Are you having trouble with your vision post cataract surgery? Do you feel like you are wearing a pair of smudged glasses again? You probably had cataract surgery to correct cloudy vision, right?

When you have cataract surgery, your natural lens is replaced with an artificial one called an intraocular lens. For some people, the intraocular lens can become cloudy months or years after healing. This may feel like the cataract has returned, but it is actually a common complication.

Luckily, this problem can be easily corrected in an outpatient procedure where your surgeon will clear your vision using a YAG laser to make a small hole (about the size of your pupil) in the posterior lens capsule eliminating the cloudiness.

Once this procedure, called a YAG Laser Capsulotomy, is done, the cloudiness will not come back.

There is typically no pain after the procedure, though some people may see floaters afterwards for some time. It is a good idea to have someone drive you home after the procedure as your eyes will be dilated.

Some people do not experience a clouding of vision after cataract surgery. The YAG laser is not used pre-emptively because it could potentially interfere with the positioning of your implanted lens if used during cataract surgery.

YAG lasers have a long history of use in the medical field. It was introduced in 1964 at the renowned Bell Laboratories. Bell Laboratories is known for its excellence in research — nine Nobel Prizes have been awarded for work completed there.

YAG lasers are also very versatile. They are used in dentistry, cancer treatment, hair removal, spider vein removal, manufacturing, military rangefinders, and may even replace spark plugs in cars someday.

Each of our doctors specialize in these cataract procedures. We can help you decide if a YAG Laser Capsulotomy is right for you. Are you thinking about having cataract surgery? Take our short quiz to find out if it is right for you.

The post About YAG Laser Surgery appeared first on Capitol Eye Care.

Diabetic eye care is important to avoid irreversible vision damage or blindness. Diabetic eye diseases stem from many years of high blood sugar or hyperglycemia. This and other abnormalities in a diabetic person’s metabolism damage the blood vessels in the body, leading to poor blood circulation.

Poor blood circulation decreases the amount of oxygen delivered to tissues throughout the body and can subsequently damage those tissues. The absence of oxygen can lead to a variety of problems, including vision loss.

According to the National Eye Institute, it is estimated that nearly 5.4 million Americans over the age of 18 currently have diabetic retinopathy, one of the more common diabetic eye diseases. While diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness in American adults, in the majority of diabetic retinopathy cases, blindness is completely preventable.

Ways to keep eyes healthy:

• Manage your blood glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol
• Quit smoking
• Have a dilated eye exam once a year

Many of the ways to keep your eyes healthy are the same as keeping your entire body healthy, including eating nutritious food and exercising. Regular exercise can have a big influence on blood sugar. To better manage your diabetic ABC’s, try visiting with a licensed nutritionist to establish healthy eating habits.  

Also be diligent with prescribed medications. Be sure to check your cholesterol levels. High cholesterol or too much LDL is linked to blood vessel damage.

Symptoms to watch for:

• Extreme pressure behind one or both eyes
• Blurry vision
• Experiencing glare from lights at night
• Objects looking smaller or larger than normal
• Floaters

Another reminder: Those with diabetes or other health risks should have regular comprehensive eye exams performed to spot any developing issues. Catching problems early vastly reduces the risk of significant vision loss.

The post The Basics of Diabetic Eye Care appeared first on Capitol Eye Care.

What is presbyopia?

Presbyopia is an eye condition that leads to difficulty focusing on objects close up like reading small print. Nearly everyone will develop this condition.

It is sometimes called “old-sightedness” because it usually shows up in patients around age 40; however, there is a possibility of developing it earlier in life because the condition develops through the aging process.

When we are young, our eyes’ lenses are flexible and change shape to allow us to focus close up. Later in life, the lenses become more rigid, causing a loss in its adaptability.

Presbyopia is not a disease, and it cannot can be prevented. While there is no way to prevent this, medical advances, such as LASIK monovision, have introduced new ways to improve vision.

