Cataract Surgery 101: Everything You Need to Know About the Procedure

While hearing that you have cataracts and need surgery can be scary, the condition is surprisingly common and fairly easy to treat. Many older people will have cataracts at some point during their golden years. But, by undergoing cataract surgery, their vision can usually be restored.

A cataract is a form of clouding that happens on the eye’s lens and is usually a normal part of the aging process. The condition causes vision loss that can’t be fixed with corrective lenses or corneal refractive surgeries.

However, modern cataract surgery is a highly effective procedure and is also very safe. If you need cataract surgery, here’s everything you need to know about the procedure.

Before Your Cataract Surgery

Ahead of your cataract surgery, your ophthalmologist will measure your eye. This allows them to determine the right focusing power for your intraocular lens (IOL), the artificial lens that will be placed to correct your vision.

You may also get a prescription for medicated eye drops. The drops will help reduce swelling and prevent infection after your procedure.

Your Cataract Surgery

Cataract removal surgery is usually an outpatient procedure. You won’t have to stay overnight at a hospital. Instead, you’ll be allowed to go home once your ophthalmologist clears you after the procedure.

When its time to begin your cataract surgery, a numbing eyedrop or injection is used to numb your eye. You may also be given medications that help you relax, ensuring you remain comfortable during the procedure.

You are awake during cataract removal surgery. While you’ll be able to see light and movement while the procedure is underway, you won’t be able to see what your ophthalmologist is doing to the eye.

Once your eye is numb, your ophthalmologist will examine your eye with a specialized microscope. Then, small incisions are made near your cornea’s edge, allowing your surgeon to reach the lens. Using specialized instruments, your ophthalmologist removes the lens with the cataract after breaking it into small pieces. Once removed, your surgeon places your IOL.

In most cases, stitches aren’t necessary to close the incision. Instead, it will “self-seal,” closing on its own with a little bit of time. Your ophthalmologist will place a shield over your eye, ensuring it stays protected after the procedure. Then, you’ll be taken to recovery, where you’ll rest for about 30 minutes. After that, you can typically go home.

Cataract Surgery Recovery

The recovery process for cataract surgery is fairly simple. You’ll use special eye drops to promote healing. Additionally, you’ll have to take special care around your eyes.

For example, you want to avoid getting water or soap in your eye. You also shouldn’t rub or press on the eye. To make that easier and to further keep your eyes safe, your ophthalmologist might have you wear a shield or eyeglasses for protection.

Your surgeon will also let you know if you need to avoid certain activities – like exercising or driving – until you are fully healed. They will tell you when you should be able to participate in those activities again.

Once healing is complete, your vision will typically be as good, if not better, than it was before the appearance of the cataract. Many IOLs can correct near- or farsightedness, so you may not need a corrective lens for that eye once the healing process is finished.

Ultimately, cataract removal surgery is generally a safe procedure. Before taking part, your ophthalmologist will discuss any risks and considerations you need to be aware of, allowing you to make a decision regarding whether you feel the surgery is right for you.

If you haven’t had your vision checked recently or are looking for an ophthalmologist to perform cataract surgery, schedule an appointment at your nearest ECVA clinic today. Our skilled team works diligently to ensure your eye health, performing thorough exams, allowing vision issues to be corrected, and providing treatment options designed to meet the needs of our patients whenever the need arises.

TALK WITH ONE OF OUR EYE CARE PROFESSIONALS TODAY!

If you have further questions or would like to schedule an appointment with one of the Ophthalmologists at Eye Care and Vision Associates please call 716.631-EYES (3937) or visit www.ecvaeyecare.com .

Improve Your Hygiene, Learn How to Prevent Eye Infections

When your eye is exposed to harmful microorganisms – such as bacteria, viruses, or fungi – an infection can occur. Both portions of the eyeball and the surrounding tissues can become infected, including the eye’s front surface (cornea) and the moist membrane that lines the inner eyelids and outer eye (conjunctiva).

Eye infections can produce a wide range of symptoms, including redness, pain, swelling, light sensitivity, watering, dryness, itching, vision changes, and discharge. Additionally, while some infections are largely an annoyance, others can be dangerous and might lead to serious damage.

Luckily, it is possible to prevent many eye infections, including conjunctivitis (more commonly known as “pink eye”), ocular herpes, acanthamoeba keratitis, and more. Proper hygiene can be the key to avoiding many infections entirely. If you want to improve yours, here’s how to get started.

Wash Your Hands

Whether you’ve been near someone with an infection or have handled items that may be contaminated, hand washing is often your first line of defense. Some microorganisms can be easily transferred between people or off of objects, including shared items like doorknobs and shopping carts. By washing your hands, you can rid yourself of many of the bacteria, fungi, and viruses that could lead to an infection.

