Plain To See!
LASIK is growing in popularity in Singapore and not surprisingly so, considering that Singapore is often touted as the “Myopia Capital of the World”. Currently, an estimated 600 LASIK procedures are done monthly, and the figures are set to rise, due to recent reduction in prices. LASIK, which is an acronym for Laser Assisted Stromal In Situ Keratomileusis, is a surgical procedure for the eyes that permanently changes the shape of the cornea using an excimer (ultraviolet) laser, it basically works by precisely controlling the removal of cornea tissue with the laser to reshape the cornea and change its focusing power.
Many people today are opting for LASIK instead of wearing eyeglasses and contact lens due to the convenience and many other advantages it has to offer. However, before you opt for LASIK, be sure to find out all you can about the procedure, good and bad. Also not everyone is suited for LASIK, so be sure to consult your doctor on your suitability.
According to Dr. Tony Ho, ophthalmologist and Clinical Director of Clearvision Eye Clinic, by removing the need for glasses and contact lens, LASIK eye surgery can free an individual from the risk of a large number of eye disorders. Dr Ho also cites the irony of some patients who are fearful of undergoing LASIK surgery, but who persist in wearing contact lens despite suffering from serious contact lens wear related disorders.
As technology and LASIK become safer and cheaper, more people are turning to LASIK as an option to correct their eyesight problems. However, to typecast LASIK as a purely aesthetic procedure is not doing it justice. If you want to consider LASIK for your eyes, don’t base your decision simply on cost and don’t settle for the first eye center, doctor or procedure you investigate. Remember that the decisions you make will affect you for the rest of your life. Further information and advice will be given to you by your doctor upon consultation, and your eye health will be assessed prior to surgery. So be sure to make an informed decision before settling on any procedure. |
|
| |
- High-powered spectacles of over 600 degrees prescribed for short sightedness, combine with astigmatism, can lead to problems of spectacles intolerance, wherein the wearer experiences various symptoms like feeling dizzy feeling a “swimming sensation” and seeing things distortedly.
- People who do rugged outdoor activities and participate in contact sports like ruby or soccer run the risk of their eyes getting injured when their eyeglasses getting broken or damaged, or if their contact lens getting hit during a game or when in action.
- Airline cabin crew are frequent candidates for contact lens-wear related disorders like allergic conjunctivitis and cornea ulcers, due to the dry temperatures in long flights, smoking sections and sleeping with their contact lens on. Certain occupations like firemen, oil rig workers or people who have to work in a dusty environment are not conducive to wearing eyeglasses or contact lens.
- If not attended to properly and strictly with daily cleaning and disinfection, frequent and prolonged contact lens wear can lead to cornea erosions, abrasions, allergic conjunctivitis (G.P.C), torn and lost contact lenses inside the eye, and abnormal ingrowths of blood vessels into the cornea.
- Less commonly, there have been medical eye conditions like pingueculaes and pterygiums (fleshy growths that occur in the white of the eye) that can cause a gritty feeling and frequent red eyes. Hard contact lens wearers are prone to developing ptosis (a droopy eyelid condition)
|
|
