Dr. Anurag Eye Centre

LASIK or Laser-Assisted in-situ Keratomileusis is a kind of eye surgery used for correcting certain vision problems as well as reducing or doing away with the need for corrective lenses or eyeglasses. It is a widely used refractive surgery that alters the shape of your cornea, the transparent tissue on the frontal portion of the eye. The fundamental aim of this surgery is to refract (bend) light rays in order to make them focus on the retina with improved precision, thus creating a sharper and clearer vision.

You can go for a LASIK eye surgery if you are experiencing any of these problems:

1. Myopia or Nearsightedness: It is a condition wherein you enjoy a clearer vision while looking at objects that are close to you. However, distant objects would appear blurred.
2. Hypermetropia or Farsightedness: Here, you may experience blurred vision while focusing on objects which are near to you but tend to enjoy better clarity in vision while viewing objects which are placed at a distance.
3. Astigmatism: It is a condition disrupting focus of both the distant and close (near) vision.

Learn About The Different Tyoes Of Lasik-

1. C-Lasik- C-Lasik or Customized Lasik is gaining ground as the latest and the most effective tool for restoring the quality of one’s vision. It uses a Wave front Guided customized ablation to render personalized treatment to each individual. While the surgical procedure stays the same, C-Lasik, also known as “Eagles’ Eye Vision” can provide the perfect shape to the eye surface, helping one to focus accurately. C-Lasik means that laser eye treatment is now unique to each eye. With C-Lasik, treatment is designed specifically to treat your individual vision errors. It improves the quality of your vision.  Each C-Lasik assessment involves an extra diagnostic (screening) process to let the surgeon understand your vision better and select the most suitable treatment for you.
2. iLasik- iLasik is the first vision rectifying procedure that is fully customized, done with the use of a laser. It is used to rectify myopia till a measure of 10 diopters, hypermetropia up to +5 diopters and astigmatism, till -5 dioptersafter evaluation of cornea. iLASIK is different from normal LASIK surgery because it recognises that every eye is different. Using 3D mapping technology, the characteristics along with the uniqueness of each eye is recognised. Then using this information, a blueprint is developed so that the lasers can target the right areas. High-frequency pulses are used to create a corneal flap which is lifted so that another laser can repair your eyes. iLasik is the only procedure that has the technology to personalize treatment to individual vision needs. In fact, wavefront measurements are 25 times more precise than those taken with conventional methods used for eyeglasses and contacts.
3. Contoura Vision LASIK- Contoura Vision is the most advanced technology available for laser vision correction when it comes to accuracy and precision. This diagnostic technology is able to meticulously identify and record irregularities in the cornea’s curvature as well as its optics. During the procedure, this information is combined with the patient’s corrective eyewear prescription to dramatically improve vision for those suffering from nearsightedness (myopia) and astigmatism. While standard LASIK surgery has been helping individuals enhance correct visual refractive errors for many years, Contoura Vision takes the treatment a step further by offering even greater degrees of enhanced vision quality. Potential benefits of this technique can also include a reduced “glare” at night and even an increase in reading speed.

You know that diabetes is a chronic condition that renders difficulties to the patient in several aspects. A comprehensive care is essential to manage it effectively as the condition can lead to many other diseases including eye diseases.

If you have been diagnosed with diabetic or hypertensive eyes, then it means that your vision has started to deteriorate. But you need not lose hope as it is still possible to remedy the situation. Understanding the issue in detail will help you cope with the situation better.

What are diabetic and hypertensive eyes?
Diabetic eye refers to the complications in the eyes as a result of diabetes. It affects the blood vessels of the retina and hence develop impairment of vision and loss of vision in severe cases. Similarly, hypertensive eye as indicated by the name is the situation where in the eye is affected as a result of hypertension. This is because high blood pressure affects the blood vessels of the retina. It does not allow the retina to function properly and puts pressure on the optic nerve resulting is vision problems.

What are the symptoms of diabetic retinopathy?

Like many conditions of this nature, the early stages of diabetic retinopathy may occur without symptoms and without pain. An actual influence on the vision will not occur until the disease advances. Symptoms may only become noticeable once the disease advances, but the typical symptoms of retinopathy to look out for include:

1. Sudden changes in vision / blurred vision
2. Eye floaters and spots
3. Double vision
4. Eye pain

How to take care of the conditions?
In the conditions of the diabetic eye and hypertensive eye that prime step to take care is to control diabetes and hypertension respectively. By following the prescribed medications for these conditions, the vision problem can be managed. At the same time, some adequate preventive measures are of utmost importance to efficiently and effectively take care of both diabetic eye and hypertensive eye.

Taking care of diabetic eye
First and foremost, you need to keep your diabetes under control and prevent it from being getting into the advanced stage. You should take utmost care to maintain the blood sugar level under control. After that, it is also necessary to keep the blood pressure in the correct range. Also, the cholesterol level in the blood needs to be under control. A proper and balanced diet is essential in this case. Whole grains, green leafy vegetables, fruits and lean protein should be included in the diet. Exercising is also very important to deal with diabetic, and if you are a smoker, you should quit it immediately since it causes problems with the blood vessels.

