Lehigh Valley Center For Sight

Your child or teenager may want contacts for a number of reasons. He or she may be tired of wearing glasses, sports may be easier without them or they simply don’t like the look. What’s a good age to start wearing contact lenses? According to Cooper Vision , which makes and sells contact lenses, a review of past research into eye complications in those younger than 18 who wore contact lenses found the risk of eye inflammation and infection is no greater than for adults. For those eight to 11 years, it may be lower. Photo courtesy of CooperVision Here are some issues to consider when deciding whether contact lenses are right for your son or daughter… Interest and Motivation Your child, not you, should drive the issue. Unless there’s a medical need for them (such as slow myopia), wearing contacts should be their idea. Young children normally get used to wearing glasses but as they age they probably want to look better in middle or high school. There could be other benefits as we...

Bladeless Lasik-High Tech Approach To Vision Correction With the latest technology you may be able to avoid some complications and have a greater chance of obtaining normal, 20/20 vision. A bladeless, or Intralase , approach represents the next generation of very high tech tools used to perform the procedure. LASIK stands for laser in-situ keratomileusis. It’s a popular surgery used to correct vision for those who are nearsighted, farsighted or have astigmatism. It works by reshaping the cornea, the clear front part of the eye, so that light traveling through it properly focuses onto the retina located in the back of the eye. During LASIK surgery, a corneal flap is lifted up and the cornea’s shape is changed to improve focus. The flap is then replaced and serves as a type of natural "bandage" for healing. Traditional LASIK uses a microkeratome blade to create the corneal flap. Intralase is different because the flap is created by using a computer assisted laser, not a man...

Oral Steroids and Cataracts About 22 million Americans have cataracts , a clouding of the normally clear lens of your eye. The biggest risk factor is age. It’s one of the most common eye conditions for Americans older than 40. About half of those 80 and older have, or have had, cataracts. But age isn’t the only factor in developing cataracts.   If you have a cataract seeing through cloudy lenses can be like looking through a fogged-up window or piece of wax paper. Cataracts can make it harder to read, see a computer screen clearly or drive a car safely (especially at night). Symptoms include, Blurred or dim vision, Night vision problems, Sensitivity to light and glare, The need for more light to read, Appearance of "halos" around lights, Quickly deteriorating vision, Fading or yellowing of colors, and, Double vision in a single eye. The cloudiness impacting your sight may start with a small part of the eye's lens so you may not be consci...

Common Eye Disorders If so, you’re in good company. Millions of Americans need to have their vision corrected, whether that’s through eyeglasses, contact lenses or surgery. If you are having trouble seeing well there’s no reason for you to just put up with it. Poor vision impacts your quality of life and may make it unsafe for you to do certain things. About eleven million Americans aged twelve and older could improve their vision through proper refractive correction, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . Another 3.3 million aged forty and older are either legally blind or have low vision. The top reasons for blindness and low vision in the country are mostly related to age, including macular degeneration, cataract, diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma. Refractive Errors These are the most common sight problems in the country. They include myopia (near-sightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), astigmatism (distorted vision at all distances) and presby...

How do make sure you aren’t overusing your lenses? Most people who have prescription eye glasses prefer wearing contact lenses. It’s not only comfortable but it also doesn’t alter your natural look. Though contact lenses are convenient they shouldn’t be used extensively. Overuse of contact lenses can cause serious damages to your eye. If you are not following the 18 hour week rule, then you could be overusing your contact lenses. In other words you must take out your contact lenses for at least 18 hours a week. Here are some symptoms which are indications that you are using you have your lenses on longer than you should, and you need to consult your eye doctor immediately: Pain and redness in the eye Itching when you remove your lenses Increased mucous secretion in the eye Decreased vision Photophobia or light sensitivity Tearing Inability to remove your lenses because they are stuck in the eye   Your eye needs direct oxygen to ‘breathe’ and remain healthy....