Why LASIK is a Good Idea
- Posted on: Jul 15 2020
Wearing eyeglasses is novel for many people, at least for a short while. At some point, though, frustration may occur due to the frequent need to clean lenses and push glasses up on the bridge of the nose, where they slide from with amazing speed. The common alternative for folks who have wanted to gain freedom from these frustrations is to wear contact lenses. However, this option also has its disadvantages. There is another option that has been around for many years now; so many years that people may have forgotten that they don’t have to live with either glasses or contact lenses. That option is LASIK.
How LASIK Works
LASIK is a laser procedure that can improve vision significantly and reduce, if not eliminate, one’s need for corrective lenses. The reason we may lose our ability to see clearly at various distances is that the light that enters the eye is not making it straight through the eye to the retina and optic nerve. Light is being bent by some type of abnormality on the cornea. This can result in hyperopia, myopia, and astigmatism.
Eyeglasses and contact lenses work by bending light in the direction it needs to go to land correctly on the retina. If you’ve worn corrective lenses for any time, you know this can be somewhat unpredictable. LASIK doesn’t bend light; it reshapes the cornea using precision laser energy. By reshaping the cornea, this procedure restores the natural, clear path of light through the eye.
The way that eyeglasses and contacts work is by bending light before it enters the eye. LASIK, on the other hand, reshapes the cornea, so rays that pass through the front of the eye have a straight path toward the retina.
A Proven Track Record
The goal of correcting refractive errors is to reduce the reliance on eyeglasses or contact lenses. According to statistics, LASIK has done a good job of this. Most LASIK procedures have restored at least 20/25 vision for patients. This degree of improvement supports vision at most distances, reducing the need for corrective lenses. The one area where LASIK patients may find they can be helped by eyeglasses is when driving at night.
LASIK continues to prove its worth as a suitable form of laser vision correction. If you’d like to know more about this procedure, arrange a consultation at our Slingerlands office at 518.475.1515.
Posted in: LASIK
