Why Do Children Need Glasses?

Why Do Children Need Glasses?
Kids can need glasses to correct common refractive errors that can blur their vision-like nearsightedness or myopia, farsightedness or hyperopia or astigmatism, or they need glasses to help correct an eye muscle imbalance, or strabismus such as “crossed eyes’ or esotropia or provide help with a vision development problem such as “lazy eye” or amblyopia. The reasons children can need to wear glasses really depends on the nature of their vision development and eye coordination and focusing ability. The reasons can be somewhat different than for adults in certain cases. Depending on the problem they may have to wear the glasses through their developmental years and could “outgrow” the need in certain development instances.

If you or someone you know would like to learn more about why kids need glasses or need to schedule a children’s eye exam please call us at 219-464-8223, or visit Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center, Google+ or facebook.com/nwindianaeyeandlaser.

Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center offices are located at 502 Marquette Street, Valparaiso, Indiana 46383 and 1001 South Edgewood Drive, Knox, Indiana 46354.

My Cataract Surgery Story

“Let me start off by saying I do not like going to doctors and will do anything to avoid them. While I take great care of myself i have neglected to see an eye doctor because i wasn’t having any problems until I started noticing things were getting fuzzy and i was having problems driving at night. I made an appointment with Dr. Buck and he not only diagnosed me with cataracts but i have glaucoma as well. I was in complete shock and was terrified! Dr. Buck assured me that by having the cataract surgery it would clear things up for me and that I would now be putting glaucoma drops in my eyes on a daily basis. I was not happy about doing drops everyday but I have to save my vision. The procedure itself was very quick and the ladies at Dr. Buck’s office and the surgery center were very attentive and kind. I appreciate Dr. Buck’s honesty and I won’t be avoiding the eye doctor anymore.”

If you or someone you know suffers from cloudy, blurry vision with night vision problems or fading of colors you should be checked for cataracts and learn more about cataract surgery and lens implants. Please call Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center at 219-464-8223, or visit Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center, Google+ or facebook.com/nwindianaeyeandlaser to schedule an appointment.

Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center offices are located at 502 Marquette Street, Valparaiso, Indiana 46383 and 1001 South Edgewood Drive, Knox, Indiana 46354.

Slowing Nearsighted Progression

About Nearsighted or Myopic Progression
Myopia is a common disorder, affecting approximately one-third of the U.S. population. High myopia is associated with an increased risk of sight-threatening problems, such as retinal detachment, choroidal degeneration, cataracts, and glaucoma. Slowing the progression of myopia could potentially benefit millions of children in the U.S. To date, few clinical approaches for myopia control and slowing myopic progression have proven to be consistently effective. Treatment options such as undercorrection of myopia, gas permeable contact lenses, and bifocal or multifocal spectacles have all been proven to be ineffective for myopia control, although one recent clinical trial using executive top bifocal spectacles on children with progressive myopia has shown to decrease the progression to nearly half of the control subjects. The most effective methods are the use of orthokeratology contact lenses, soft bifocal contact lenses, and certain eye drops not specifically approved for this use. We encourage parents children experiencing rapid myopic progression to discuss which if any of these options might be helpful or appropriate for their children.

If you or someone you know has a question about myopic progression or the ways to slow nearsighted prescription increases, feel free to discuss your concerns with us and please call Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser center at 219-464-8223, or visit Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center, Google+ or facebook.com/nwindianaeyeandlaser.

Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center offices are located at 502 Marquette Street, Valparaiso, Indiana 46383 and 1001 South Edgewood Drive, Knox, Indiana 46354.

Cataract Surgery Patient Satisfaction

Patient Satisfaction after Cataract Surgery
The benefits of cataract surgery in restoring poor vision as well as quality of life are very obvious. As cataract surgeons we are also very pleased to report that cataract surgery has an extremely high level of overall patient satisfaction-in our practice as well as in national surveys collected by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) Institute for Quality Improvement. By 2030, 38 million Americans will suffer from cataracts, a number that will increase to 50 million by 2050, according to the National Eye Institute of the National Institutes of Health. According to the study, from the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) Institute for Quality Improvement, 99.7% of patients would recommend the procedure to friends or relatives suffering from cataracts. 96% of patients reported that their vision was better post-surgery, and 98 percent said they were comfortable during the procedure and right after their surgery. What’s more, 96% returned to normal activities of daily living within one week of their cataract surgery procedure. This is very typical of what we see at Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center and the data clearly shows that patients find value in cataract surgery and are generally very pleased with the outcomes of the procedure,” said Scott Buck, M.D.

If you or someone you know suspects or has been told they have a cataract and would like to learn more about cataract surgery and lens implants, please call Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser center at 219-464-8223, or visit Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center, Google+ or facebook.com/nwindianaeyeandlaser.

Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center offices are located at 502 Marquette Street, Valparaiso, Indiana 46383 and 1001 South Edgewood Drive, Knox, Indiana 46354.

Kid’s Sunglasses Help Avoid Solar Retinopathy

About Solar Retinopathy

Solar retinopathy is a condition where the retina becomes damaged as a result of bright light from the sun. The retina is made up of layers of light sensing cells that make vision possible. When they're over stimulated by sunlight, they release a flood of communication chemicals that can damage the retina. This damage is often painless, so people don't realize what they're doing to their vision. Solar retinopathy has been reported to occur from staring at the sun, regardless of its phase. Sometimes people high on drugs have stared at the sun for long periods of time causing serious damage as well adherents of sun worshipping religious sects are also victims. BUT, children too can stare at the sun and painlessly lose their vision from solar retinopathy!

Sunglasses for Children Not Simply About Fashion
Making sure children wear UV protective sunglasses is important to help kid’s protect their eye health and vision as sun damage to the retina, called “solar retinopathy” does affect BOTH children and adults according to researchers reporting in the Journal of the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus.

If you or someone you know has children and would like to learn more about sunglasses for kids please call Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center at 219-464-8223, or visit Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center, Google+ or facebook.com/nwindianaeyeandlaser.

Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center offices are located at 502 Marquette Street, Valparaiso, Indiana 46383 and 1001 South Edgewood Drive, Knox, Indiana 46354.