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Work & Activity Schedule After LASIK Surgery

LASIK surgery is one of the most popular types of laser eye surgery and it offers patients the chance to see clearly without glasses or contact lenses. There are some standard recommendations and wait times on certain activities that you can use as a guide to understanding what to expect with work and activity restrictions following your LASIK procedure.

Operating a Vehicle

After LASIK eye surgery, blurry vision is expected so you will need someone to drive you home. You will NOT need someone to drive you to the postoperative checkup scheduled the day after your LASIK procedure. During your postoperative visit, your vision will be checked. Then, one of our doctors will look at your eyes through the slit lamp to make sure the healing process is going smoothly.

Bathing and Showering

You’ll be able to bathe or shower the day after surgery. Take precautions not to get soap or water in your eyes for at least a week during your LASIK surgery recovery. If you do get soap in your eye, rinse your eye out with medicated eye drops and call your eye doctor if you experience severe pain that persists.

Swimming

Freshwater carries the risk of infection, and chlorine and salt pool water carry the risk of eye irritation. Spas and hot tubs are also not friendly for healing after LASIK because bacteria thrives in hot water environments. You’ll want to avoid these water activities for at least 2 weeks during the LASIK eye surgery recovery process.

Applying Eye Makeup

To avoid irritating your eyes, it’s ideal to wait about seven days postoperative to resume wearing eye makeup. While you wait, take the opportunity to replace all your old mascara, eyeliner, eye shadow, primers, and open-jar creams. With use, makeup can harbor microorganisms that can cause bacterial eye infections. Replacing all old eye makeup and open-jar facial lotions reduces the risk of infecting your healing eyes with contaminated products.

Exercise

Wait a few days postoperative to resume your normal exercise routine. As your eyes continue to heal over the next two to six weeks, you’ll want to take precautions to keep sweat from running into your eyes. Keep a towel nearby and invest in a good sweatband for your head. Contact sports will also have to be avoided for up to six weeks.

Return To Work

Most patients can go back to work as soon as the next day after LASIK. If you work in an unclean, dusty, dirty, or outdoor environment, your LASIK surgeon may recommend more time off.

Right after the LASIK procedure, your eyes may feel a little dry, especially if you spend most of your workday behind a computer screen, driving, reading paperwork, or otherwise visually focused. You’ll want to use artificial tears or lubricating eye drops over the next few weeks to reduce dryness, and remember not to rub your eyes for at least two weeks postoperative.

Schedule a LASIK Consult for Detailed Information

Of course, these are general guidelines on what activity and work restrictions may follow LASIK. During your initial LASIK consultation, your eye surgeon can provide a more comprehensive and individualized list of information on what activity and guidelines will accompany your LASIK recovery. Contact Campus Eye Group today for a consultation with one of our LASIK experts.

What is LASIK Eye Surgery

LASIK has become a top treatment to fix vision issues. More than 10 million Americans have fixed their sight with LASIK since it was approved by the FDA in 1999. With more than 700,000 surgeries completed each year. It is one of the more popular surgeries in the country. Most patients have very high satisfaction ratings, and overall, almost 99% of patients heal to 20/20 vision. Almost 50% will have better than 20/20 vision.

What is Laser Vision Correction

People who wear contacts or glasses often hear about the benefits of LASIK surgery to correct their eyes. There are two main types of surgery, including LASIK and PRK. The surgeries were created to eliminate the need for glasses or contacts and return the vision to 20/20.

Who is a good candidate for LASIK?

People who are nearsighted, farsighted, or/and have astigmatism can have LASIK surgery. You might be eligible for LASIK surgery if you have good overall eye health. It is not recommended for people who have a cornea disorder called keratoconus.

You Might Need Glasses After Surgery

Despite the high success rate, this operation does not guarantee that patients will be able to get rid of glasses for the rest of their lives. Reading very small print or driving at night may still require glasses.

How Does LASIK Work?

