Cataract Denial Over!

Scott Buck, M.D.

“I was in denial for so long that I actually had cataracts.  I was only 49 years old.  I thought that cataracts only happened to people older than me.  My parents hadn’t even had cataract surgery yet!!!! I couldn’t believe it when Dr. Buck said it was time to take them out.  I foolishly fought it for a few months then I just couldn’t take it anymore.  I felt like I was constantly living in a fog. I scheduled surgery and reluctantly had the procedure.  I am so mad at myself for being so stubborn.  It was so amazing to actually see what I had been missing.  Colors were brighter and everything was so clear.  Dr. Buck and his staff were wonderful and I would recommend them to anyone!”

If you or some you know is experiencing cataract symptoms such as cloudy foggy vision, glare or difficult night driving and would like to learn more about cataract surgery & lens implants please call at 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.

Things to Know About Cataracts

Cataracts are an extremely common cause of vision loss-especially as we grow older. In the U.S. some 25 million people have cataracts which can often cause cloudy, blurry vision, dimming of vision, faded or dulling of colors, glare and difficulty with night vision or in dim lighting. These symptoms may indicate the presence of cataracts, which affect about 70 percent of people by age 75. The good news for people with cataracts is that they are corrected with cataract surgery and lens implants and restore excellent vision and a better lifestyle. Things you should know about cataracts include:

Age Isn’t the Only Risk Factor for Cataracts. Pretty much everyone will develop cataracts with age, many studies demonstrate that lifestyle and behavior can influence when and how severely you develop cataracts. Diabetes, extensive exposure to sunlight, smoking, obesity, high blood pressure and certain ethnicities have all been linked to increased risk of cataracts. Eye injuries, prior eye surgery and long-term use of steroid medication can also result in cataracts.

Cataracts Cannot Be Prevented, But You Can Lower Your Risk. Always wear UV blocking sunglasses and hats with brims when out in sunlight. Eating more Vitamin C-rich foods may delay how fast cataracts form. Absolutely, avoid smoking cigarettes, which have been shown to increase the risk of cataract development.

Cataract Surgery Helps Improve More Than Your Vision. During cataract surgery, we replace the natural clouded lens with a permanent artificial lens implant or called an intraocular lens, or IOL, which should improve your vision significantly and allow us to correct nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism that you may have had before your procedure. In addition, we can help you choose a lens implant that also provides you a range of clear vision for arm’s length and near tasks such as for reading or using the computer. Besides the vision benefits, cataract surgery has been shown to improve your overall quality of life and reduce the risk of falling by providing more comfortable and safer mobility. 

If you or some you know is experiencing cataract symptoms such as cloudy foggy vision, glare or difficult night driving and would like to learn more about cataract surgery & lens implants please schedule an appointment at 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.

Dry Eye after Cataract Surgery

We perform cataract surgery and lens implantation for more and more patients each year as cataracts continue to be a leading cause of decreased vision, especially in seniors. Also very common in the same age group of patients is dry eye which can be caused by ocular surface disease, eyelid problems such as meibomian gland disease and blepharitis, taking certain medications and many other systemic problems. When cataracts interfere with convenience and safety of your daily activities, cataract surgery can significantly improve your vision and comfort. We expect, and it is normal, for cataract surgery patients to sometimes complain of postoperative dry eye symptoms such as dry, foreign body sensation and short term blurriness if their tears are inadequate. From our experience, often patients may blame the surgery  for the apparently “new” development of dry eye symptoms and generally do not realize that their problem stems from ocular surface disease or other causes rather than the surgical procedure. Patients who actually do experience dry eye symptoms after cataract surgery should be reassured that it diminishes over time and we will help you be comfortable with both prescription and nonprescription eye drops as well as other treatment options if they are necessary.

If you or someone you know is experiencing cataract symptoms such as cloudy foggy vision, glare or difficult night driving and would like to learn more about cataract surgery & lens implants schedule an appointment at 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. 

Dentists Can Have LASIK Too!

“As a Dentist I rely on my vision to do my job.  I have worn glasses and contacts since I was a kid.  I never gave Lasik much thought.  I thought it wouldn’t work for me due to the line of work I’m in.  I wear magnifying glasses while I work over my contacts and this has worked for some time now.  Over the past six months or so the contacts have been bothering me and aren’t as comfortable as they used to be.  One of the dental hygienists that works for me told me about Dr. Buck and I made an appointment.  After the preliminary testing, Dr. Buck said I would be a great candidate.  I was so excited at the thought of not wearing glasses or contacts I scheduled the surgery right then and there.  Here I am six months out of having Lasik and I am so happy.  I wish I hadn’t waited so long!”

If you or some you know is tired of the hassle of glasses or contact lenses for seeing at distance and would like to find out if LASIK might be a good vision correction option, 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.

Improvement in Glaucoma Blindness Rate

Glaucoma affects more than 2.7 million people in the United States and over 60 million globally. Although the disease is a leading cause of blindness worldwide, the probability of going blind from glaucoma has been significantly reduced due to advances in diagnosis and treatment. In office use of optical coherence tomography (OCT) to study and measure the nerve fiber layer of the retina and optic nerve as well lasers and implantable microscopic devices to change the risk of blindness from glaucoma. Researchers from Mayo Clinic College of Medicine studied the change in the rate of blindness from glaucoma over 2 consecutive 20 year periods and found that the rate of blindness was decreased by half but still remained unacceptably high! The best ways to avoid vision loss from glaucoma are to know your risk factors-such as family history, African and Hispanic descent, smoking, diabetes and sleep apnea, and be sure to schedule regular eye exams with glaucoma testing within timeframes recommended by your eye doctor.

If you or someone you now is concerned about their risk of glaucoma, schedule an eye exam at 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

Aging, Cognitive Decline, Vision & Hearing

Many people seem to think that getting older and normal aging results in an almost certain loss of cognitive abilities and nothing can be done to slow or halt this decline. Research doesn’t actually support this thinking, especially with regard to maintaining good vision and hearing. Researchers  studied a group of people 50+ years of age from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) and the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) and found that there is a clear pattern whereby seniors who work to avoid sensory impairment-particularly vision and hearing-do not experience the same magnitude or speed of cognitive decline as those who have a single sensory impairment and more so a dual sensory impairment. The message is quite simple-seniors and those at risk for age related memory loss and cognitive decline need to be sure to maintain their eye health and vision and hearing.

If you or someone you know-especially those in the senior age group-has not had a thorough eye health and vision exam, please schedule an appointment at 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.

Help for Keratoconus with Corneal Cross Linking

Keratoconus is a disease of the cornea in which the normally round dome like shape undergoes thinning and begins to bulge. This results in light entering the eye being irregularly focused and blurring of vision. Early on, the vision changes from keratoconus can be managed with eyeglasses and even later with contact lenses. However, keratoconus is progressive and many sufferers require cornea transplant surgery. The use of a new treatment option called Corneal Cross Linking appears to be successful in the treatment of keratoconus and stabilizes the shape of the cornea either significantly or completely halting the disease progression. 

If you or someone you know suffers from keratoconus and would like to know more about corneal cross linking, schedule an eye exam at 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.