Vision correction procedures often tend to be painful, lengthy and risky which drives away patients from indulging into them. However, there had been a savior amidst all these. LASIK could be the best, short, and painless treatment for effective vision correction.

Apart from improving your vision significantly, LASIK would let you set new limits for living without the need of putting on you’re eyeglasses. If you want to quit you’re lenses or eyeglasses, this would probably be the most appropriate road to take.

Whenever a “new” procedure or cure (LASIK) is considered there would be several questions popping up in the minds:

• Will LASIK actually work for you and you’re vision problems?

• Is this a permanent solution for the vision problems I have?

• How much will I have to invest in the treatment?

• Are there any risks involved?

The details and discussions below are going to answer it all. So, take your eyes through the page.

What is LASIK?

LASIK is no longer an unpopular element. However, there are still many who barely know about it well.

“Laser-assisted in Situ Keratomileusis” or LASIK, is popular laser refractive process used for the treatment of various visionary issues like astigmatism, nearsightedness, and farsightedness. It is basically focused on correcting the defects in the corner of the patient’s eye to clarify and correct there sight by modifying the way light refracts within the eye.

This is one of the most popular medical processes that are performed especially in the United States. Like any other surgeries, there are a number of things that you would need to make out before you actually get the Laser eye surgery done.

They’re actually a lot of details to embezzle if you research well. They’re are elements that would require consideration prior, during and post the surgery. Thousands of different contents related to this would let give you equally varied opinions. However, we would here try to make out the best out of all of them.

Things to be considered prior to the surgery

LASIK is not at all a mere cup of tea; any mistakes could be potent enough to make things worse than ever. Here are some important standards that need to be maintained so that you can get the expected, favorable results of a LASIK eye surgery.

• Consultations: You’d be required to consult you’re specialists several times, to diagnose the criticality of the issue, and take proper measurements of you’re eyes (including elements like the shape, thickness of cornea etc.) This would also include diagnosing of any other effects that may occur as the result of the treatment.

• The reports would then be studied and the specialist would prescribe several medications along with the fact whether the patient is suitable for LASIK or not.

• Patients using contact lenses will have to quit there lenses 1-2 weeks before eye examinations and the LASIK surgery. This is because contact lenses are known to create fluctuations in the shape and size of the cornea.

LASIK Eye Surgery Procedure

LASIK surgeons are known to use a laser known as femtosecond laser in order to make a perfect thin flap in the cornea. Through this thin flap, the surgeon than gets access to the underlying corneal surface from where some tissues are to be removed. Excimer tissues are used to remove the corneal tissues.

The procedure and motive would, however, differ as per the disease or issues detected. In the case of nearsightedness, flattening the cornea is the major objective. On the other hand, in the case of farsightedness, the objective is to give a steeper shape to the cornea.

Once the required shape for the cornea is achieved, the thin flap is placed back to it’s a place. This creates a natural bandage in the eye and supports healing without the need of any stitches. Topical anesthesia is also known to be used during the laser eye surgery procedure.

Post Surgery Expectations

They are would be some really important considerations after the surgery. These would include the following points:

• The patient needs to rest well after the surgery.

• Driving is not allowed after the surgery. The patient will need to have someone who can drive them home. They can, however, resume driving from the next day if things go well.

• The use of protective eye shields and goggles is highly prescriptive as the healing process takes place. This is important for protection from the sun, or at night while sleeping and to keep the patients from rubbing there eyes.

These points are of great importance for Lasik eye surgery recovery in the most expected manner. You may also need to consult you’re specialist regularly for better guidance and keeping track of the healing process.

Though LASIK is considered to be an absolutely painless, safe and easiest process, you cannot deny the fact that it is, after all, a surgery. The anesthetics would endure that you do not feel any pain during the surgical procedures.

However, you are likely to experience irritation in you’re eyes compelling you to rub them. You will also need to get some medicines prescribed for the same.

Rest, as mentioned above is a really important element among all. You are required not to involve in activities that result in stressing out you’re eyes.

What are the risks involved?

Like any other surgeries, certain risks prevail with LASIK too, these include:

• Overcorrection, Under correction, new or increased Astigmatism

Chances of failure are always involved. It’s possible that the vision may not be as perfect after the surgery as it was before (even with the use of glasses or contact lenses). This would be due to uneven or inappropriate tissue removal.

You may also need retreatment or a second surgical process. However, this would again consider some points, situations, and conditions.

• Problems with the corneal flap

As mentioned earlier, the LASIK procedure requires lifting a flap from the outer corner and than putting it back in place. They’re are often problems in doing this. Inappropriate placement of the corneal flap could lead to various issues that could be serious. They’re could be problems that essentially require farther treatment.