Avoid Touching Your Eyes

Often, to get an eye infection, a microorganism needs to get to your eye. By not touching your eyes unless absolutely necessary (and always washing your hands first) and avoiding excess rubbing, you can decrease your odds of getting an infection.

Don’t Share Cosmetics or Eye Drops

Anything that touches your eye area should not be shared. By not allowing others to use your cosmetics or eye drops and not using those that belong to other people, you can limit your risk of exposure.

Proper Wear and Clean Contact Lenses

Contact lenses can cause infections when not properly worn or cleaned. Make sure you wash your hands before handling your lenses. Additionally, always cleanse and replace your lenses and case according to our ophthalmologist’s or optometrist’s instructions.

It’s also wise to avoid sleeping in your contacts whenever possible. Even lenses that are approved for overnight wear can increase your risk of infection, so remove them before sleeping every chance you get.

Clean Bedding, Towels, and Clothing

By cleaning any material that regularly contacts your face, you can remove microorganisms that could cause an infection. Additionally, if a family member has an eye infection, make sure they don’t share bedding, towels, or clothing with anyone else until the infection is gone to limit the chance of transfer.

By following the tips above, you can reduce your risk of acquiring an eye infection. If you are concerned you may have an eye infection or haven’t had your eyes checked recently, schedule an appointment at your nearest ECVA clinic today. Our skilled ophthalmologists, optometrists, and opticians work to ensure the eye health of all of our patients, including offering treatment options that can help you overcome an eye infection.

TALK WITH ONE OF OUR EYE CARE PROFESSIONALS TODAY!

If you have further questions or would like to schedule an appointment with one of the Ophthalmologists at Eye Care and Vision Associates please call 716.631-EYES (3937) or visit www.ecvaeyecare.com .

What an Astigmatism Is, and How You Can Treat It

Many people around the world have astigmatism. However, if you haven’t been diagnosed with it personally or were recently diagnosed, you may be somewhat unfamiliar with the term. As a result, you may be a bit nervous about what astigmatism may mean or could be fearful about how it relates to eye health.

It’s important to understand that astigmatism isn’t a disease. It also isn’t an eye health problem. Instead, it’s just an issue with how the eye focuses light. If you want to learn more about astigmatism, here’s what you need to know.

What Astigmatism Is

In the simplest terms, astigmatism is a refractive error. Irregularities in a cornea’s shape prevent light from focusing properly on the retina. In patients with astigmatism, the cornea usually has a shape that is similar to a football, instead of the normal round shape. This prevents the eye for focusing light rays into a single point, causing blurriness or visual distortions, negatively impacting a person’s eyesight, and potentially leading to other unpleasant symptoms, like headaches, eye strain, and eye irritation.

Astigmatism may be present at birth or can develop over time, not unlike nearsightedness (myopia) and farsightedness (hyperopia). In fact, a person with astigmatism is usually nearsighted or farsighted, as well. However, it’s important to note that not all people with myopia or hyperopia have astigmatism.

In some cases, astigmatism may occur after an eye injury or be a side effect of eye surgery. At times, a fairly rare condition called keratoconus is responsible. With keratoconus, the cornea becomes thinner over time and develops into a cone-shape.

How You Can Treat Astigmatism

Astigmatism is both easy to detect and to treat. Your eye doctor can diagnose astigmatism during a simple eye exam, just as they do with myopia and hyperopia. The same instruments and techniques are used, and they allow your ophthalmologist or optometrist to calculate the amount of astigmatism you may have as well as its characteristics.

After diagnosing your astigmatism, your eye doctor can present corrective options. Usually, corrective lenses – such as glasses or contact lenses – can correct astigmatism. Orthokeratology, where a series of rigid contacts are used to reshape the cornea, may also be a viable solution. In some cases, refractive (laser) surgery can also be an option, though it is less commonly used.

Once you are diagnosed with astigmatism, you’ll need to keep your regular appointments with your eye doctor. Like nearsightedness and farsightedness, astigmatism can fluctuate over time. As a result, you may need different corrective lenses to accommodate any changes, ensuring your vision can remain acute.

If you haven’t had your vision checked recently or believe you may have symptoms of astigmatism, schedule an appointment at your nearest ECVA clinic today. Our experienced team works diligently to ensure your eye health, performing thorough exams, correcting vision issues, and providing a range of treatment options designed to meet the needs of our patients.

TALK WITH ONE OF OUR EYE CARE PROFESSIONALS TODAY!

If you have further questions or would like to schedule an appointment with one of the Ophthalmologists at Eye Care and Vision Associates please call 716.631-EYES (3937) or visit www.ecvaeyecare.com .

Macular Degeneration: How to Spot the Symptoms and How Your Eye Doctor Can Help

Macular degeneration is a progressive disease that can rob a person of their vision. Without intervention, the damage gets worse over time, stealing a person’s central vision as the condition worsens.

