Visit a LASIK Treatment Doctor in Asheville as Part of Your New Year’s Resolutions

As a LASIK treatment doctor in Asheville, we hope that you enjoy the holidays with your family. As the New Year approaches and you begin to write out your resolutions, we encourage you to think about your health. This can be the year that you get in shape, lower your blood pressure, and even improve your eyesight.  How well you see directly impacts your quality of life and enjoyment of it. We can make sure that you can see the leaves blowing through the trees, the petals on your favorite flowers, the smile on a friend’s face, and the action on your favorite television shows. We can empower you to see the world around you in a whole new light.

Why You Should Visit a LASIK Treatment Doctor in Asheville

Improving your vision should be a priority because it will make your life more enjoyable. It is the simple things like being able to see your daughter walking towards you in the airport or recognizing your friends in the mall. Your vision makes it possible to see the best play of the game on Sunday afternoon or to notice the beauty of a flower blooming in the garden. When your vision is blurry, these simple things are harder to notice. Fortunately, you do not have to miss out. You can see as clearly as if you naturally had 20/20 vision, all with the help of LASIK.

Beyond your personal enjoyment, you should consider the value of your time. Putting in contacts, for example, takes time. You have to clean them, soak them, store them, etc. You have to pack them along with the solution to be carried on the plane, bring eye drops if you will be somewhere with strongly forced air, etc. This can be inconvenient. The good news is that you no longer have to deal with these inconveniences when you can have laser eye surgery and solve your eyesight problem for good.

A LASIK Treatment Doctor in Asheville Explains the Process of Correcting Your Vision

When you visit our office, we will examine you, determine how well you can see and what needs to change for you to see clearly. On the day of your appointment, we will have you come in for the procedure. We typically offer patients a light sedative so that they can relax. While the procedure is not painful, lasers will be coming straight at your open eye which can cause some people to feel stress or anxiety. The sedative calms the nerves, making the procedure go by quickly and without incident.

During the procedure, a thin and precise corneal flap is created. It is then pulled back so that the corneal tissue is exposed and can be reshaped. When done by an expert surgeon (we are) the process is extremely fast and effective. You may only be in the operating chair for a few short minutes before the process is over. Once complete, your eyes will feel dry and sensitive for a few days.  Use eye drops and avoid exposure to bright lights and you will be seeing clearly and comfortably in a few days, ready to see the world anew.

Your Quick Guide to LASIK Eye Surgery

LASIK eye surgery is the most popular type of refractive surgery that corrects common vision problems, including nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism, among many others. LASIK eye surgery will quickly and effectively reduce your need to wear glasses or contact lenses.

The Criteria for LASIK Eye Surgery

In order to have LASIK eye surgery, your eyes must be healthy. Eye conditions like dry eye syndrome and pink eye (conjunctivitis) can cause healing to take longer and create a poor response to the surgery. Your eyes should also have a cornea that is not too thin. Since LASIK eye surgery is used to reshape the cornea (the front surface) of your eye, a thin or misshapen cornea can lead to poor results following surgery. Your pupils cannot be too large. Some people have naturally larger pupils. This condition often results in halos, glares, or starbursts following LASIK eye surgery. Finally, in order to have a successful LASIK eye surgery, your prescription must be within a set limit to have the surgery performed. These are the most important guidelines to consider before you visit for LASIK surgery. To learn more about the specifics regarding these criteria, visit our office.

How LASIK Eye Surgery Works

If you are approved to undergo LASIK eye surgery, your likelihood of having amazing results is good. Before your surgery, you will be administered numbing eye drops. These drops will prevent any discomfort. You could also receive a mild sedative to keep you calm and relaxed during the surgery. While in surgery, a small laser or tiny mechanical surgical tool will be used to create a thin flap in the cornea. The flap will gently be folded back to access the underlying layer of the cornea called the stroma. Some of your corneal tissue will be removed with another laser. The laser beam will remove tiny amounts of tissue so your cornea can be reshaped to better focus light on the retina. This process will greatly improve your vision.

