Dim Vision

After being outside in bright sunlight, we often experience a brief moment of dim vision when we first come inside. When our eyes have had a few seconds to adjust, the problem corrects itself because our pupils dilate to take in more light, and the pigment in the rods of our eyes regenerates.

Pupils which do not dilate, or which contract when they should not, can cause persistent or sudden and inappropriate dim vision. Pupil dilation and contraction problems can be caused by glaucoma, inflammation of the optic nerve, certain medications, recreational drugs, toxins, Horner's syndrome, and certain diseases, such as syphilis.

Rods are the photoreceptors used to see in dim light. Certain conditions of the eye, such as retinitis pigmentosa and macular degeneration cause degeneration of the rods and therefore cause dim vision and difficulty seeing in low light. Vitamin A deficiency can also cause degeneration of the rods.

Clouding of the lens of the eye can prevent enough light from getting in. Cataracts and other conditions of the eye can cloud the lens.

To learn more about vision disorders, click here to visit The LASIK Directory.

Eye Pain

Eye pain is very difficult to ignore, and can be the symptom of something fairly minor such as eye strain, or it can mean that you are experiencing an eye or health emergency.

Cornea problems, including abrasions or scratches, an infected abrasion (called a corneal ulcer), swelling (corneal edema), corneal dystrophies, and erosion of the cornea can cause eye pain. If you suspect that you may have an infected scratch or abrasion of the cornea, you should seek immediate medical attention.

Paralysis of the eye muscle can be extremely painful and may be cause by health problems such as a stroke, thyroid disease, multiple sclerosis, a tumor, and some palsies.

Vascular problems including blood clots, aneurysm, and high blood pressure, often cause eye pain, and sometimes a bulging eye or blurred vision.

When eye pain is accompanied by floaters, light sensitivity, a red or pink eye, or vision loss, you should seek immediate medical attention. Causes can include inflammation inside of the eye (often as a result of trauma or surgery), a tumor, fungal infections such as fungal keratitis or mucormycosis, glaucoma, Graves' ophthalmology, low pressure inside of the eye, inflammation of the optic nerve, and inflammation of the retina.

To learn more about vision disorders, click here to read Vision Disorder articles on The LASIK Directory.

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FDA Approves CustomVue Monovision LASIK

The FDA has recently approved the marketing for the first LASIK device ever designed to treat one eye for long-distance vision and the other for close-up vision.

This CustomVue corrects all nearsightedness in a patient's dominant eye while only correcting part of their nearsightedness in the non-dominant eye. After a while, the patient's brain will adjust to the difference in perpection, and will be able to see both far away and close up. Those considering CustomVue monovision LASIK should try wearing monovision contact lenses for at least a week beforehand to make sure they can tolerate the distorted perception. Patients of this procedure may still need to wear glasses or contact lenses after the procedure for some activities such as night driving or reading small type.

"The approval of the CustomVue Monovision LASIK expands permanent vision correction options for nearsighted adults who also have trouble focusing on objects close-up," said Daniel Schultz, M.D., director of FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health. "Unlike traditional LASIK, Monovision LASIK may reduce the need for reading glasses in some people over 40."

The makers of the CustomVue device will conduct a post-approval study, at the FDA's request, which will follow 500 patients for six months after surgery to characterize the quality of vision obtained.

To learn more about CustomVue LASIK, click here.