Taking care of hypertensive eye
You should bring down your blood pressure to the correct level and maintain it. You should consume a diet which contains all the essential nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. You should make sure not to do or involve in anything activity that can increase your tension or excite you. Smoking and drinking should be avoided to deal with the hypertensive eyes effectively. You should get yourself adequate and peaceful sleep which will help you to ease out of tension.

It is imperative to consult an ophthalmologist if you notice the classic symptoms of vision problems such as blurry vision, seeing floaters or flashes. If the condition progresses, treatment will involve medications or surgery depending on the severity of the condition. Hence, the best way to avoid such complications is to maintain a healthy lifestyle to take due care of your eyes.

What Is Myopia (Nearsightedness)?

Myopia is a common refractive error of the eye that makes it difficult to focus on far away objects. People who are nearsighted will see objects close to them clearly, while those further away appear blurry. Myopia is natural. An overall longer shape of the eye usually causes myopia, so it is a naturally occurring visual problem that cannot be prevented. Nearsightedness tends to run in families, but you don't need to have a myopic parent to develop it. Myopia begins at an early age and worsens in the teenage years, but generally stabilizes in adulthood.

Here are the most common signs and symptoms of myopia:

1. Objects far away, like a chalkboard or road signs, appear blurry
2. Persistent need to squint or close eyelids to see clearly
3. Headaches due to eyestrain
4. Difficulty seeing while driving a vehicle, especially at night (night myopia)
5. Need to sit closer to the television, movie screen or the front of the classroom
6. Holding books very close while reading
7. Not able to notice distant objects

Causes of Myopia

Nearsightedness happens when your eye is longer than normal, or, less often, when your cornea is too curved. It’s a problem in the focusing mechanism of the eyes. However, the exact cause of myopia is not known. Research about myopia supports two key risk factors:

1. Family history. If one or both parents are nearsighted, the chance of their children developing it increases.
2. Working up close. Myopia may be helped along by how a person uses their eyes. Intense detail work, long hours in front of a computer or reading can also increase the chances of developing myopia.

Treatment Options for Myopia (Nearsightedness)

When treating myopia, the goal is to help your eyes focus on far away objects. The most common way to achieve this is through

1. Corrective glasses
2. Contact lenses
3. Refractive eye surgery, such as LASIK, is available for adults and those with moderate to high levels of nearsightedness

Adults who have developed cataracts may also have their myopia corrected with an intraocular lens (IOL) that replaces the human lens during cataract surgery. The most appropriate treatment depends on your eyes and your lifestyle. Nearsightedness can also be corrected as part of the cataract surgery procedure.

1. Contacts and Glasses: Eyeglasses and contact lenses can correct myopia. However, they cannot stop the eye from growing longer or cure the irregular curve of the cornea that causes your blurry vision.
2. Surgery: Surgery can decrease or eliminate dependency on eyeglasses and contact lenses. LASIK surgery is the most common type of surgery to correct myopia.
3. ICL (intraocular collamer lenses) or phakic lensesIn adults with cataracts, is an option for those myopic patients who are not suitable for lasik surgery due to either less corneal thickness or very high myopia.
4. Orthokeratology: A new type of treatment which offers an alternate solutions to people who are suffering from myopia. This is also known as Ortho-K. As a part of this procedure a person has to wear specialized lens overnight, to correct the vision for the next day. Orthokeratology is a process that uses specially designed GP contact lenses to temporarily reshape the contour of the cornea to reduce myopia (nearsightedness). In addition to the benefit of lens-free daytime vision, orthokeratology is starting to be appreciated for its ability to slow the progression of myopia. A number of published clinical studies have found that orthokeratology lens designs inhibit the growth of the eye's axial length, which determines the degree of myopia.

A cataract is defined as a clouding of lens in the eye where your vision gets blurred. A cataract affects the eyes, when light that passes through the lens prevents a clearly formed image from reaching your retina. The disease is very common and usually, develops as your eyes age or due to any injury caused to the tissues that cover your eye's lens.

Types of cataracts:

1. Senile Cataract: This is the commonest of all. It is age-related clouding of the lens. It can affect the near or distance vision and can also cause glare and change in glasses power.
2. Secondary Cataract: It can be developed after surgery for other eye problems like glaucoma and other health conditions such as diabetes.
3. Traumatic Cataract: It can develop many years later after an injury caused to your eye.
4. Congenital Cataract: As the term explains, the disease may be inborn or some children might develop it at a later stage which often affects both eyes. 
5. Radiation Cataract: It can form after you are exposed to some form of radiation.

A cataract surgery involves the extraction or cleaning of the cloudy lens, which is then replaced by a clear artificial lens.

Why does it happen? 