Following your surgery, you will need to be driven home. You may experience slight burning or itching, but these side effects will be minor and will dissipate quickly. You may also notice blurry vision or haziness right after your surgery, but this is a normal part of the healing process. Within a few days or a few weeks, your healing should be complete. A day or two after the surgery, you will visit again so we can test your eyesight and approve you for returning to work or driving. Typically, your results will be significantly improved eyesight, and you may even achieve 20/20 vision, if not better. Depending on your eyesight before the surgery, results will vary.

For most patients, LASIK eye surgery has exceptionally high success rates. If you are experiencing poor eyesight that is age related, you should consider visiting to learn more. We can help you better understand what to expect from your surgery and how it can improve your life.

When You Should Visit a Cataract Doctor in Asheville

If you have been told you have cataracts or fear they may be developing, it may be time to visit a cataract doctor in Asheville for an expert opinion. If cataracts are not removed, they can gradually grow into a larger size that significantly affects your vision. Cataracts come in many forms, from small and unnoticeable to large and invasive. To learn more about when to have a cataract removed by a cataract doctor in Asheville read below for this vital information. 

Since cataracts typically start out small, your cataract may not need to be removed immediately. Some doctors prefer to wait until a cataract becomes more of an interference before removal is recommended. Cataract surgery is one of the most commonly performed procedures in the United States, so it is relatively safe. In spite of this, it is still considered a serious surgery, and some prefer to wait before performing surgery as it is often unnecessary until later and sometimes not necessary at all. Until cataracts interfere with your vision due to cloudiness, you can wait to have it removed by a cataract doctor in Asheville, but you should continue to have it monitored for growth regularly. 

When it's time to have your cataract removed, visit a cataract doctor in Asheville for the most experience and wisdom. We will provide you with the information, service, and expertise you need to have a cataract successfully extracted and to have your vision reinstated significantly. 

During the procedure by a cataract doctor in Asheville, a tiny incision will be created in the front surface of your eye. We will cut a small hole in the thin membrane that encloses your eye’s natural lens. The lens will be broken into tinier pieces with a laser or ultrasonic tool so it will be more safely and easily removed from your eye. The lens will be replaced by an intraocular lens, which is a thin, clear implant lens. In most cases, your vision will be completely restored, and you will have a short healing process. You may not even need reading glasses afterward. No stitches will be needed. You will need to visit again a few weeks after the surgery so we can monitor how your eye has healed.

Only in rare cases do patients experience side effects like bleeding, discomfort, or vision impairment. However, if you do experience complications, a cataract doctor in Asheville can treat you with medications or a follow-up procedure that will cure any issues. Complications should not be a serious concern, as they are so rare. 

As you develop more questions concerning cataracts, contact our office to learn more. We provide you with all the information you need from a licensed cataract doctor in Asheville. When you visit our office to have cataracts examined or removed, know you will be in the best hands possible for this procedure, and you can look forward to perfected, long-lived, and healthy vision. If you have not recently had your eyes examined, do not forget to also schedule an appointment for an annual exam.

How to Know if You Need Emergency Eye Care

As an eye doctor clinic, we have vast experience in dealing with any emergency eye care needs. If you think you are experiencing symptoms that may indicate you need eye care, visit our office immediately. Many people are unsure of how to tell when an eye problem needs serious attention, but the best way to stay ahead of the need for emergency eye care is by visiting your eye doctor regularly. In some cases, however, there may be obvious indications that emergency eye care is needed.

You should have your eyes examined by a professional regularly; we suggest patients visit every one to three years. However, the American Optometric Association recommends that adults over age 61 should visit an eye doctor annually, regardless of whether or not they currently wear lenses or have other risk factors. The purpose of these examinations is to detect any changes to your vision and discover any potential eye conditions that could be currently developing. Early detection is key to limiting the effects of an eye disease or condition that may worsen gradually. 

In some cases, even with proper annual eye examinations, eye emergencies can occur. Some indications that you need emergency eye care may present themselves with these symptoms:

• Sudden blurred or double vision
• Distorted vision
• Black spotting in vision or dark spots in the center of vision
• Flashes of light that are not actually occurring
• Halos around light
• Sudden disappearance of vision in one or both eyes or curtain-like vision loss
• Loss of peripheral vision
• Eye injury or pain
• Redness or discharge around one or both eyes

These symptoms often indicate a bigger problem is at hand. Some issues that could occur with the symptoms listed above are:

• Retina detachment from the underlying layer of blood vessels
• Glaucoma and/or permanent damage to the eye's optic nerve
• Macular holes or degeneration

If these eye conditions are not treated immediately with emergency eye care, you could face permanent vision loss. The symptoms listed above could also be indicators of bigger health issues like stroke or heart disease. It is imperative to your health that you seek out emergency eye care immediately if you are experiencing any of the stated indicators or other abnormal vision problems. 