LASIK works by re-sculpting the cornea. The cornea is the rounded, clear surface of the eye, which helps focus the light as it enters the eye. The surgeon will create a very thin flap on the cornea with a laser. Then he uses a different laser to reshape the cornea to the ideal shape discussed in your pre-operation eye exam. The corneal flap is then returned back into its original place.

What is PRK?

PRK is a different procedure than LASIK, which might be a better option for people who have some pre-existing eye conditions like very thin corneas. The recovery time for PRK is a little longer than LASIK – about 3-5 days. It is also not as comfortable as LASIK, but the final outcome for both procedures should be the same.

Lens Implants

If you are not eligible for laser surgery because you have too strong of a prescription, you might be eligible for implantable lenses. They focus on treating nearsighted people or those who have astigmatism. The lenses are created from plastic or silicone and are surgically placed inside the eye.

Campus Eye Group

If you are considering LASIK surgery, please call us to schedule an appointment.

Things College Students Can Do to Protect the Health of Their Eyes

The life of a college student can become quite busy. However, this is no reason to ignore issues pertaining to the eye health. Students in college should be especially conscious of the following tips regarding the health of their eyes.

Keep Your Hands Clean

Crowded classrooms and dormitories make great breeding areas for bacteria and germs. The germs that cause pink eye are common in these environments. Wash your hands multiple times each day with warm water and soap. You should also keep your hands away from your face, especially your eyes, as much as possible.

Keep Contact Lenses Clean

Between classes and on-campus social activities, it can be easy to neglect the cleaning of your contact lenses. You should not sleep in your contacts unless they are specifically designed for extended wear. You should disinfect and properly store your contacts each night before bed. You should also only wash your contacts with the proper cleaning solution and never shower or swim while wearing them. Bad hygiene practices with contacts can cause infections in the eye and sometimes worse.

Rest

Studying and reading for long hours can strain the eyes. Modern technology can make matters worse. The light from mobile phones, tablets, and computers is a factor for computer vision syndrome and other eye complications. If you must work using a computer for a large part of the day, computer glasses are available to lessen the workload on your eyes.

Spend Time Outside

More than half of college students suffer from nearsightedness. Spending time outside can keep this condition from becoming worse. Spend a little time outdoors each day. Your books and computer screen will be waiting for you when you return.

Be Careful with Makeup

Eye makeup can be a source point for a number of bacteria that can negatively affect the eyes. You and your friends should never use the same makeup for your eyes. Also, if your eyes ever become infected, you should discard the eye makeup you are using immediately.

Use Protective Eyewear

You should use proper gear to protect your eyes if you participate in athletics while in college. These glasses will protect your eyes from bumps, scratches, bruises, and serious injury.

Yearly Exam

A yearly eye examination will ensure your vision is optimal and provide an early warning to any potential threats to the health of your eyes.

About Campus Eye Group

The staff at Campus Eye Group is comprised of board-certified ophthalmologists and certified optometrists who deliver the highest quality of eye care, innovative medical and surgical care, and the finest optical services available.

With multiple offices in Mercer County, NJ and Bucks County PA, we are one of the largest and most prestigious free-standing eye care centers in the country.

Take Care of Your Eyes as You Age

When you reach about 40 years of age, you may start noticing that your eyes begin to change. At first, you may simply ignore the change and not think much of it. But as time continues to pass, you may notice it is harder to read or see things close up.

These eye changes are normal due to your age. It is called “presbyopia”, and it means you will need to use reading glasses to comfortably read small print from now on.

It is essential that you have a comprehensive eye exam regularly. You need a regular eye exam because many eye diseases do not come with red flags or early warning signs. However, a comprehensive dilated eye exam can detect eye disease while it is in the early stages. By detecting a problem early, it will be easier to manage for years to come.

You may wonder, what are some other age-related eye conditions?

Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD)

For people over 50 years of age, this condition is the leading reason for the loss of sight. There is a small spot near the center of your eye called the macula. The macula is responsible for your central vision, the loss of which can set limits in your life. AMD can restrict your ability of face-recognition, driving, reading, writing, or any activity that requires you to look close. Risk factors for AMD are:

  • Age (over 60 usually)
  • Smoking
  • Family History and Genetics

Dry Eye

Sometimes as you get older, your tear ducts do not work like they used to. The quantity or quality of the tears from your tear duct is not enough to keep your eyes lubricated. This ends up feeling like sand is in your eye or it may feel scratchy. You may also have other symptoms, such as:

  • Burning
  • Pain
  • Redness in the Eye
  • Excessive tearing

Here are some of the other reasons that may contribute to your dry eye condition:

  • Advancing Age
  • Medications
  • Rosacea
  • Autoimmune Disorders
  • Windy or Dry Environments

If you are suffering from this condition, it is essential to make an appointment with the eye doctor to get some relief.

Low Vision

Even though you may wear glasses or contact lenses, you may still have a hard time seeing. Some of the health or eye conditions that can cause low vision are:

  • AMD
  • Cataracts
  • Diabetes
  • Glaucoma
  • Birth defects

In treating this condition, it is crucial to catch it early. The earlier the doctor finds the problem, the more likely they can help you preserve as much of your vision as possible.

Here are some of the warning signs:

If you have a hard time…

  • Recognizing the faces of people you know
  • Reading, cooking, fix-it work
  • Choosing and matching your clothes
  • Seeing clearly with the lights on
  • Read large signs with driving or department store signs

If you have any of these signs, it is essential to make an appointment for a complete comprehensive eye exam with dilation. The phone call can preserve your sight.

Today we just covered a few of the eye conditions you may experience as you grow older. Whether you have these symptoms or not, the most important piece of information to take from this article is the need for a comprehensive eye exam. If you have not had an exam in the last year, it is time to call and make an appointment. Before you feel regret and you have lost some of your vision. Call Campus Eye Group at (609)587-2020 and make your eye appointment today.

Taking the Right Steps to Protect Your Eyes

Your eye muscles work way more than you probably think– about 100,000 times per day. They work very hard looking at the world around you, so you want to make sure you treat them with care and concern. Even if you are starting to have problems with your eyes, you can still follow a few steps that will protect your vision and stop it from getting worse. Here are some lifestyle changes to make to help get the most out of your eyes over time.

Always Get Enough Sleep

If you are not getting enough sleep at night, you run the risk of dry eyes. Dry eyes can then lead to itchiness, pain, and blurred vision.

Take a Much-Needed Break

It’s true– as a society, we depend on our cell phones and other electronic devices more and more. While technology can do great things, it can take a toll on your vision over the course of a lifetime. If you work on a computer, you could spend up to eight or more hours a day simply looking at a screen. If you get home and turn on the TV or play video games, you’re adding more hours to the amount of time you strain your eyes focusing on a screen.

Taking regular breaks to look at something away from your screen for a few minutes at a time can help to give your eyes a rest. You can even couple this with standing and walking around to make sure you’re staying healthy overall!

Reduce the Brightness of Your Screen

Most of our electronic devices default to the brightest screen there is. Staring at this screen for hours a day will cause unnecessary strain on your eyes. It can also lead to regular headaches. Be sure to turn down the brightness on your screen (although, not so low that you strain to see it!). You should also be looking slightly down at your screen if you work on a computer or laptop. This cuts down the glare on your eyes. Also, consider using a blue light filter on your phone during the evening to help reduce strain while it’s darker outside.

Don’t Check Your Phone in the Dark

It’s easy to want to check Facebook “one last time” as you are lying in bed in the dark. However, doing so actually strains your eyes even more due to the glare coming from your phone or any other device. Once you put your phone down for the night, let it stay there. You’ll protect your eyes and enjoy a more peaceful sleep.

Enjoy Antioxidants

Certain nutrient-dense foods have been found to lower the risk of macular degeneration and cataracts. Lutein and zeaxanthin are two antioxidants that can be found in dark green, leafy vegetables. Pick up some spinach or kale for better eyesight. Carrots will help, as well. Carrots are high in beta-carotene, which is the precursor to Vitamin A. This vitamin can assist with eye function.

