Cool Facts About Dolphin Eyes - Part 3

“A dolphin’s pupil has a type of built-in shade. When our eyes are exposed to light, our pupils get smaller to let less light in. Dolphins have a kind of lid, called an operculum, that slides down to cover most of the pupil when it is bright. It almost looks like two pupils when this ‘lid’ comes down.”

-          Joy Clausen Soto, Senior Dolphin Trainer at SeaWorld

Humans don’t have instant shades on our eyes. We have to wear sunglasses to protect our eyes from the harsh sun. When you are nearsighted, farsighted or have astigmatism, it’s often necessary for you to purchase expensive prescription sunglasses to be able to see in sunlight.

LASIK has allowed millions of Americans to expand their sunglasses collections with a multitude of cheap sunglasses by correcting their refractive errors.

In a LASIK procedure, a surgeon creates a thin flap on the cornea that is peeled back to allow access to the underlying corneal tissue. This can be done using a microkeratome or femtosecond laser. Once the flap has been created, an excimer laser is used to reshape the cornea (correct the refractive error) so it can properly focus light on the retina (the back of the eye). This is the actual vision correction step in the procedure. Once the cornea is reshaped, the flap is put back into place so it can heal. The entire procedure only takes minutes per eye.

Like any surgical procedure, LASIK does carry risks. You should always have an open discussion about all of the risks of LASIK with your surgeon before you make any decisions to move forward with the procedure. 

You should also remember that even if you have 20/20 vision, it’s still important to wear sunglasses to protect your eyes. You’re not a dolphin, after all!

Find out if cheap sunglasses might be in your future. Contact Lake Dillon Eye Care in Lake Dillon to schedule a LASIK Consultation and see if you’re a good candidate for LASIK. Call 970-468-0389 or visit lakedilloneye.com today.

Cool Facts About Dolphin Eyes - Part 2

“Dolphins have built-in goggles. Dolphins have a secretion that covers their eyes and helps protect them from infection, wash away debris and lubricates to help them see better underwater.”

-          Joy Clausen Soto, Senior Dolphin Trainer at SeaWorld

One thing that LASIK patients often get excited about is the fact that they can actually wear regular goggles, snorkels and scuba masks and be able to see…just like dolphins! It’s nearly impossible to wear glasses with goggles, and contact lenses can be a real nuisance. And prescription goggles are just plain expensive!

LASIK may give water-loving adults the ability to don any old snorkel and hit the water. The idea behind LASIK eye surgery is that it is used to correct a person’s nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism by actually altering the shape of the cornea so better vision can be achieved.

Some patients are able to see with 20/20 vision after LASIK, reducing or even eliminating their need for glasses or contacts. Some patients see even better than 20/20! Of course, no LASIK surgeon can guarantee that you will never need glasses after LASIK. This is especially true when the LASIK patient develops Presbyopia (the natural and gradual stiffening of the eye lenses over time). This condition usually begins around the age of 45 and can result in the need for reading glasses.

Unfortunately, not everyone is a good candidate LASIK. Sometimes the corneas are too thin; sometimes there are medical conditions or eye diseases that make the surgery too risky. Only an experienced LASIK surgeon can determine if your eyes are right for LASIK.

LASIK may not give you dolphin-type goggle-eyes, but it might help improve your vision. To see if you might be a good candidate for LASIK eye surgery, please contact Lake Dillon Eye Care in Lake Dillon to schedule a LASIK Consultation. Call 970-468-0389 or visit lakedilloneye.com today.

Moo-ve Into Better Vision with LASIK

Did you know that July 18, 2013 is Cow Appreciation Day? In honor of this unique observance, here are a few fun facts about how cows’ eyes differ from human eyes:  

• Cow eyes are larger
• Cows cannot move their eyes like humans; they must turn their heads
• Cow eyes glow at night
• Cow eyes are oval shaped
• Cows have only black irises

At Lake Dillon Eye Care, we’re not in the business of treating cow’s eyes; however, we are in the business of correcting the human vision problems of myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness) and astigmatism through LASIK eye surgery.

LASIK won’t make your eyes glow at night like cows, but it just might free you from the need for contacts or glasses. The LASIK procedure actually changes the shape of your cornea so light can be focused onto your retina properly, resulting in clear vision, even 20/20 vision, for many patients.

If you’d be interested in learning more about how you might be able to moo-ve into better vision with LASIK, contact Lake Dillon Eye Care today to schedule your free LASIK Consultation in Lake Dillon. Call us today at 970-768-0389 or visit us online at lakedilloneye.com.

What Really is 20/20 Vision?

It’s widely known that LASIK eye surgery can give some patients 20/20 vision. But what does 20/20 vision really mean?

According to the American Optometric Association, “20/20 vision is a term used to express normal visual acuity (the clarity or sharpness of vision) measured at a distance of 20 feet. If you have 20/20 vision, you can see clearly at 20 feet what should normally be seen at that distance.”

There are varying degrees of vision based on what research has shown that a “normal” person can see. Other examples include:

·         20/10 vision means that you can see at 20 feet what can normally be seen when standing 10 feet away (your vision is better than normal)

·         20/40 vision means that you have to stand 20 feet away from something to see what you should be able to see at 40 feet away (your vision is worse than normal)

·         20/100 vision means that what should be normally seen at 100 feet away requires you to stand 20 feet away to see it (your vision is poor)

·         20/200 vision is considered legal blindness in the United States

Having 20/20 vision does not mean you have perfect vision because other factors, such as peripheral vision, depth perception, color vision, eye coordination and focusing ability play into your overall visual attributes.

If you have less-than-ideal eyesight that causes you to need glasses or contacts to correct your nearsightedness (good close-up vision/bad distance vision), farsightedness (good distance vision/bad close-up vision) or astigmatism (impaired distance and close-up vision), LASIK may help correct your refractive error and put you into the “normal” 20/20 vision range. LASIK surgeons take into consideration many of your unique attributes before recommending LASIK surgery, including your overall eye health, corneal thickness and medical history. 

To find out if LASIK might be able to give you 20/20 vision, contact Lake Dillon Eye Care to schedule your free LASIK Consultation. Call 970-468-0389 or visit lakedilloneye.com.

Happy 4th of July!

Have a safe and fun 4th of July from Lake Dillon Eye Care!