There are lenses that lies behind our iris and pupil which act much like a camera lens. It helps concentrate light onto the retina at the back of our eye to form a sharply defined image. Besides, the lens also helps our eyes to adjust focus and allows us to see things clearly both far away and up close. The lens is composed of protein and water where the protein is arranged in a manner to keep the lens clear thereby letting light pass through it. 

However, as we grow old, some of the protein starts to become thick and cloud a small lens area. This is known as a cataract. With the passage of time, it may inflate and cover more of the lens, making it difficult for us to see.

Besides, there are other causes of cataract such as smoking, addiction of alcohol, prolonged sunlight exposure, to name a few. 

When should you opt for a cataract surgery?

Believe it or not, but till date no eye drop or medication has proven to reverse or prevent the formation of a cataract. If a cataract is affecting your nearsightedness or alteration in your prescription, then new prescription eyeglasses may help to better your blurred vision. However, the only treatment for a cataract is the surgical removal of your natural lens. And, most eye doctors recommend this surgery only when the problem becomes severe and starts hampering your day-to-day activities, such as studying or driving at night.

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Cataract surgery is a procedure to remove the lens of your eye and, in most cases, replace it with an artificial lens. Normally, the lens of your eye is clear. A cataract causes the lens to become cloudy, which eventually affects your vision.

Cataract surgery is performed by an eye doctor (ophthalmologist) on an outpatient basis, which means you don't have to stay in the hospital after the surgery. Cataract surgery is very common and is generally a safe procedure.

How a cataract affects your vision

Cataract surgery is performed to treat cataracts. Cataracts can cause blurry vision and increase the glare from lights. If a cataract makes it difficult for you to carry out your normal activities, your doctor may suggest cataract surgery.

When a cataract interferes with the treatment of another eye problem, cataract surgery may be recommended. For example, doctors may recommend cataract surgery if a cataract makes it difficult for your eye doctor to examine the back of your eye to monitor or treat other eye problems such as age-related macular degeneration or diabetic retinopathy.

In most cases, waiting to have cataract surgery won't harm your eye, so you have time to consider your options. If your vision is still quite good, you may not need cataract surgery for many years, if ever.

When considering cataract surgery, keep these questions in mind:

1. Can you see to safely do your job and to drive?
2. Do you have problems reading or watching television?
3. Is it difficult to cook, shop, do hardwork, climb stairs or take medications?
4. Do vision problems affect your level of independence?
5. Do bright lights make it more difficult to see?

Risks

Complications after cataract surgery are uncommon, and most can be treated successfully.

Cataract surgery risks include:

1. Inflammation
2. Infection
3. Bleeding
4. Swelling
5. Drooping eyelid
6. Dislocation of artificial lens
7. Retinal detachment
8. Glaucoma
9. Secondary cataract

Loss of vision

Your risk of complications is greater if you have another eye disease or a serious medical condition. Occasionally, cataract surgery fails to improve vision because of underlying eye damage from other conditions, such as glaucoma or macular degeneration. If possible, it may be beneficial to evaluate and treat other eye problems before making the decision to have cataract surgery.

If health is lost, everything is lost and your eyes are one of the most essential parts of your health. Good eyesight is the key to a happy life. But in order to maintain good eyesight, it is important to keep a few things in mind. However, aging causes several disorders related to eyes.

Here’s what you should do to continue life till the fullest with healthy eyes even in your sixties:

1. Check your diet: For healthy eyes, you should take care of your diet first. Include foods rich in vitamins A and C, such as green leafy vegetables and fish in your diet. Omega-3 fatty acids are also necessary for good vision as they improve the health of Macula, which is responsible for central vision. Alcohol and unsaturated fats are harmful for the macula. High-fat levels in the body obstruct proper flow of blood through arteries. Thus, eyes also suffer due to low oxygen supply.

2. Quit smoking at the earliest: Smoking poses great threat to your eyes. It increases the level of oxidative stress. This is harmful for the eyes.

3. Exercise: Regular exercise improves the blood circulation in our body. Thus, sufficient blood reaches the eyes which further aids sufficient supply of oxygen.

4. Use sunglasses: Protect your eyes from ultraviolet rays. Wear sunglasses when you are travelling outdoors as UV rays are extremely y harmful for the eyes.

5. Don’t overstrain your eyes: Avoid sitting in front of the television and computer for too long. Keep the computer below the eye level. Keep the screen at a distance. Remember to blink frequently and keep the colour format not too bright or saturated.

6. Rinse your eyes: Wash and rinse your eyes regularly with cold water to get rid of dust particles.

7. Be alert: In case of any injury related to the eye, seek immediate medical help. Don’t ignore the injury.

8. Visit your doctor: It is important to get your eyes checked by a professional at least once in every two years. The doctor should watch and examine your pupil by dilating it. He must assess the fact that whether you are vulnerable to any eye disease or not and take necessary steps.

9. Check your spectacles or lenses: It is important that you keep the spectacles or lenses up to date. Visit your doctor to check the power of your lens. Keep a tab on the changing power.

10. Rubbing your eyes: Avoid rubbing your eyes if any particle gets into it. You should rather splash water to keep it intact.