRK and LASIK procedures, both are similar forms of laser vision correction. PRK generally causes less of a pressure increase during the surgery so is sometimes the favored method of laser vision correction.
 
If you are turned down for LASIK surgery because you have glaucoma, it might be advisable to visit a glaucoma specialist or another LASIK surgeon who has had experience with performing LASIK on glaucoma patients.

One out of every 5 Americans suffers from allergies. An allergic reaction happens when the body mounts an unusual immune response to something that’s normally harmless.

Common Allergy Symptoms and Signs

• Sneezing, often associated with nasal congestion
• Coughing and postnasal drip
• Conjunctivitis or “pink eye”
• Itchy nose, mouth or throat
• Allergic “shiners” (dark circles under the eyes)

Approximately 75% of allergy sufferers will have symptoms affecting the eye. The most common form of “treatment” is simply trying to avoid what’s causing the allergy. Keeping the home free of pet dander and dust and keeping pets off the furniture helps. Staying inside with the air conditioner on when a lot of pollen is in the air also helps. Air conditioners filter out allergens, though the filters must be kept clean. Wearing wraparound sunglasses can help shield your eyes from allergens.

Over-the-counter and prescription medications each have their advantages; for example, over-the-counter products are often less expensive, while prescription ones are often stronger. Allergy pills may be more convenient but for relief of eye-related symptoms, drops are usually more effective.

Common causes of excessively watery eyes can be allergies or dry eye syndrome — two very different problems. With allergies, your body’s release of histamine causes your eyes to water. It seems paradoxical but watery eyes can also result from dry-eye syndrome. The excessive dryness works to stimulate higher than normal production of the watery component of your eye’s tears. 

Decongestant eye drops “get the red out”. They contain vasoconstrictors, which make the blood vessels overlying the white part of your eyes smaller; this lessens the apparent redness of your eyes. With extended use however, small blood vessels on the surface of the eye can become dependent on the vasoconstrictors to stay small. When the drops are discontinued, the eyes become even redder…because the vessels rebound to a diameter larger than they were initially. This process is called rebound hyperemia.  

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) eye drops may be prescribed to decrease swelling, inflammation and other symptoms associated with seasonal allergic conjunctivitis (hay fever).  Some eye drops have ingredients called mast-cell stabilizers, which also alleviate redness and swelling. Mast-cell stabilizers are similar to antihistamines. But while antihistamines are known for their immediate relief, mast cell stabilizers are known for their long-lasting relief.

Eye Allergies and Contact Lenses

Even if you are generally a successful contact lens wearer, allergy season can make your contacts uncomfortable. Airborne allergens can deposit on your lenses, causing direct discomfort. Allergens can also stimulate excessive production of natural substances in your tears, which then bind to your contacts and further reduce lens comfort.  Common solutions can be to switch to daily disposable lenses, only wearing glasses or Lasik.  

Over the last two decades, over 17 million people world-wide have had LASIK to decrease their dependency from glasses or contacts by treating their nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, and even presbyopia.  Patients who have undergone laser eye surgery will commonly share that their LASIK procedure was a life-changing experience for them. With the incredible technological advances in LASIK vision correction, LASIK is safer than wearing contact lenses for 10 years.

Los Angeles, CA – December 10th, 2009 marked the ten year anniversary of Southern California’s renowned vision correction facility, IQ Laser Vision. IQ Laser Vision hosted an exclusive affair to celebrate its 10-year anniversary at the Pacific Palms Resort in City of Industry, CA. Prominent guests, past patients and celebrities feted the affair in celebration of IQ Laser Vision’s profound success. Guests included Assemblymember Mike Eng, 49th California State Assembly District and Mayor of Walnut Mary Su.

IQ Laser Vision’s Medical Director and founder, Robert T. Lin, M.D. delivered a heart-warming speech about IQ Laser Vision’s humble beginnings and through the dedication and hard work of the entire staff evolved to what it is today. With over 25,000 successful procedures and satisfied patients it is no surprise that IQ Laser Vision continues to thrive and expand; with locations throughout Los Angeles County and Orange County.

Surprise celebrity guest, Juliette Zhuo toasted the success of IQ Laser Vision and attested to her newfound way of life without glasses and contacts. Also on hand was the Executive Director from the Industry Manufacturing Council, Donald Sachs, who shared his experience about IQ Laser Vision.

