IQ Lasik Blog.com

Nearly 3 million people in the U.S. have Glaucoma.  Glaucoma is a condition in which the internal ocular pressure (IOP) of the eye is elevated, causing damage to the optic nerve.  Individuals can be diagnosed with a thorough eye examination although the most common type of Glaucoma will show no symptoms until loss of vision has started.  Those who have high blood pressure, diabetes, smoke, family history of Glaucoma, individuals of African descent, advanced age, use corticosteroids, and previous ocular trauma are at a higher risk for Glaucoma.  Glaucoma can be treated with medicated eye drops, laser surgery, and/or conventional surgery.

When a patient has Glaucoma, aqueous humor drains too slowly out of the anterior chamber. As this fluid builds up, the pressure inside the eye rises. If the eye pressure is not controlled, damage to the optic nerve may occur, which will lead to vision loss and eventually blindness if not treated.

Different types of refractive procedures can accommodate patients with pre-existing Glaucoma conditions.   Individuals with Glaucoma may not qualify for conventional or custom Wavefront Lasik, All-Laser Lasik, or Epi-Lasik.  Procedures such as PRK, LASEK, NearVision CK, P-IOL, or RLE should be considered for Glaucoma patients considering vision correction.  Glaucoma should be treated and stabilized before considering refractive surgery.  A qualified ophthalmologist can provide further recommendations based on an individual’s condition.  PRK, LASEK, CK, P-IOL, and RLE do not require a microkeratome and do not dramatically raise a patient’s IOP during their refractive procedure which is why these techniques are preferred over others. 

If you have been previously diagnosed with Glaucoma or are a member of a Glaucoma risk group, be sure to bring this up with your Ophthalmologist.  Although the majority of Glaucoma patients can still safely undergo LASIK most good Ophthalmologists will conduct a thorough analysis of not only your vision health but your general physical health as well before confirming if you are a candidate for LASIK.

City of Industry, CA, February 17, 2011 –(PR.com)– IQ Laser Vision acquires new advanced technology, the Allegretto Wave Eye-Q, manufactured by Wavelight AG. It is the fastest LASIK platform available in the country today. The Allegretto Wave Eye-Q laser boasts of state-of-the-art surgical laser for safe, accurate and customized vision correction. Featuring wavefront-optimized technology for customized corneal ablation as well as an advanced eye-tracking system, this technology enables IQ Laser Vision’s Medical Director, Dr. Robert T. Lin, to correct each individual’s unique refractive errors while preserving the cornea’s natural shape and minimizing post-procedure effects such as glares and halos.

The laser’s one-of-a-kind eye tracking system is able to automatically adjust to changes in a patient’s pupil size during their procedure. The result is a safe and precise vision correction procedure for every patient. The Allegretto Wave Eye-Q delivers 400 treatment pulses per second correcting each patient’s refractive errors within seconds.

As one of the nation’s most trusted, experienced, and caring surgeons, Dr. Lin is able to utilize the most advanced technology with the Allegretto Wave Eye-Q. Dr. Lin is proud to include the new laser in addition to his other specialties, such as the MICRO-LASIK® procedure, a procedure innovated by Dr. Lin himself that specializes in creating thin-flaps.

For more than 14 years Dr. Lin has helped over 25,000 patients regain their vision and free them from their dependency on contacts or glasses. Dr. Lin can be reached at IQ Laser Vision (888) 539-2211.

Contact Info
IQ Laser Vision
18725 Gale Avenue
Suite #140
City of Industry, CA 91748
info@iqlaservision.com

The blurry stop sign illustrates a very common vision problem. Many people have some degree of astigmatism. In fact, it is rare to find a perfectly spherical eye. Astigmatism appears to run in families and is often present from birth. If you have astigmatism, chances are good your children will have it also. It may worsen slowly over time but may remain fairly stable throughout life. Astigmatism often occurs with other vision conditions such as nearsightedness (myopia) and farsightedness (hyperopia.)

What is it?

Astigmatism can be caused by the lens of the eye but it is most often described as resulting from an irregular curvature of the cornea of the eye. The cornea is the clear covering over the lens and the iris. It helps to transmit light through the eye and provides a large portion of the eye’s light focusing power.  You may have heard astigmatism described as a condition in which the cornea resembles the shape of a “football” more than it does the shape of a basketball. When the cornea is more oval than round, light does not focus properly on the back of the eye (retina).   If your eyeglass prescription has three parts rather than one, you have some degree of astigmatism. A prescription with three parts might be: -2.00 -1.00 x 90. The first part (-2.00) indicates your nearsightedness; parts two and three indicate the amount and orientation of your astigmatism.

