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6 Ways to Maintain Healthy Vision

Keeping your eyes healthy is critical for your day-to-day safety as you maneuver around, interact with others, and communicate. Millions of Americans are living with visual impairment, and even more are susceptible for preventable eye diseases and injuries. Below are six things you should be doing now to maintain healthy vision as you age.

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Reduce Time Spent Staring at a Computer or Tablet: A study from the Vision Council revealed that 68% of millennials suffer from digital eyestrain, which can develop into Computer Vision syndrome (CVS). Technology’s inﬁltration into our daily activities is unavoidable, but you still need to be mindful of time spent staring at screen by taking 20-minute breaks every couple hours. Dr. Clint Simpson of TLC Eyecare & Laser Centers recommends following the 20-20-20 rule: during those 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds. Adjusting your workstation so the top of the screen is about 4 to 5 inches below eye level also helps.
Quit Smoking: Smoking’s consequences are generally associated with cancer and heart disease, but it also affects your vision. The risk of developing age-related cataracts, optic nerve damage and macular degeneration all drastically increase by smoking.
Take Out Contacts: Leaving your contact lenses in while you sleep deprives your cornea from getting the oxygen it needs from the outside air. Keeping contacts in all the time is like breathing through a mask. Lack of oxygen results in your eyes growing blood vessels where they don’t belong. This has negative effects on your vision. Remember to always wash your hands when placing and removing your contacts and replace them as often as you replace your toothbrush.
Use Safety Glasses/Goggles: Whether working on a home project, doing yard work, or performing a repair on your car, you need to be protecting your eyes. Dust, debris, chemicals and metal shavings are common things that can get into the eyes and elicit damage. Whenever working on anything that might propel objects into the air, wear safety glasses or goggles.
Wear Sunglasses: The general rule here is if you are putting on sunscreen, you should be wearing sunglasses as well. Sunglasses will protect your eyes from UV light, which has shown increases in the development of pterygium and cataracts. Make sure the glasses block 99-100% of both kinds of UV light, UVA and UVB.
See an Eye Doctor: Every 2-3 years you should have a dilated eye exam. After age 45, it should be every 1-2 year(s) in order to screen for glaucoma, cataracts and macular degeneration. For children, a baseline eye screening should be conducted no later than 2 years of age. You should always consult with a professional and not rely on a self-diagnosis with an assist from WebMD. The best way to maintain healthy vision is with regular eye exams.

Protecting your vision starts with simple, everyday habits that make a big difference. From taking regular screen breaks and wearing UV-blocking sunglasses to using proper safety eyewear and scheduling routine eye exams, these proactive steps help you maintain clear, healthy vision for years to come.

Don’t wait until problems arise. Take control of your eye health today and schedule your comprehensive eye exam with Specialty Eye Institute to keep your eyes seeing their best!

RELATED CONTENT: Glaucoma Mini Series

How Much Does LASIK Eye Surgery Cost?

The cost of LASIK eye surgery can be a concern for many individuals, even though it is an extremely common procedure and millions of people have had this surgery to correct their vision. These surgeries have a success rate of over 90% and are generally considered safe, quick, and incredibly successful.

LASIK eye surgery is a procedure in which the shape of your cornea, the clear covering in front of your eye, is permanently changed to improve your vision and reduce your need for glasses or contact lenses. You can have this procedure done within 30 minutes and can walk out of the surgical center the same day. The recovery time is very quick, and the risk of complications is not high.

It is genuinely a life-changing procedure that is an excellent choice for most people who want to drastically improve their vision. However, the cost of LASIK eye surgery can be a concern for many.

Let’s discuss how much LASIK costs, the factors that can affect those costs, and the different options you have for paying for the procedure.

What Factors Influence the Cost of LASIK Eye Surgery?

There are a couple of factors that can cause the price of LASIK eye surgery to fluctuate. Typically, they are out of your control and will entirely depend on the state of your vision, which technology your surgeon believes is best for your surgery, and the level of experience that your surgeon has.

Required Vision Correction

Depending on the state of your vision, your LASIK eye surgery cost could be less or more than the average. If your vision is in a poorer condition, then the cost of your surgery will most likely be raised.

Laser Technology

The cost of the surgery also depends on the type of technology that’s being used. Newer technology, like custom LASIK, often costs more than older technology that can be used. Additional charges that are placed on surgeons by manufacturers of laser devices may get passed on to the patient.