Since macular degeneration is serious, knowing how to spot the symptoms is beneficial. That way, if you notice any of the associated changes, you can seek help immediately. Additionally, your eye doctor can provide you with treatment options designed to combat macular degeneration. Here’s what you need to know about the symptoms of macular degeneration and how your eye doctor can help.

Symptoms of Macular Degeneration

In most cases, the impact of macular degeneration is slow and painless. While the symptoms can vary from one person to the next, there are a few that are more common.

Having difficulty adapting to low light is a frequently observed symptom. It may manifest as needing brighter light to read or do close up work. Additionally, having trouble recognizing faces is a symptom of macular degeneration.

Haziness over a person’s central or overall vision is also characteristic of macular degeneration. Blurriness or a central vision blind spots are similarly symptoms, as well as straight lines appearing wavy.

In any case, symptoms may appear in one eye or both. It’s important to note that many people don’t notice the first signs of macular degeneration, especially if they only occur in one eye. When the condition isn’t in both eyes, the unaffected eye may work to compensate for the one with macular degeneration, effectively hiding the symptoms.

However, by maintaining your regular eye doctor appointments, your ophthalmologist or optometrist can look for early signs and perform diagnostic tests. That way, you are increasing the odds of the disease being detected early if you develop it.

Treatment Options for Macular Degeneration

There is no cure for macular degeneration, but treatments can potentially slow the progression of the disease and limit vision loss. Anti-angiogenic drugs – which are specific medications that are injected into the affected eye – can block the formation and leaking of abnormal blood vessels that are characteristic of wet macular degeneration. In some cases, laser surgery may be a viable option for treating abnormal blood vessels, as well.

For dry macular degeneration, there is no formal treatment. However, your eye doctor can recommend lifestyle changes, like certain vitamin supplements and healthy-habit formation, that may slow the condition, particularly if it is caught early.

Additionally, they may be able to assist you with low vision rehabilitation. Essentially, your eye doctor will help you find methods for adapting to your vision changes, helping to preserve your quality of life.

For those with severe dry macular degeneration, in rare cases, implanting a telescopic lens into one eye may be beneficial. It has a very narrow field of vision but may improve the quality of one’s eyesight. If you haven’t had your vision checked recently or are having macular degeneration symptoms, schedule an appointment at your nearest ECVA clinic today. Our skilled team works diligently to ensure your eye health, performing thorough exams to look for various conditions, correcting a range of vision acuity issues, and providing treatment options that are designed to meet the needs of our patients.

TALK WITH ONE OF OUR EYE CARE PROFESSIONALS TODAY!

If you have further questions or would like to schedule an appointment with one of the Ophthalmologists at Eye Care and Vision Associates please call 716.631-EYES (3937) or visit www.ecvaeyecare.com .

Learn the Difference Between Seeing an Optometrist and an Ophthalmologist

When you choose an eye care provider, you are trusting the health of your eyes and quality of your vision to that professional. Many patients mistakenly assume that optometrists and ophthalmologists are the same, particularly since both are doctors that focus on the eye.

However, optometrists and ophthalmologists are actually very different. Before you entrust your vision and eye health to a doctor, here’s what you need to know about the difference between seeing an optometrist and an ophthalmologist.

What is an Optometrist?

Optometrists are eye health specialists who have earned a Doctor of Optometry (OD) degree. They have specialized education and training that allow them to perform exams that can spot vision issues and a variety of eye health problems. However, an OD is not a medical doctor (MD), so they are governed by different rules regarding medical care.

An optometrist can prescribe corrective lenses, such as glasses or contact lenses. Additionally, they are licensed to prescribe medications that can treat certain eye-related conditions or diseases.

However, precisely how much medical care an optometrist can provide is determined by state law, though it is almost never as comprehensive as you can receive from an MD. For example, optometrists are usually not licensed or trained to perform eye surgeries, though there are a few exceptions.

What is an Ophthalmologist?

Unlike an optometrist, an ophthalmologist is typically an MD. These professionals went to medical school, completed medical internships, residencies, and, possibly, fellowships, focusing their studies on the eye and surrounding areas.

Ophthalmologists are not only trained to perform vision exams, identify eye health issues, prescribe corrective lenses, and treat various eye conditions, they are also able to perform eye surgeries. Essentially, an ophthalmologist can offer complete eye care services beyond what an optometrist is allowed to provide. This can include providing surgical care for diagnoses like cataracts, glaucoma, strabismus and more. Additionally, they can prescribe medications for the treatment of more complicated conditions, such as diabetes, that is impacting vision quality or eye health.

Choosing Between an Optometrist and Ophthalmologist

While both an optometrist and an ophthalmologist can assist with vision correction and address a range of eye health concerns, ophthalmologists have additional knowledge and capabilities that allow them to offer complete eye care. By choosing an ophthalmologist, you can receive comprehensive care from a single doctor, limiting the need for referrals for treating certain eye health concerns or conditions.