Some symptoms that indicate you need to have your vision checked for changes that may not necessarily be emergencies include:

• Problems focusing on close or distant objects
• Difficulty adjusting to changes in light
• Headaches or squinting related to light or eyesight
• Excessive itching or watering eyes
• Eye strain

These are typically just signs you may need to wear corrective lenses, and they are common with age.

Don’t put your eye health on the back burner, because it can affect all aspects of your life, and the lack of treatment could lead to permanent eye damage or blindness. If you have more questions regarding how to know if you need emergency eye care, don’t hesitate to call or visit our office for more information.

Who Is the Best Candidate for LASIK Eye Surgery?

As a provider of LASIK eye surgery, we love what we do. We give our patients the ability to see the world clearly. Whether this is through surgery, glasses, or contacts, we make it possible for people to have the clear vision necessary to enjoy their life. While glasses and contacts are effective, many of our patients want a permanent solution. This is where LASIK comes in. If you are in a stage of life where you are looking for convenience, we can give it to you. To find out whether or not you qualify for the procedure or to learn more about it, call and schedule an examination. In general, the best candidates for LASIK include:

People whose vision has not changed in a year.

This is an important criterion because if your vision is still changing, you do not want to have this surgery. Otherwise, your vision could improve today but worsen in several months, a year, or more. In this case, you would have to start wearing contacts or glasses again, making the surgery irrelevant.
Over the age of eighteen.

LASIK eye surgery is not designed for children. Even if your teenagers want the procedure, they should wait until they have graduated from high school and are heading off to college.
People with healthy retinas.

If your retinas are not healthy or there is not enough thickness in your corneas, the procedure could damage your eyes or cause potential complications.
LASIK eye surgery is not designed for people who:

Are pregnant or nursing.

The hormones released during pregnancy and while nursing can directly impact your eyes and your vision. In fact, many women report that their vision becomes worse during these times. To avoid needing to repeat the procedure or going straight back to glasses, wait until you are done having children or at least done nursing your child.

Have severely dry eyes.

After LASIK, the eyes become dry, and drops are required to keep them moist at all times so the eyes can heal. People with dry eyes find that the recovery is incredibly uncomfortable, even though the actual procedure is not. Those with dry eyes may even have difficulty opening their eyes afterward. Fortunately, there are prescriptions available that can reverse the effects of dry eyes, and once you no longer suffer from this condition, LASIK can become a possibility.

Have uncontrolled diabetes.

If you are a diabetic who has been unable to control your blood sugar with diet and medication, it is not the right time to have a procedure like this. Diabetic episodes can inhibit your white blood cells, making it difficult or impossible for them to do their job. This makes recovery from any surgery difficult. With that in mind, you need to wait until your diabetes is under control prior to scheduling this surgery.

To find out if LASIK eye surgery is right for you, call and schedule an eye exam, and be sure to discuss the conditions referenced above if you suffer from them.

Look Like a Celebrity With Eye Glasses in Asheville

We can find the perfect pair of eye glasses in Asheville so you look and feel your best. Let’s face it – glasses used to have a stereotype associated with them, often considered nerdy, but those days are long gone. Celebrities and trendsetters alike have been both wearing and designing glasses. Not only are glasses becoming socially acceptable, but people are even wearing them simply to look cool. This is partially due to the improvements in eye glass design by high-end fashion designers like Prada as well as celebrities releasing their own lines.
A few recent celebrity designers include:

• Jennifer Lopez. Her designs are stylish and chic. They are also comfortable and affordable. You can have a set of glasses that look glamorous and improve your appearance. If you have been wearing your old pair for several years, you should definitely consider upgrading to one of JLo’s designs.
• will.i.am. A brilliant artist and producer, will.i.am has gotten into product design and has released a brand of eye glasses. Optics is harder to come by because it is a high-end line made in Italy. It is, however, at the height of cool, and we can help you to find a pair if you are interested. Otherwise, we can show you eye glasses in Asheville that look similar.
• Jessica Simpson. You can find Simpson-designed clothing, shoes, and now eyeglasses. She has continued to set fashion trends, and her designs are affordable. Now you can wear Simpson-inspired designs from head to toe.