Symptoms.

The most common symptom of astigmatism is blurred vision. Some people describe it as double vision but in only one eye. As a result of trying to focus on near or distant objects, a patient may develop eyestrain, squinting and headaches.  Children with astigmatism may be too young to notice or describe astigmatism. They may frown, squint, or pull objects close in an effort to get a clearer picture. They may also tilt or turn their head. This extra effort can lead to eyestrain, fatigue or reduced reading efficiency.

Remedies.

Glasses are an option for treating astigmatism. If treating a large amount of astigmatism, the doctor may not totally correct the astigmatism. The new prescription in the eyeglasses may initially make the floor appear to tilt, thus making it difficult for the patient to accept a full correction. The tilting often disappears after the new glasses have been worn exclusively for more than a few days.  Switching back and forth between the new and an older pair of glasses can often increase the time required to adjust to the new prescription.  It is also possible to correct astigmatism using certain types of contact lenses. Patients who prefer contact lenses can generally be helped. Both gas permeable rigid and soft toric contacts are possible choices.

Refractive procedures are a great alternative to glasses or contacts, especially for people who have dry eyes or other conditions that prohibit them from wearing corrective lenses. The most common type of refractive procedures used to correct astigmatism is LASIK (laser in situ keratomileusis).   IQ Laser Vision offers LASIK to correct astigmatism in addition to myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), and even presbyopia.  With no-interest financing*, LASIK is now more affordable than ever!  Trusted by more than 25,000 satisfied patients and serving Southern California since 1999, let IQ Laser Vision free you from your glasses and contacts!

*OAC – On approved credit

We all know that eyes are very important for us but why do we tend to take them for granted. We have been to busy taking care of our skin, hair, and other parts of our body but we have put aside eye care most of the time.

For 2011, make a resolution to take better care of your eyes, after all they are the only ones you have.  Here are some Eye Care Tips to follow:

Tip 1 – Enough Rest
The most used part of our body is the eyes. For all the work that it does, provide adequate rest for them and this is achieved through logging enough shut eye every night.  Health advisers recommend at least 6 hours of sleep, 8 hours is ideal. 

Tip 2 – Proper Diet
Fruits and vegetables are a great diet in taking care of your eyes. Usually yellow fruits and vegetables are the best ones. These fruits and vegetables are very rich in beta carotene. Example are papaya, mangoes, squash, and spinach can be a great source of beta carotene. These types of food can help improve and maintain good health for your eyes.

Tip 3 – Drink Lots of Water
The skin around our eyes is very thin and underneath it is full of blood vessels. Drinking lots of water can prevent puffiness around our eyes. Do you know why our eyes become puffy at times? Our body has defense mechanism that every time we are dehydrated our body retains some water thus resulting to puffiness. Drinking eight or more glasses of water a day can help detoxify our body.

Tip 4 – Eye Exercise
Yes! There is also some form of exercise for the eyes. Exercising your eyes can supply enough oxygen and can make them function much better. Close your eyes for 30 seconds then I move your eyes around while your eyes remain closed.  Move your eyes left to right and then up and down.

Tip 5 – Avoid Excessive Rubbing
Our eyes are one of the most sensitive parts of our body. The best thing you should do in taking care of your eyes is to avoid rubbing them. This action will only make your eyes more irritated. The best thing you should do is to blink them. If some alien matter comes into your eyes, it is best to wash them with milk. Milk is a natural cleanser that will not cause further irritation in your eyes.

Tip 6 – Use Sunglasses
During the day wear sunglasses to protect your eyes. This will help shield your eyes from the harmful rays of the sun, sometimes even on cloudy days the sun’s rays can still penetrate through and cause damage to your eyes.

Tip 7 – Treat Your Eyes
Putting cucumber slices or tea bags under your eyes can help prevent dark circles and wrinkles from appearing around your eyes.

Tip 8 – Protect Your Eyes
Always remember to wear protective eye gear to protect your eyes when engaged in contact sports, such as racquetball, skiing or when working with equipment such as a table saw or handling hazardous chemicals.

Tip 9 – Consider Lasik
If you wear contacts, think of the germs that is constantly transferred between your hands to your contacts and then into your eyes.  Imagine life without contacts or glasses.  There are several Lasik options to treat a variety of eye conditions, consult with a professional Lasik center to learn more or contact us at IQ Laser Vision.

