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The LASIK Directory Blog

Welcome to the LASIK Blog, a resource for people interested in LASIK surgery. This consumer-friendly blog is intended to be used as a central resource to answer common questions about LASIK and to point you in the right direction.

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

New Discovery about Blue Eyes

The Journal of Human Genetics recently published findings that all blue eyes can be traced back to a single genetic mutation.

Eyes become brown because of a pigment called melanin. Blue eyes have less of the pigment. The mutation which causes blue eyes works by turning off the gene that tells your body to produce melanin in the eyes.

The mutation was discovered by researchers at the University of Copenhagen, who believed that it occurred between 6,000 and 10,000 years ago in someone living near the Black Sea.

The discovery indicates that all people with blue eyes descend from a common ancestor, because the variation is very specific and the same in all blue-eyed people. The variations causing other eye colors, such as green and brown, are more varied across the population of people with those colors.

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

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Art and Vision

Visual art, especially paintings, is affected and changed by the eyesight of the artist. This phenomenon is most apparent in artists whose work has changed dramatically over time as their vision began to fade or fail.

Looking at the artwork of artists with impaired or altered vision can give us an insight into what the world looks like for people with specific vision problems.

This is most noticeable in the work of Impressionists. Monet had cataracts, giving his vision a yellow hue. Renoir was nearsighted (myopic), and rather than wear glasses, he painted the world as it appeared to him naturally.

Mary Cassatt, also an Impressionist painter, suffered from inoperable cataracts, and as her color vision began to fade she began to paint in bolder colors to compensate.

Medications can also affect the way that we see. Vincent Van Gogh's later work had a yellow hue. It is believed that this is caused by taking digitalis, now used for heart problems, but in his case for epilepsy. He may have taken santonin for his digestive problems, which also produces yellow vision. He personally attributed the way he saw the world to the use of absinthe. Eye experts have speculated that he may have had glaucoma, causing the haloed effect in some of his most famous work including "Starry Night."

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

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Why Some Babies' Eyes Turn From Blue to Brown

Did you know that even if you have brown or green eyes now, you may have been born with blue eyes? Many babies, including most Caucasian babies, are born with blue eyes.

Melanin, the same pigment which determines skin color and the extent to which your skin can tan in the sun, determines the darkness of your eyes. Often, when babies are born, the melanin has not fully deposited in the irises of their eyes, or the melanin which is there has not yet been darkened by ultraviolet light.

Over time, eyes which were blue at birth may turn brown, green, or other shades. Most eye color stabilizes by one to three years of age, but some people experience eye color changes throughout their lives.

A small amount of melanin will cause eyes to be blue. A large amount will create dark brown eyes. The amount of pigment in eyes is determined by genetics. Hormonal changes can switch genes on and off, so it is not uncommon for teenagers to experience lightening or darkening of their eyes during puberty.

Just as people with lighter skin are more sensitive to sunlight, people with lighter colored eyes are more susceptible to sun damage of the eyes causing cataracts and macular degeneration.

Curiously, although both kittens and puppies are born with their eyes closed, when they open kittens usually have blue eyes, but puppies do not.

You can use the links at the bottom of this page to find a qualified ophthalmologist in your area.

Thursday, July 09, 2009

Patients Use LASIK to Kick Off Their Makeover

LASIK is a great way for people to correct their vision and to finally get rid of glasses and contacts once and for all. For a lot of patients, LASIK is just one aspect of completing an overall makeover, giving them the appearance and confidence they've always wanted.

After having LASIK, many patients find that people compliment them on their new and improved look when all they've done is put their glasses away. In addition to getting LASIK, some patients also choose to alter their hairstyles, get their teeth whitened, and change their wardrobe.

For people considering vision correction surgery, LASIK isn't the only option available. LASEK, PRK, Lens Implants, and Custom LASIK all provide different laser surgery options to correct a variety of refractive vision problems.

Not all ophthalmologists are alike, so if you are considering LASIK eye surgery, you should contact a few different LASIK surgeons in your area to schedule initial consultations. Talking with a few different doctors will help you choose the right LASIK surgeon for you.

You can use the links at the bottom of this page to find a qualified LASIK surgeon in your area.

