Do You Have Astigmatism?

Some people are affected not only by nearsightedness or farsightedness but also may have vision problems due to an additional refractive error called astigmatism. Astigmatism is sometimes best described as the cornea shaped like a football instead of a baseball. Because of this irregularity, the light rays cannot focus on one point to allow clear and crisp vision. Therefore a person with astigmatism can have blurred vision.

Cataracts tend to cause cloudy vision, dull colors and difficulty seeing at night. If a patient has 1.0 diopter or more of astigmatism and cataracts, it is likely they qualify for the AcrySof® Toric intraocular lens or IOL. In addition to correcting the astigmatism, the AcrySof® Toric IOL will significantly improve distance vision. A traditional monofocal IOL will not correct the astigmatism; it only restores distance vision while removing the cataract. Without an AcrySof® Toric IOL, a person with astigmatism will not regain high quality vision unless glasses are prescribed.

Click here to learn about the AcrySof® Toric IOL. Dr. Meyer, Dr. Greene and Dr. Jaggers perform cataract surgery using the AcrySof® Toric IOL. If you have any questions or would like to come in for a cataract evaluation, please call 502.589.1500.

What is Bell’s Palsy?

Bell’s palsy is a nerve disorder that causes paralysis on one side of the face. This paralysis is usually temporary and may last from a few weeks to a few months. During this time, eye lubrication is usually inadequate as the eyelid does not close all the way. This may cause eye irritation and, in some cases, infection. It is important to see your eye doctor as soon as possible when you have this condition.

The doctor will decide which course of treatment is best for you. He may suggest using lubricating eye drops or ointment to help keep the eye as moist as possible. Your eye doctor may also have you wear glasses during the day and a patch at night to help with the moisture loss. In severe cases, the eyelids may need to be partially closed by a surgical procedure known as a temporary tarsorrhaphy. If the eye becomes too dry for too long, damage to the cornea may occur leading to partial or complete blindness in the affected eye.

Most people with Bell’s palsy make a full recovery.

Please visit our website at www.eyecareinstitute.com.

LASIK, Cataract Surgery, Glaucoma Care and More

Have you seen our website recently? We launched a new version of our website using the latest “AJAX” model web design. Vertically, across the home page, you will see links to the six most frequent services we offer to our patients.

Then, within each service subject, such as Cataract, or Family Eye Care, you will see a bright green Learn More button. Once you click on that button, a whole page of information cascades open on your computer screen. As each of the screens open, depending on the treatment, condition, surgery or service, the information links on the right side of that larger screen may change. This way, we offer dozens of pages of information about eye health.

We hope you find our website resources, in conjunction with our newsletters, to be a wonderful resource to keep your eyes, and all of your body, healthy. We work hard to provide you with the latest in comprehensive eye care and eye health information.