The beach, the backyard pool and even the ski slopes are very inviting but eye damage can be just around the corner. The most immediate danger is photokeratitis, a painful type of corneal sunburn linked to the bright sunlight reflected off water, sand and snow. Reflected sunlight can double the exposure of harmful UV rays. Long-term exposure to UV light can lead to cataracts, skin cancer around the eyelids and even damage to the retina.

Ultraviolet damage is cumulative. Exposure to UV light, wind, and dryness can cause pingueculas. These are abnormal, but usually non-cancerous, growths on the white part of the eye near the nose. They can start in the teen years or early adulthood and can grow onto the front part of the cornea, possibly requiring surgical removal. Protection from UV exposure and wind starting early in life can help reduce the incidence of these growths. It is estimated that 80% of lifetime absorption to UV light occurs before the age of 18. Unfortunately, a recent survey found that a high percentage of parents are unaware of the potential for damage and rarely protect their children’s eyes.

Sunglasses with UV protection can help boost the eyes’ ability to filter out the damaging rays.  However, sunglasses that do not block UV rays should be avoided. Sunglasses shade the eyes from the bright sun and cause the pupils to dilate somewhat. If the UV rays are not blocked by the lenses, more UV enters the eyes that if no lenses are worn.

Guidelines for selecting sunglasses for your child:

• Sunglasses should block 99% to 100% of both types of ultraviolet rays: UV-A and UV-B. Be wary of labels that claim a product blocks harmful UV without specifying exactly what amount of UV rays they block.
• Select sunglasses that suit children’s active lifestyles. Lenses should be impact resistant and the frames should be bendable, unbreakable and/or have snap-on temples. Polycarbonate is the most impact resistant material available and the best choice for active children. Children’s sunglasses should never be made of glass.
• Check the lenses carefully for scratches, bubbles and distortions. Here’s an easy test for non-prescription lenses: hold the glasses away from your eyes and look through the lenses at a good horizontal or vertical line, such as a window frame. If the line appears wavy instead of straight, the glasses may actually make it more difficult to see (although some distortion may be seen with prescription lenses for corrective purposes).
• Have your child try on the sunglasses before making a purchase. The lenses should be large enough to shield the eyes from most angles (above, below and either side) and to block light that enters in around the frames. The sunglasses should also fit snugly against the bridge of the child’s nose in order to reduce the amount of sunlight that enters the eyes.
• Check the sunglasses periodically to make sure they fit well and are not damaged. Children often don’t complain about their vision even when there is a problem. A regular check of their glasses is a good idea.
• Fashion should be the last thing you think about when buying sunglasses. Look at the amount of UV protection, lens quality, and durability to assure that you buy
  the right sunglasses for your child.

If you have questions or concerns, always consult your eye doctor.

The answer mostly depends on you but all contact lenses reduce the amount of oxygen reaching the clear front surface of the eye (the cornea) and thereby increase the risk of eye problems to some degree.  Potentially serious contact lens complications include corneal abrasions, eye infection (including Acanthamoeba keratitis and fungal eye infections), dry eyes and corneal ulcers.  Some of these complications can cause permanent vision loss.

Your best defense against eye damage from contact lens wear is to follow the advice of your optometrist or ophthalmologist about how long to wear your contacts and how frequently you should replace them.  Your eye doctor will also tell you how long you can wear your lenses safely and whether your eyes can tolerate using extended wear contacts on a continuous basis or if you should wear contact lenses only for limited periods during the day.

Also, be sure to care for your lenses as directed, and use only the contact lens solutions your eye doctor recommends.  If there is a chance you might not keep up the daily lens care, ask about daily disposable contacts or you should consider Lasik. 

To avoid serious contact lens-related eye problems, ask yourself this three-part question at the start of each day of contact lens wear:

Do my eyes look good, see good and feel good?

1.  If your eyes are red or bloodshot, you may be developing dry eyes or an eye infection from your contacts.
2.  If your vision is not as clear as it once was, your lenses may be dirty, or your eyes may be swollen from lack of oxygen.
3.  And if your eyes are uncomfortable, you may have a corneal abrasion, the beginnings of a corneal ulcer, dry eyes or an eye infection.

If your daily self-assessment suggests you have a contact lens-related eye problem, remove your lenses immediately and call your eye doctor for an urgent appointment. If you do have an eye problem caused by your contacts, the sooner it is evaluated and treated by an eye care professional, the better.