Presbyopia and Astigmatism Vision Correction Options

As we age, the gradual loss of near vision becomes more apparent, often around the age of 40. The lens of the eye becomes stiff and can no longer easily change its shape, causing our close vision to become blurry. This normal and unavoidable change is the effect of aging eyes.

Help for presbyopia often comes in the form of glasses or contact lenses. We may prescribe reading glasses only for up-close tasks such as reading. If you are wearing corrective lenses for distance, then you may be prescribed a bifocal. Bifocal or monovision contact lenses may also be an option.

Many of our patients choose refractive surgery as an alternative to wearing bifocal glasses. Presbyopic lens exchange, also called Prelex, involves taking out the natural lens in the eye and replacing it with an intraocular lens that corrects both distance and near vision. Even if you are “too young” for cataract surgery, this procedure acts very much as does cataract surgery, except our patients have the ability to see near and far, including some correction of astigmatism, often without the need for glasses or contact lenses. Drs. Meyer, Greene and Jaggers offer Prelex surgery for correction of Presbyopia using AcrySof ReSTOR and Toric lenses.

So, if you are noticing your arms are not long enough to allow you to read the restaurant menu or if the speedometer on your car dashboard is getting fuzzy, please contact us. We can offer you many options to improve your vision.

Some Facts About Pink Eye

If your eyes are red, itching and burning and have a discharge, you may have what is commonly called pink eye. The medical term is conjunctivitis because it is an inflammation or infection of the conjunctiva, the transparent membrane that lines your eyelid and part of your eyeball. The inflammation causes the small blood vessels in the conjunctiva to become more prominent, giving a pink or red cast to your eyes.

Conjunctivitis can be caused by bacteria, a virus or an allergy. If it is caused by an allergy, it should improve once the allergy is treated and the allergen removed but may need treatment with drops. Bacterial conjunctivitis responds to antibiotics. Just as a cold must run its course, so must viral conjunctivitis which often is caused by the same family virus. These types of conjunctivitis are not a serious health risk if diagnosed promptly.

Certain forms of conjunctivitis can become serious and sight-threatening. They include conjunctivitis caused by gonorrhea, chlamydia or certain strains of the adenovirus. Differentiating these types of infections is sometimes difficult and an exam is necessary.

Conjunctivitis can be highly contagious but there are steps you can take to lower your risk. First, wash your hands frequently and avoid touching your face. If someone in your household has pink eye, do not share washcloths, towels, pillowcases, mascara or eyeliner with them.

Pink eye is something we treat often, so we have a special page on our website with even more information about Pink Eye.

If you suspect that you have conjunctivitis, call us to set up an appointment to seek for relief of your symptoms and to reduce your risk of complications. All of our doctors offer these treatments.

The Eye Care Institute and our Patients Help the Henryville Tornado Victims

On Tuesday March 27th, we presented a total of $3109.44 to the American Red Cross offices in Louisville with the designation for assisting the Henryville, IN tornado disaster.

Immediately upon hearing of the tragedy of the Henryville tornado, Mark Prussian, CEO of The Eye Care Institute, set up a matching program for American Red Cross donations. Prussian placed signs around our offices offering a $1,000 match for monies turned in here for the benefit of the American Red Cross.

One patient, affiliated with the Lydia Middleton School in Madison, Indiana contacted us to ask if group donations count toward the $1,000. Of course, the answer was a resounding yes. A few days later the school’s PTO sent a check to us for the American Red Cross in the amount of $548.44. We were told these funds were collected primarily by their students.

In our lobbies, our patients and employees donated $483. One Texas-based medical device manufacturer, in the process of attempting to develop a new medical procedure, added $1,000 to the donation total.

Prussian said, “We are grateful to be able to provide so much eye care to residents of Southern Indiana. At this difficult time, it is, therefore, our responsibility to give back to the community.”