• Disturbed or Fluctuating Vision

After the LASIK eye surgery, some patients may also experience results that create difficulty in seeing in several situations. This may even make situations worse then they used to be. They’re may be issues like glare, halos around brightness, double vision or light sensitivity.

After a laser eye surgery, you may also face difficulty in driving or seeing things properly at night. Pain or discomfort may be the problem for some. Many of these symptoms would however heal and get away with time.

• Dry Eye

LASIK surgeries tend to cause a temporary decrease in the usual tear production. This problem may prevail even when you’re eyes are healed. Eyes being unusually dry may create problems and irritations. A simple way of dealing with this is to stay hydrated and consume a lot of fluids.

It is really important to consider all the potential risks and complications before actually deciding to get a Laser eye surgery. You may need to consult you’re doctor frequently in order to get the best guidance with respect to this treatment. It will probably be necessary to get the best possible outcomes from the procedures.

How much will it cost?

This is one of the most frequently asked questions by the patients willing to get this treatment. Though your health insurance may partially or wholly cover the costs of LASIK eye surgery, there are also several private insurances that do not cover costs related to it.

It is often considered as cosmetic or elective surgery; hence to cover it all under insurances may not be possible. Moreover, know that it is going to be expensive. Therefore you may need to look for ways you can get the cost covered.

Getting things done on advance would surely help you well. The costs involved are likely to differ at different places depending on the surgeon’s fee and market conditions.

Along with costs and other conditions, it’s really important to consult the best specialist. You can surely not afford any mistakes or carelessness with respect to your eyes. It is, therefore, suggestible to get through proper researches and consultations planned appropriately before the surgery.

There are farther many more points that you may need to know. However, the ones mentioned above would be enough to clarify basic doubts about the treatment.

Moreover, LASIK eye surgery is probably one of the easiest, safe and faster option available for vision correction. You may consider the various precautions involve and get it done for refractive error correction and a better lifestyle.

The post A Comprehensive Guide to Laser and Lasik Eye Surgery appeared first on infinitieye a unit of Dr agarwals eye hospital.

What is Glaucoma?

Starting with the very beginning will let you have a clearer picture of the situations. Well, Glaucoma is when the optic nerves of you’re eyes are damaged and this tends to worsen with time. It is often due to pressure build-up inside the eyes.

Glaucoma is usually known to be inherited and has a tendency of not showing up until later in life. The increase in intraocular pressure is known to damage the optic nerves who’s task is to transmit image signals to the brain.

As the damage continues, Glaucoma can also lead to permanent loss of vision within a few years. Mostly, no early symptoms or pain is witnessed by the people suffering from Glaucoma. Regular check up is probably the best way to deal with the issue before permanent vision loss.

If you have any family history of this disease than, it is suggestible to go for a complete eye examination within every 2 years. Also, if you are diabetic, than you possibly have the risk of getting this disease. Vision loss caused due to glaucoma cannot be recovered. Therefore, it is important to stay aware and take possible precautions before any severe effects occur.

How is Glaucoma Caused?

Human eye continuously produces a clear fluid known as aqueous humor. As the fluid is made, it fills the front portion of the eye. Than through the channels in the iris and cornea, it leaves the eye. However, the natural eye pressure cannot be released of these channels are obstructed or blocked.

The intraocular pressure or IOP in you’re eyes may increase, damaging the optic nerves. The continuing damage to you’re optic nerves would subsequently lead to complete loss of eyesight. The cause of an increase in the eye pressure is not always known. This may generally include:

• Blocked or obstructed drainage in eyes.
• Dilating eye drops
• Medications like corticosteroids
• Reduced or poor blood flow in the optic nerves
• High blood pressure.

Possible Glaucoma Symptoms

Many a time, Glaucoma does not properly exhibit any special symptoms at the early stages or the right time. They’re could be different types of glaucoma and the symptoms for this disease are known to differ according to they’re type.

They’re are generally two types of glaucoma: Open-angle glaucoma and acute angle closure glaucoma. Let’s have brief look at them.

Open-angle Glaucoma

It is the most common type of glaucoma; doctors often call it wide-angle glaucoma. In this case, the drain structure of you’re eyes which is also called the trabecular meshwork through looks normal the flow of the fluid is not exactly the way it should be.

Symptoms

• Patchy blind spots in you’re central or peripheral (side) vision.
• At advanced stages, they’re may also be the problem of tunnel vision.