LASIK monovision remains the most popular option for eligible patients with presbyopia.

How can monovision help?

When monovision treatment is discussed, it often revolves around contacts that individually correct each eye, one contact for near-sightedness and one contact for far-sightedness. However, LASIK monovision surgery is also a choice.

Instead of using contact lenses, LASIK surgery adjusts one eye’s lens for focusing on far-away objects and the other eye’s lens for focusing on close-up objects. No monovision treatment will give you perfect vision, but most of our monovision patients find their distance and near vision to be vastly improved after surgery.

Some monovision patients wear glasses for the occasional difficult to focus on task, such as driving through an unfamiliar city at night, but generally, your vision will be more than satisfactory for typical everyday activities.

If you’re curious about how monovision contacts would work for you, contact our doctors today.

Your Capitol Eye Care surgeon can discuss if monovision is an option for you.

The post What is monovision? appeared first on Capitol Eye Care.

In 2015, 20 million cataract operations were performed worldwide with 3.6 million of them taking place in the United States. Generally, Medicare does not cover vision care expenses; however, Medicare covers all costs relating to medically necessary services, like cataract surgery.

 Cataract surgery is an outpatient procedure where a doctor will replace the effected lens with an artificial lens. The surgery has a 99% success rate.

Occasionally, a doctor may suggest a nonsurgical treatment depending on the necessity of surgery and type of cataracts.

Depending on your health plan, Medicare coverage usually includes the removal of the cataract, implantation of a basic lens replacement, and one set of prescription eyeglasses post operation. Patients typically see results within two to three days post operation. Your eye should then be comfortable and your vision should be clear.

If your doctor recommends a more advanced lens to suit your needs, Medicare patients may have to cover the cost difference themselves. Luckily, many offices – including Capitol Eye Care – offer special financing to manage extra costs. Don’t let your finances deter you from seeing the world clearly!

 Other procedures associated with cataract surgery that may incur additional costs:

●        A comprehensive eye exam, including precise measurements of your eye to determine the proper power lens implant

●        Charges related to anesthesia personnel such as an anesthesiologist or nurse anesthetist.

●         Charges related to the surgical facility (outpatient surgery center)

The post Does Medicare cover cataract surgery? appeared first on Capitol Eye Care.

There are three areas of the eye where cataracts commonly develop:

• Nuclear cataract (center of the lens)
  • Cortical cataract (edges of the lens)
  • Posterior subcapsular cataract (back of the lens)

As ophthalmologists, we pay close attention to patients who spend a lot of time in the sun without protective eyewear or who have a profession, such as welding, with extreme heat exposure, as they are more likely to develop cataracts.

Anyone is susceptible to developing cataracts, so there are a few things you should do to minimize your risk for developing them.

Cataract Prevention

Take these precautionary steps:

• Always wear sunglasses in the daytime or when exposed to bright light, such as when you are at the dentist.
• Wear sunglasses or a wide brim hat when outside.
• Quit smoking.
• Schedule routine eye exams.

Cataract Treatment

If you do develop cataracts, they can be taken care of with surgery. Cataract surgery is an outpatient procedure with a 99% success rate. It’s actually one of the most common operations performed in the United States.

Cataract surgery has a high patient satisfaction rate. One of the fringe benefits of cataract surgery is that many patients can enjoy high quality vision without glasses.

Your doctor will replace your existing lens in the affected eye(s) with an artificial lens. A cataract only needs to be removed when your vision impairment interferes with your everyday activities, such as driving or reading.

Contact a medical eye doctor immediately if you notice hazy pupils in yourself or a loved one. This could be a sign of cataracts or another serious eye condition. 

The post What are cataracts? appeared first on Capitol Eye Care.

Here are three easy ways everyone can ease up on their eye’s daily damage:

Sunglasses

A multi-faceted fashion accessory, sunglasses can complete your outfit while protecting your eyes from UV damage. About 20 percent of cataracts are caused by UV rays. Keep your eyes safe with sunglasses that cover the entirety of your eye.