IQ Laser Vision was founded in 1999 under the supervision of Dr. Robert T. Lin. Dr. Lin received his Bachelors Degree at the University of California, Berkeley and Medical Degree at University of California, Los Angeles. He completed his residency in ophthalmology at one of the world’s most preeminent programs, Jules Stein Eye Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles. Dr. Lin has been featured in various articles, newsletters, magazines and on the Discovery Health Channel – HealthWatch. He continues to publish numerous research articles in the field of ophthalmology. Since 1999, IQ Laser Vision has evolved to one of the most prominent and advanced refractive facilities, with patients traveling from various parts of the world to have their vision corrected with Dr. Robert T. Lin and his patented Micro-Lasik® procedure (Trademark #2681144, US Patent Office).

The Center boasts a multi-lingual staff, including Spanish, Korean, Vietnamese, Mandarin Chinese, Taiwanese, Cantonese and Thai. Consultations are always free for prospective patients to learn more about the various vision correction procedures without the pressure of feeling any obligation. Affordability continues to be one of the top priorities of the Center, in pursuit of its belief that everyone deserves to receive quality medical care. With flexible payment plans, interest-free financing and even offering in-house financing to those who qualify, IQ Laser Vision strives to provide the gift of clear vision to all those in need.

IQ Laser Vision’s Clinical Director, Jarrod Bradley, closed the evening’s festivities with a speech in which he announced the Center’s continued commitment and dedication to the community for the next ten years, focusing on patients in need, offering services to low-income families, and partnering with local associations, non-profit organizations and other charitable causes. “For the past 10 years we have been blessed with our success, to reciprocate we believe in continually giving back to the community that has supported us for the last decade.”

With that we all wish IQ Laser Vision continued prosperity and may the next ten years prove to be equally, if not more, fruitful than the last.

IQ Laser Vision may be contacted at 1-888-539-2211 or you may visit us at www.iqlaservision.com

Tired of wearing eyeglasses or contact lenses? Laser-assisted in-situ keratomileusis, more commonly known as LASIK, is an increasingly popular alternative to glasses or contacts. LASIK is a type of refractive eye procedure, during which an eye surgeon uses a laser to reshape your cornea and correct focusing problems in your eyes.

Over the last two decades, LASIK has become the most popular surgical procedure providing long-term results to treat conditions such as farsightedness, nearsightedness, and astigmatism. Patients who have undergone the LASIK procedure will attest to its life-changing benefits and results.

LASIK is the most advanced procedure available and is the procedure of choice amongst refractive surgeons worldwide. LASIK uses an excimer laser to treat many levels of nearsightedness as well as farsightedness and astigmatism with incredible accuracy and precision. Patients’ eyes can be corrected in just a single visit. Patients’ experience minor post-operative discomfort and visual recovery is rapid –patients are often able to return to work and other normal activities the next day.

At the age of forty most people experience a decline in the quality of their reading vision. The natural aging process within the eye slowly decreases your ability to see objects up close. This problem is age related and is due to a weakening of the focusing mechanism of the lens of the eye. LASIK can provide good distance and reading vision to many patients by readjusting the focus of their eyes.

In general, patients who see well with glasses or contact lenses are good candidates for laser vision correction. To determine if the LASIK procedure is right for you is a decision that should be made after a comprehensive exam by a skilled ophthalmologist who specializes in laser vision correction. Some of the tests surgeons may perform to assess your candidacy may include measurements of the curvature of your cornea and surface scans to detect aberrations or vision problems. Your doctor will also take a comprehensive medical history.

The procedure takes only 15 minutes for both eyes with the actual laser treatment time approximately one minute per eye. Your eyes will be fully anesthetized with eye drops and patients’ are ensured comfort throughout the procedure. Medication will be provided to patients’ that experience mild discomfort. Patients commonly describe this mild discomfort as a “scratchy feeling” that often disappears within a few hours post-procedure. LASIK has been clinically proven to permanently change the shape of your cornea, correcting nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism.

When choosing a refractive surgeon for your treatment candidates should consider the following criteria: the surgeon should be a Board Certified Ophthalmologist and have extensive training and expertise in the refractive field with knowledge of the most up-to-date procedures and technology. Most importantly, request that your actual surgeon sit down and meet with you directly to discuss all your LASIK options.

IQ Laser Vision offers a complimentary consultation to meet with Dr. Lin and discuss your options. Call today to book your appointment at 1-888-539-2211