Surgeon Skill

Your LASIK surgery price can also vary based on your eye surgeon’s level of expertise. The more experienced they are, the higher they will charge.

Does Insurance Cover LASIK?

Because LASIK is an elective surgery, insurance typically doesn’t cover the full cost of it. However, many providers will offer discounts for the surgery, and there are financing options available to help pay for it.

Financing Options for LASIK

Payment Plans

There are a lot of providers that offer payment plans to ease the upfront cost of your LASIK eye surgery. They will usually put you on a finance plan that spreads out the upfront cost into lower payments over a certain period of time. Be sure to pay attention to any interest rates to ensure they’re not too high and be informed of the exact amount you will be paying.

Credit Card Payments

Putting the surgery on your credit card is also a viable option for payment that allows you to spread out the initial cost of your surgery. Your credit card may offer points or benefits for spending so much on it, and you can make monthly payments to chip away at the cost over time. It’s important to take note of the APR when doing this, so you don’t end up paying more than you should due to high interest.

FSA or HSA

Using the money saved in your Flexible Spending Account (FSA) or Health Saving Account (HSA) is an excellent way to pay for your LASIK eye surgery, particularly because you save money through pre-tax dollars. Many are able to pay for the majority or full amount of their procedure this way.

Why Choose Specialty Eye Institute for Your LASIK Procedure?

Getting LASIK eye surgery is a big decision to make and having the right support is vital. At Specialty Eye Institute, we will be there for you every step of the way, from your first appointment to discuss your options, to your post-operation care.

Specialty Eye Institute uses the most cutting-edge IntraLase Method for our LASIK surgery, ensuring that you are receiving industry-leading treatment. We have a commitment to providing the very best care, and we are able to do that by following our four core values:

Excellence
Patient-Centered Advocate
Compassion
Integrity

If you’re considering LASIK eye surgery, don’t hesitate to reach out to our friendly and knowledgeable staff. We’re also happy to provide our other services, like comprehensive eye care, corneal transplants, cataract surgery, and much more.

Call today or Schedule an Appointment!

New Retina Institute Coming Soon

TLC Eyecare & Laser Centers Retina Institute will be opening its doors this summer!

The retina is a vital component of your eyesight, and time is of the essence when it comes to saving your vision. The Retina Institute was developed to expand the latest technology and clinical treatment options available, while offering specialized care for patients with immediate vision needs.

Drs. Carmelina Gordon and Surendar Purohit are excited to provide a place for patients to receive advanced, compassionate care in a relaxing and healing environment.

The Retina Institute will be located next to the Corporate Headquarters at 850 West North Street in Jackson, Michigan.

June is Vision Research Month

Dr. Gordon's deep passion and strong desire to improve treatment options for her patients with visually impairing retina conditions have inspired her to relentlessly pursue novel and innovative treatment options.

To this end, she has brought numerous clinical trials to Specialty Eye Institute and has successfully established it as a premier retina clinical research center.

Dr. Gordon has been the principal investigator in more than 25 National Institute of Health (NIH) and /or pharmaceutical company-sponsored clinical trials treating dry and wet macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, vein occlusion, uveitis and other diseases of the retina.

"Through these clinical trials, our patients are able to have access to an expanded array of groundbreaking treatment options several years before they are made commercially available. We are improving the way doctors view and treat retinal diseases", states Dr. Gordon.

Specialty Eye Institute Clinical Trials

For more information on clinical trials that Dr. Gordon is conducting at Specialty Eye Institute, please refer to www.drcarmelinagordon.com/research.

Dr. Gordon is a board-certified ophthalmologist and a fellowship trained retina surgeon.

Tecnis Symfony Intraocular Lens Comes to TLC

A new option for cataract patients is now available at Specialty Eye Institute!

The Tecnis Symfony Intraocular Lens provides an extended depth of focus for cataract patients. The extended depth of focus allows post-surgery patients to experience a wider range of vision, including near, intermediate, and far distances.

During cataract surgery, the natural lens of the eye is removed, and an artificial lens, called an intraocular lens, or IOL, is inserted into the eye. The IOL most commonly used in cataract surgery is a monofocal lens, which only allows the person to see at a distance, with closer objects being out of focus. In contrast, the Symfony lens was specifically developed with features to improve both the range and quality of vision.

The recent FDA approval of the Tecnis Symfony includes the Tecnis Symfony Toric IOL, a version of the lens for people with astigmatism.

6 Ways to Maintain Healthy Vision

How Much Does LASIK Eye Surgery Cost?