Tip: Don’t neglect how your favorite shades fit your face. Ill-fitting sunglasses may not have the same effects and can contribute to headaches.

Healthy Diet and Exercise

The core of everyone’s health will come back to diet and exercise. A healthy plate full of nutrient rich food like zinc, vitamins A, C, and E, and omega-3 fatty acids will help ward off age-related vision diseases by keeping your eyes strong. Drink plenty of water every day.

Body weight is directly linked to the pressure placed on your eyes. Intense pressure inside the eyes is referred to as intraocular pressure. This pressure can heighten your risk for glaucoma.

And, if you haven’t yet, quit smoking now. Even better is to never start smoking.

Regular Eye Exams

Exam eyes at all life stages are vital to keeping vision strong. Just like our yearly or twice-yearly visits to the doctor and dentist, it is just as important to have our eyes examined.

Many eye diseases do not have early symptoms, so they can go unnoticed for years.  While eye exams may bring up personal anxieties, they are critical for overall health. Early treatment for eye diseases such as cataracts, glaucoma, or age-related macular degeneration, will help prevent vision loss.

These are just a few ways you can keep your eyes healthy. Make an appointment today and talk to one of our highly-skilled doctors who can tell you more about overall eye health and help address any concerns you may have.

The post Preventive Eye Care appeared first on Capitol Eye Care.

While you may use your busy schedule as an excuse, that will not change the importance of periodic eye exams.

Here are some quick tips to ease your eye care exam anxiety:

Sleep

A good night’s sleep can help you more than you might think. A restful night will naturally destress you, easing you into the next day.

Eat Breakfast

Set your body and mind up for success at the beginning of the day. Have your favorite healthy meal! Make the day more of a treat than it actually is. A well-balanced meal will help keep you focused on what you want. Avoid sugary foods until after your appointment to keep your mind calm.

Education is Power

A huge anxiety contributor is fear of the unknown.

Don’t be afraid to ask us anything! At Capitol Eye Care, our doctors and staff are here to answer any questions about why or how we complete different eye exams.  Remember why you’re going to your ophthalmologist in the first place–for your overall health! More importantly, we can help squash any misconceptions about eye exams. For example, eye exams aren’t intrusive. And we don’t perform any tests without your consent. Throughout the process, feel free to stop us and ask if you’re unsure about what’s next.

Distract Yourself

Bring a book, play on your phone, or even needle stitch. At Capitol Eye Care, while we always try to run on time the medical office schedule can be hard to predict.

Consider bringing a friend along to chat with in the waiting room. We see friends and families joining our patients every week. Their support may be just the confidence you need to get over the anxiety hump. It could help to have extra ears in the exam room to help you remember everything that is covered.

Don’t be scared. Call us today and find out how we can help improve your eye and overall health.

The post Tips for Overcoming Eye Exam Anxiety appeared first on Capitol Eye Care.

A pair of glasses costs between $200 and $600 depending on the style and prescription. If you replace your glasses with the same prescription every year for 20 years, that could cost up to $6,000. 

If you replace your contacts approximately every two weeks, this means you need about five boxes (30 lenses) per eye, or a total of 10 boxes per year. For your lenses alone, it would cost roughly $220 to $260 annually. However, contacts can cost up to $700 depending on the complexity of the prescription and preferred contact brand.

Over the course of 20 years, contacts can become even more expensive than traditional glasses. While it’s not uncommon for contact wearers to try to stretch their disposable contacts from two weeks to a month, this practice can cause significant corneal inflammation.  The common practice of sleeping in one’s contacts can lead to corneal ulceration and infection, which in turn can lead to corneal scarring and permanent loss of vision.

Extra Costs

Don’t forget the cost of lens solutions and lens cases. Even if you have contacts, there is an emergency pair of glasses hidden away somewhere. Those glasses are in their own case, which carries its own cost.