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Tuesday, July 07, 2009

Correct Your Eyesight and Skin During the Same Appointment

If you are suffering from drooping eyelids and sagging skin above or below the eyes as well as a refractive error that forces you to wear glasses, you might be a great candidate for having LASIK performed at the same time as blepharoplasty.

For many people, the idea of combining these two different procedures may have never crossed their minds, but ophthalmologists all over the country are beginning to combine the two for their patients. An experienced ophthalmologist in your area can evaluate your eyesight and skin condition to determine if you are a good eyelid surgery and LASIK candidate.

LASIK is a laser eye correction surgery that is performed to reshape the corneas of the eyes. During the surgery, a small flap is created on the cornea so that a laser can vaporize a very small amount of the corneal tissue beneath. Once the cornea is reshaped, the flap is replaced, and the patient's vision is vastly improved.

Eyelid surgery, or blepharoplasty, is performed on patients to correct sagging skin and fat that hangs around the eyes, making people look older or impairing vision. During an eyelid surgery procedure, small incisions are made in the creases of the upper and lower eyelids. Excess fat and skin is then removed, and incisions are closed.

With eyelid surgery, patients can turn back the clock, making the skin around their eyes look younger and firmer. LASIK can change the way you see the world, allowing you to live free of contacts and glasses.

Not all ophthalmologists are able to perform blepharoplasty, but there may be an experienced LASIK eye surgeon in your area who can provide you with the vision correction and improved appearance you want.

To learn more, please contact one of our experienced LASIK ophthalmologists near you to schedule an initial consultation.

Thursday, July 02, 2009

Protecting Your Vision This Fourth of July

Approximately 70 percent of firework injuries occur during the month of July, and many victims suffer very serious eye injuries which threaten their vision for the rest of their lives. Fireworks might be amazing to watch, but experienced ophthalmologists all over the country are urging people to leave fireworks to the professionals.

An eye injury caused by fireworks can be incredibly painful and put your vision at serious risk. The following tips will help reduce your risk of eye injury due to fireworks:

  • Keep Small Children Away From All Fireworks -- Many parents might think that it's alright to give children small sparklers or other non-exploding firecrackers, but that is untrue. Sparklers burn at 1,800 degrees, and if the sparks get into the eye of a young child, he could suffer a terrible injury.
  • Wear Eye Protection -- Fireworks are incredibly bright explosions of light, and even smaller fireworks can go awry. By wearing eye protection, you make sure there is an extra level of eye protection before anything gets to them.
  • Don't Purchase At-Home Fireworks -- Your children may beg you, and you might be tempted to purchase fireworks from roadside stands, but these fireworks are the biggest cause of injuries. A much better solution is to schedule a time for your family to watch a large, professional fireworks display.

    Any type of eye injury can be painful and costly to recover from. For many people who have undergone vision correction surgery like LASIK, LASEK, or other refractive procedures, a serious eye injury might reverse the results of these costly procedures.

    You can use the links at the bottom of this page to find a qualified ophthalmologist near you.

Wednesday, July 01, 2009

New Factors Contribute To Failed Corneal Transplants

In a new study, patients who have undergone corneal transplant surgery and rejected the tissue were analyzed to determine why the corneal transplant failed. The results showed that patients suffering from other vision problems or patients who had past vision surgery may be more likely to reject corneal transplants.

According to an experienced ophthalmology professor at the University of Michigan, corneal transplant patients who were also suffering from glaucoma or who had corneal swelling after cataract surgery were more likely to have transplant problems. The study suggests these types of corneal transplant patients are more likely to suffer failures than other patients.

The study showed that patients who had intraocular lenses implanted during cataract surgery were 27% more likely to reject the corneal transplant than patients without intraocular lenses. In addition to these findings, normal corneal transplant patients without glaucoma rejected transplants about 11% of the time, while patients with glaucoma rejected transplants between 20 and 58 percent of the time.

The cornea is the clear outer tissue of the eye, and when it is damaged from injury or disease, it may need to be replaced with a transplant. Although about 5 to 30 percent of corneal transplants are rejected every year, the rejections can be treated and corrected.

The study did not mention if there is any connection between LASIK, PRK, or LASEK and corneal transplant rejection.

You can use the links at the bottom of this page to find a qualified ophthalmologist in your area.

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