Alternatively, by choosing a clinic that has optometrists and ophthalmologists on staff, you can get a similar result. You have access to all of the specialists you may need under a single roof, allowing you to see the ideal professional based on your needs at any given point in time.

If you are concerned about your vision or eye health or haven’t seen an eye care professional recently, schedule an appointment at your nearest ECVA clinic today. Our experienced ophthalmologists, optometrists, and opticians work diligently to keep our patients’ eyes in the best condition possible and to correct vision issues quickly and efficiently, ensuring their vision remains clear and their eyes stay healthy.

TALK WITH ONE OF OUR EYE CARE PROFESSIONALS TODAY!

If you have further questions or would like to schedule an appointment with one of the Ophthalmologists at Eye Care and Vision Associates please call 716.631-EYES (3937) or visit www.ecvaeyecare.com .

How to Properly Read Your Eyeglasses Prescription

When you read your eyeglasses prescription, all you may see is a series of strange numbers and letters. While it looks mysterious, each of those notations has a specific meaning. By understanding what your eyeglasses prescription says, you can learn more about the current state of your vision and the corrections your optometrist or ophthalmologist ordered. If you want to read yours properly, here’s what you need to know.

OS, OD, and OU

OS, OD, and OU are Latin abbreviations that identify which eye your doctor is referring to on the prescription. OS stands for oculus sinister, which means your left eye. OD is oculus dextrus, which refers to your right eye.

If you see OU, which stands for oculus uterque, that is a reference to both of your eyes. OU isn’t always present on an eyeglasses prescription, as not all patients have points that apply to both of their eyes.

Nearsightedness and Farsightedness

Near the OS and OD headings, you’ll usually see numbers and plus (+) or minus (-) signs. They may be in a column labeled “sphere” or “S.” These describe your prescription’s strength.

The number represents diopters (which may be abbreviated as “D”), a unit of measurement that correlates to the amount of correction that is necessary. 1.00 stands for one diopter. However, the correction can be measured in one-quarter diopters. For example, 1.25 is one and one-quarter diopters.

Typically, the further away from zero, the stronger the prescription. For example, 3.50 means that more correction is needed in comparison to a 2.25.

The plus and minus let you know if you are near or farsighted. When a plus sign is in front of the number, that means you are farsighted. In farsighted individuals, objects closer to your eyes are typically blurry, but further away objects are clear.

When there is a minus sign in front of the number, that means you are nearsighted. Typically, objects close to your eyes seem clear, and those that are far away appear blurry.

If your prescription reads -2.00, that means you are two diopters nearsighted. If your prescription said +3.50, you are three and a half diopters farsighted.

Astigmatism

If you have astigmatism – a condition that can be caused by an irregularly shaped cornea or a lens curvature – you may see some additional numbers. Usually, the numbers are written in an S x C x Axis format.

The S is the “spherical” part of the prescription, usually noting the degree of nearsightedness or farsightedness as described above. The C, or “cylinder,” actually represents the astigmatism. It is also measured in diopters and can be positive or negative.

The Axis is a number that can be anywhere between 0 and 180 degrees. It describes how the astigmatism is oriented, noting the nature and direction of the curvature. This ensures that any astigmatism corrections in your glasses are positioned in the right way to make the needed correction.

If you have astigmatism, here is an example of what that prescription might look like for one eye:

-2.25 +1.00 x 45

That example means the patient has 2.25 diopters of nearsightedness, 1 diopter of astigmatism, and an axis of 45 degrees.

Add and Prism

Your glasses prescription may also have numbers in the “Add” and “Prism” columns, but they may not. “Add” is used when a patient needs multifocal lenses and notes how much power needs to be added to the lower portion of the lens. This allows the lower part to offer stronger magnification, making it easier for glasses wearers to read or do other up-close work.

The “Prism” section indicates prismatic power. If there are eye alignment issues, a prism may be used to correct the problem. It is measured in prism diopters (p.d.) and is commonly accompanied by a notation for the prisms position (or base) in the lens, such as up (BU), down (BD), toward the wearer’s nose (BI or base in), or toward the glasses wearer’s ear (BO or base-out).

After reviewing the information above, you should be able to understand your eyeglasses prescription. If you haven’t had your vision checked recently, schedule an appointment at your nearest ECVA clinic today. Our skilled ophthalmologists, optometrists, and opticians work diligently by performing thorough exams, allowing vision issues to be corrected and ensuring eye health.

TALK WITH ONE OF OUR EYE CARE PROFESSIONALS TODAY!

If you have further questions or would like to schedule an appointment with one of the Ophthalmologists at Eye Care and Vision Associates please call 716.631-EYES (3937) or visit www.ecvaeyecare.com .