Prescriptions are often updated every year or two. Annual doctor visits cost your time and money. The most basic eye exams won’t get you fitted for contact lenses. Be prepared to pay extra if you need exams for both.

The LASIK Solution

This is where the LASIK debate pops up. LASIK is a one-time cost with years of benefit, not only in financial terms but more importantly in terms of quality of life.  How many things do you use every day, all day, like you do your vision? Our patients frequently tell us the money they spent on LASIK is the best money they ever spent.

We have a blog post breaking down the affordability of LASIK.

You can read about Capitol Eye Care’s affordable financial planning options in the blog or call us at 573-635-0115 to schedule a consultation.

The post How Much are Glasses and Contacts Really Costing You? appeared first on Capitol Eye Care.

Macular degeneration is likely related to a variety of factors, including advancing age, genetic predisposition and inflammation, but the exact cause of this disease is unknown.

Common symptoms of macular degeneration:

• Blurred vision
• A central dark spot
• Loss of central vision
• Distorted vision

 The retina is the thin, light-sensitive tissue that lines the inside wall of the backside of your eye.

In the center of this nerve tissue is the macula. It provides the sharp, central vision needed for reading, driving, and seeing fine detail. Retinal disorders affect this vital tissue. They can affect your vision, and some can be serious enough to cause blindness.

It’s important to pay attention to any changes in your vision and find care quickly if you notice sudden changes in vision. These are warning signs of potentially serious retinal diseases.

Capitol Eye Care Treats Macular Degeneration

Macular degeneration is divided up into two types: wet and dry.

The dry form is far more common. This type can include loss of retinal pigment and deposit of material in the tissues underneath the macula.

As the disease progresses, changes in the blood vessels underneath the retina can cause bleeding or leaking, making up the wet component of wet macular degeneration. Wet macular degeneration is less common, but it can cause a more rapid deterioration of central vision. Recent advances in the treatment of wet macular degeneration have made it possible to preserve vision in cases that in the past would have led to severe, irreversible loss of vision.

The doctors at Capitol Eye Care are skilled in administering an advanced injection to treat the wet form of macular degeneration. There is no need to leave Jefferson City to see a retina specialist for this particular treatment.

While the injection may sound painful, it is a common treatment with minimal discomfort. Your eye will likely be sore and your vision slightly foggy for 24 to 48 hours.

After treatment, you will need to receive regular eye and retina examinations to monitor the healing progress.

The post Macular Degeneration appeared first on Capitol Eye Care.

This painless and common procedure lasts about 20 minutes. During the procedure, the excimer laser gently reshapes the cornea to change the eye’s focal point. Nearsighted treatments flatten the cornea, while farsighted treatments steepen the cornea’s curvature. Treatments for astigmatism change the shape of the cornea from a football shape to more of a spherical shape.

One Time Cost for a Clearer Future

LASIK may be a financial investment for you that you work into your budget. On average, the procedure costs between $1,000 to $4,000 per eye.

The one-time cost of LASIK will save your thousands of dollars that you would have spent on eyeglasses, contacts, and contact solution throughout your lifetime.

The quality of life improvements that LASIK provides would make you think that LASIK should cost many thousands of dollars. No longer will there be a fear of breaking your glasses and paying for a rushed replacement. No longer will you have to worry about dropping a contact on the bathroom floor.

You might very well regain 20/20 vision and no longer have to worry about wearing your glasses during major life events such as your wedding or everyday activities like exercising.

With smart planning and a good financing plan, you can make LASIK work without having to alter your lifestyle.

At Capitol Eye Care, we offer affordable financial planning options. CareCredit can be applied for online. CareCredit is used to pay for out-of-pocket expenses not covered by medical insurance.

The application process is quick and easy with credit approval and a quick phone call. Our experienced staff can assist you with your application. The program has special financing options available that you may not be able to get with other doctors.

To determine if LASIK is right for you, we have created a short survey: https://www.capitoleyecarelasik.com/take-the-lasik-self-test/

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