Acute Angle-Closure Glaucoma

It is known to be more common in Asia then in the West. It is also known as chronic or narrow-angle glaucoma. The drain space between the iris and cornea gets narrower and you’re eyes do not drain properly due to this reason. This creates an increase in pressure build-up within you’re eyes. It may also relate sometimes to cataract or farsightedness that causes clouding around the lens of you’re eyes.

Symptoms

• Regular severe headache
• Pain in eyes
• Vomiting and Nausea
• Blur Vision
• Eye redness
• Halos around lights

Glaucoma Treatment

You can surely not leave the disease untreated, once it’s diagnosed. Treatment started at the earliest stages can help to delay the progression of the disease and keep away any unwanted effects of the same. Moreover, Glaucoma cannot be cured. Once you lose you’re vision due to the disease it cannot be restored.

The below-mentioned remedies treatments could, however, save the remaining vision from damage.

Medicines

Some of the most common early treatments for glaucoma include eye drops and pills. When taken regularly, these pills and eye drops will help in reducing the pressure created within the eyes. While some medicines cause the eye to create less fluid, the others lower the pressure by helping the eyes to release the fluid.

Before you begin with the glaucoma treatment inform the professionals about other supplements and medicines you take. You still need to be careful as several medicines are known to cause side-effects to people. This may however not be the case for all.

In case the medicine is creating problems for you, you can tell the eye care professional to change the medicine.

Laser Trabeculoplasty

This method could be used to drain the fluid out of your eyes. When you’re getting you’re treatments, the doctor may suggest you for this step anytime. Even after this procedure, you might have to continue taking your Glaucoma medicines.

A light beam of the laser is reflected against the meshwork in you’re eyes, this creates several spaced burns, stretching the drainage holes in the eyes’ meshwork. However, there can be side effects to this including inflammation. Several follow up visits would be required after this to monitor the eye well.

In case you have glaucoma in both the eyes, only one eye would be treated at a time. There would be a gap of several days to several weeks between consecutive laser treatments. The effects of this would, however, wear off with time. Glaucoma prevention is probably the only way to move out from this trouble.

Conventional Surgery

A conventional glaucoma surgery would create a new opening in the eye from where fluids can be released. A conventional surgery generally opts when medicines and laser surgery fail to control pressure in the eyes.

Known as trabeculectomy, this process considers removing several tissues from the eyes with the objective of creating a new channel which can help the fluid drain from the eye. The fluid than drains between the tissue layers in the eye, creating a blister-like “Filtration Belb”.

After the surgery, you would be prescribed several medicinal drops to avoid infection and inflammation. Conventional surgery is also performed for one eye at a time.

At lower eye pressure, conventional surgery is known to be 60 to 80 percent effective. You may also need a second surgery in case the opening narrows. If you have never had any other eye surgeries, conventional surgeries would work the best.

They’re are however many risks involved in getting a conventional surgery done. You will have to consider many important points with you’re specialist in order to get the best possible outcomes of it. The processes may be carried on considering the chances of side-effects and than conditions of Glaucoma.

Glaucoma Prevention

Prevention is though not actually possible for this disease you can opt some self-care tips to ensure better health of you’re eyes. Here are some of them:

Regular eye care

Comprehensive eye check-ups regularly could help in the timely detection of glaucoma and let you start the treatment before any irreversible damages occur. Regular eye examinations at an interval of four years are suggestible once you’ve reached the age of 40.

Also, once you reach 65, these checkups should be done at an interval of two years. In case you are at a higher risk of glaucoma, you may require more frequent screening. Consult you’re specialist and set the correct screening schedule.

• Know you’re family’s vision of health and history

Glaucoma is usually known to be inherited and tends to run through families. You need to know if you are at a higher risk.

• Moderate Exercises

Moderate exercises are done regularly, help in reducing eye pressure and prevent glaucoma. You can set up a perfect exercise program under the guidance of you’re doctor.

• Prescribed Eye Drops

Your a doctor would surely tell you to use several eye drops. You need to be sure to use them regularly and in the best manner. High eye pressure could certainly be reduced, with the use of the prescribed eye drops. You should choose to use these eye drops even if you haven’t witnessed any symptoms yet. You are not waiting for any after all.

• Wear Eye Protection

Glaucoma can also be caused by serious eye injuries. Therefore, wearing eye protection while doing various activities like playing high-speed racket sports, using power tools, etc. could help you much to prevent any such disease from making its place in you’re eyes.

Glaucoma is a serious disease and can cause the greatest loss, the loss of eyesight. With hardly any cure or prevention, the only way to tackle this disease is regular checkup and staying aware of you’re eye health. The above-mentioned points and Glaucoma symptoms would surely guide you well in dealing with the disease. You, however, need to consult your doctor regularly.

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