Celebrities are not only designing glasses, they are also getting in on the action and setting the trend to make glasses cool again. You may be surprised by who is wearing them. These stars have recently been spotted sporting a new pair of glasses:

• Jennifer Aniston. With a large pair of plastic, tortoiseshell glasses, Anniston always looks. If you have a round or angular face, you may want to follow in her footsteps and look for a pair of glasses that has rectangular frames with soft, round edges.
• Zoe Saldana. She has been spotted wearing a chic pair of cat eye glasses. This style has always been sophisticated cool and was a staple in the 1950s. Cat eye glasses work well for most face types, so head to our office to try on a pair for yourself.
• Jordana Brewster. Jordana has an oval face and wears a classic pair of rectangular frames. We have several styles that look similar, and if your face is long or oval, they should work well for you.
• Emmy Rossum. She has been wearing two-tone frames that have a dark shade on top and fade clear. These glasses look great on most people because they are so versatile. You can select the shade you want on top and whether they are made of plastic or wire-framed. The key is that they blend in more seamlessly since they fade to clear.

Famous men are now wearing glasses as well, including Brad Pitt, Justin Timberlake, Steve Carrell, Donald Glover, Dylan O’Brien, Joe Jonas, and Matt Bomer – all of whom people say actually look better with glasses than without.
If you are ready to try the celebrity glasses trend, visit our office for eye glasses in Asheville. We can help you to find the right style and shape to complement your face and enhance your appearance as well as your vision.

A Cataract Treatment in Asheville is Available in Our Office

If you are in need of a cataract treatment in Asheville to better your vision, we can help. The role of the clear lens in your eye is to focus light to the back of the eye where you perceive images. From here, nerves will transmit them to your brain. Cataracts are an eye condition in which cloudlike structures form and obscure the light that comes into the eye.

This condition can cause vision problems like blurriness or generally poor vision. Some people with cataracts also experience faded colors, light glare, double vision, and trouble seeing at night. In most cases, cataracts form at an older age. Over 50% of those 80 and older currently have cataracts or have had cataract surgery. Cataract development normally begins in the 40s and 50s but progresses to a worse degree by age 60. If you have cataracts, you are most likely also at risk for other dangerous and age-related eye diseases like macular degeneration or glaucoma. If you have previously or recently been diagnosed with cataracts, we can provide you with a quality cataract treatment in Asheville that will correct your vision and protect you from other issues.  

If you feel like you are experiencing some of the symptoms above, but you have not been diagnosed with cataracts, we can help. Visit our office so we can perform an eye chart test, vision strength test, dilated eye examination, and test for other common eye problems to determine whether or not you may have cataracts. If you do, we can give you the cataract treatment in Asheville that you need.

If you are wary about having a surgical cataract treatment in Asheville, we can help less severe cases with eyeglasses. You can also use magnifying glasses at home to better your vision. These are not forms of treatment, just ways to improve your vision short term. You should visit us for a cataract treatment in Asheville before your cataracts grow more obstructive and impair your vision to a dangerous degree. You could eventually even become legally blind if you do not have this problem treated.

We offer a less-invasive cataract treatment in Asheville during which we remove the cloudy lens and replace it with a synthetic lens. Most of the time, cataract treatment in Asheville only takes an hour or less. Within a few days following the treatment, you will notice an improvement in your vision, and it will progress for the next few weeks. Cataract treatments now have a success rate of 98% or higher in most patients according to the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery. The ASCRS estimates 3 million Americans undergo the procedure every year.

If you are tired of having blurred, poor vision, visit our office for cataract treatment in Asheville. We can help you regain the clear vision you once had in little time. To learn more about your treatment options, visit us for an appointment. We will cover all you need to know about how to prepare for your treatment and how your recovery will look.