What is Dry Eye Syndrome?

The human eye is meant to be moist. Many people never have a problem keeping their eyes moisturized. But people with dry eye syndrome fight a constant war against dryness. Their eyes feel irritated and scratchy, especially when they find themselves near wind or smoke. Allergy medications and dehydration can contribute to the problem. Contact lenses and LASIK are also known to make dry eyes worse.

While some environmental factors can worsen the effects of dry eye syndrome, the root cause is usually insufficient tear production. Other cases are caused by irregularities in the eye that cause tears to be whisked away before they can be put to good use.

Dry Eye Diagnosis

Your eye surgeon or ophthalmologist will be able to diagnose dry eye syndrome if it’s present. The diagnosis itself isn’t very sophisticated; most people who feel like they have persistently dry eyes really do have them. To make a more firm diagnosis, your doctor might use a tear test to measure your tear production over time.

Dry Eye Treatment

When dry eye syndrome is diagnosed, doctors typically begin treatment by recommending eye drops. These can be mild “artificial tears” drops, or more potent prescription-strength drops that stimulate tear production and reduce swelling that might be interfering with the eye’s ability to moisturize itself.

For more serious cases of dry eye syndrome, punctual plugs can be inserted into the drain openings of the patient’s lower eyelids. This creates a vacuum whenever the patient blinks, drawing tears into the eye. Some punctual plugs are permanent, while others dissolve after a period of time. For the very worst cases of dry eyes, surgery might be required to seal the drainage channels permanently.

There’s no doubt that dry eye syndrome is an annoying condition. But it’s seldom very dangerous, and lots of treatment options are available. Ask your doctor to recommend a good regimen for you.
 

Preparing for the Surgery

 
First you will be asked to lie down on an exam chair. A technician will place numbing drops in your eyes and then clean your eyes. This part of the process is pain free and not too uncomfortable.

Next a technician will place a speculum on your eyes to hold your eyelids open. This is one of the aspects of LASIK that tends to frighten people, but rest assured, the numbing drops ensure that your eyes will not dry out while the speculum is in place. You will not feel the overwhelming need to blink that you normally feel.

During Surgery

 
The LASIK procedure does not usually take more than 30 minutes. The procedure begins with the creation of a corneal flap. The flap can be created with a microkeratome or with an Intralase laser, with either method you can expect to feel pressure and your vision will dim. Your vision will likely be blurry for the rest of the procedure.

After the flap is created and lifted, your LASIK surgeon will position the laser over your eye and ask you to keep your eyes focused on the light. The light is not actually the laser itself, it just helps keep your eyes fixed. When your surgeon starts the laser treatment you will see, hear, and smell several things. The laser ticks during treatment, and as it shapes the cornea you may start to smell burning tissue.

The laser is programmed to shape a precise amount of tissue on your cornea, and there is not much you can do to negatively affect results. Many patients fear that they will be unable to focus on a fixed object long enough during treatment, but advanced laser technology allows the laser to compensate for small movements of the eye, so there is nothing to be too concerned with.

After Surgery

 
Immediately after surgery a shield will be placed over your eyes to protect them from outside elements. Your eyes may burn or itch and you may feel the need to rub them. It is important that you leave your eyes alone; if you rub them you may dislodge the corneal flap. After the procedure you should go home and rest immediately.
 

For people with normal vision, light rays enter the eye and are bent by the cornea and lens. This allows the light to focus directly on the retina and provide a clear image. In the myopic eye, the focusing power of the cornea and the lens is overcompensated with respect to the length of the eye. This causes the light rays to bend too much. They end up crossing in front of the retina instead. This triggers a problem known as a refractive error, and in turn, this creates the blurry image.

There is some debate as to where myopia comes from. The two main thoughts are that it is either hereditary or acquired during the course of one’s life. Although there is no conclusive proof to substantiate or disprove either theory, it is true that myopia is most commonly developed in childhood and usually plateaus as the individual ages.

Other than blurry or fuzzy vision, the most common symptoms of myopia are headaches, eyestrain, squinting or eye fatigue. Symptoms are most often triggered when the individual is driving, playing sports or looking at objects more than a few feet away. Any eye doctor using a standard eye exam can easily diagnose myopia.

Depending on the severity of the condition, nearsightedness has many potential treatments. The most common remedies involve wearing prescription glasses or contact lens. These usually have a “negative” number, such as -2.00, and while not a permanent solution, they do not require any form of surgery.

There are, however, multiple laser based procedures that are worth considering. The most commonly known process is called LASIK or custom LASIK eye surgery. New Jersey LASIK surgery surgery specialist Dr. Richard Norden uses the procedure to remove tissue from the cornea, thereby improving an individual’s vision for both near and far objects. Another is called photorefractive keratectomy (usually referred to as PRK), where the laser is used to flatten the cornea and correct the refractive distance. A third treatment uses corneal rings, called Intacs. These are implanted into the eye to alter the shape of the cornea. Any of these procedures can reduce or even eliminate dependence on glasses or contact lenses, partially or completely curing the myopia.

Other specialized and less common procedures do exist. The best course of action for any individual suffering from nearsightedness is to consult with an eye care professional. An eye doctor will help to determine which form of treatment is best for you. With the rapid advancement of technology, many of the risks involved in these procedures are minimal, and new procedures are frequently developed.

New Jersey LASIK surgeon Dr. Richard Norden determines LASIK candidacy.

All patients are required to undergo a pre-operative LASIK screening before surgery. The LASIK surgeon will evaluate your overall medical history, as well as the condition of your eyes. LASIK is generally not appropriate for individuals with large pupils or thin corneas. Patients with eye conditions that hinder the recovery process may be disqualified from LASIK at our Bergen County practice. The surgery is generally not suitable for patients with glaucoma, ocular herpes, cataracts and Keratonocus.

Instances of refractive instability may facilitate the need to postpone LASIK surgery. Refractive instability is common among women who are breastfeeding or pregnant, people with Diabetes or individuals under age 18 years old. In fact, you must be at least 18 to qualify for LASIK. If you have experienced vision changes within the past year, discuss LASIK alternatives with your doctor until vision has stabilized.

The doctor will make an assessment on any health condition that may compromise your ability to heal after LASIK surgery. Patients with Diabetes, Rheumatoid Arthritis, HIV and Lupus may pose additional risks during post-operative recovery. Remember to discuss all medications with your doctor, as a number of them can affect the immune system, as well as vision stability.

A healthy individual with realistic expectations about the surgical outcome is an ideal candidate for LASIK. While LASIK has an impressive success rate (90 percent for 20/40 vision or better, according to the Quality Standards Advisory Committee), results are not guaranteed and may not last.

If for some reason your doctor determines you are not a traditional LASIK or custom LASIK candidate, you will be pleased to know that there are many other laser and surgical procedures to investigate. Your eye care physician will no doubt be able to recommend an alternative. If you are not satisfied with this diagnosis, however, it is your absolute your right to seek a second opinion and thereby validate your official LASIK candidacy.

With a little research, most individuals are able to find some very cost effective financing solutions. These may offer the means to pay for this type of procedure through a scheduled payment plan, typically ranging from $50-$450 a month, depending on the person’s financial history and the selected plan.

The most convenient and easiest form of financing is often with your physician. Some offices offer such assistance for LASIK and custom LASIK, so it pays to enquire. In some cases, the office might offer a payment plan that allows you to pay your bill over a few months, rather than all at once. The main advantage of this is that there is usually no credit check or any applications to fill out, and you are dealing directly with you eye care professional, not a third party.

Many physicians also offer traditional financing options through a credit provider. These usually require no money down, are interest free for up to 24 months and offer low monthly payments. Qualifying for these financing terms does require filling out an application form, and you should also have a decent credit history. The process is fairly easy and you can be approved within minutes.

If you do apply of any type of credit financing, it is always recommended that pay more than the monthly minimum to avoid interest payments and to pay it off in the shortest amount of time possible. Credit financing, however, does not need to be provided through your physician. Other sources can be obtained easily through the Internet or directly with the provider.

You may also decide to take out a loan from the bank. This process takes a little more time, requires you to deal directly with a financial institution, and you will likely begin paying interest on the money you borrow immediately. You may also find other solutions through companies that specialize in financing health related issues. Contact our Bergen County LASIK practice for more information.

Monovision LASIK is a patented, specified technology that exclusively treats presbyopia. Using LASIK, New Jersey monovision specialist Dr. Richard Norden corrects one eye for distance and one eye for near, creating a balanced field of vision. Individuals who wear contacts or who have already experienced refractive surgery are the only ones who can utilize monovision LASIK. The process grants freedom and confidence to the presbyopia sufferer, allowing them to experience clear vision without complicated prescriptions finally.

Monovision LASIK works by first identifying the dominant eye. For most presbyopia patients, the dominant eye is the one that is used for distance. To determine which eye this represents, patients hold a thumb in front of both eyes while blocking an object. Both eyes remain open, and once the object is blocked, one eye is then closed. The eye that cannot see the object is the dominant eye, and will be treated as such in the monovision LASIK procedure.

If you are over 40 and require bifocals or corrective lenses, contact your eye care professional for a monovision LASIK consultation. You may be able to effectively treat your presbyopia and unlock the keys to better permanently improved vision.