Invest in Good Sunglasses

Have you ever noticed that your eyes can feel gritty and tired when you are out in the hot sun? That’s because your eyes can easily feel the blazing heat. Make sure to invest in a good pair of sunglasses that block both UVB and UVA rays. You’ll protect your eyes from the glare of the sun, and it will not be as hard to see while you’re outside. If you spend a lot of time near water, consider polarized lenses to cut down on glare that reflects off water and can cause damage.

Schedule a Consultation

Campus Eye Group & Laser Center is a leader when it comes to eye care and LASIK surgery. We have been helping patients take care of their eyes for over 35 years, and we continue to grow as our reputation for experience and quality care precedes us. Contact us by calling or filling out our online form to schedule a consultation with our expert ophthalmologists.

Eye Health Tips for Men and Women Over 60

Your eye health can begin to deteriorate with age. Men and women over the age of 60 might begin to notice certain conditions that require treatment. There are also certain precautions and tips that men and women should follow to maintain their eye health. 

Women May Be at a Higher Risk for Certain Eye Diseases

Women are more likely than men to have vision problems and issues due to glaucoma. It is important for all women to follow the screening guidelines and listen to what their ophthalmologist recommends when they go in for an appointment. Putting off treatment can result in worsening conditions that could even lead to blindness. 

Low Vision

Having low vision can cause even the most mundane daily tasks to become difficult. Normal aging won’t always lead to low vision. This problem can also be a result of injuries, eye disease, or both. Low vision symptoms may include the loss of peripheral or central vision, night blindness, or blurred vision. A person with these symptoms might have problems recognizing faces, shopping, reading, or driving. An ophthalmologist will look for any underlying conditions that may be causing you to experience these symptoms. Some people simply need brighter lighting sources in their homes. Always speak to your ophthalmologist if you have any concerns. 

Avoiding Eye Injuries

Home improvements can cause eye injuries in men and women who do not protect their eyes. Of course, wearing protective eyewear can easily prevent this from occurring, so everyone should have one or more pairs of safety glasses readily available.

It is also very important to reduce fall risks, which can occur more often as we age because of changes in balance and vision. 

Systemic Health Issues

Systemic health issues such as diabetes and high blood pressure may also cause eye health problems in women and men. If you frequently cannot see clearly, this could be a sign of diabetes or high blood pressure. Always inform your ophthalmologist about your current health conditions and any medication use. 

Exercise

Regular exercise does more for a person than just weight loss. It also stimulates oxygen intake and blood circulation, something the eyes need. However, weight loss is important for more than just aesthetic reasons. Staying within a healthy weight range will reduce your risk of diabetes and then diabetic retinopathy. Gentle exercise can be effective ways to stay healthy and happy. Consider stretching, bike-riding, walking, tai chi, or yoga. Always wear protective eyewear during sports activities to protect your eyes from injury. You should also wear sunscreen every time that you are outside. 

Sleep

Our eyes continuously lubricate themselves as we sleep. They also clear away any irritants that may have accumulated during your day, as well. There are studies that propose that there are light-sensitive cells in our eyes that help to regulate every one of our wake-sleep cycles. Because of this, we need to always protect our eyes from too much exposure to ultra-violet light. In order to maintain a normal wake-sleep cycle, we should also make sure to regularly expose our eyes to natural light sources. 

Campus Eye Group & Laser Center offers men and women full-service eye care. We have been in business for over 35 years and are dedicated to our patients. Contact us today if you are concerned about your eyes or if you have any questions that we can answer. We are here to help. 

 

Cataract Surgery

When you imagine a cataract, think about something that covers the lens of your eye and that prevents you from seeing like you normally would. Glasses won’t make a difference in how well you can see when you have a cataract, which is why you’ll likely need to have surgery performed. 

Benefits of Cataract Surgery in Trenton

One benefit of cataract surgery is that you might not need to rely on wearing glasses as often as you did before the procedure. You’ll usually discover that cataracts are a normal part of the aging process and that there is a high percentage of people over the age of 80 who have had them at some point. With modern technology and the care provided by Campus Eye Group, this type of surgery is effective and safe. 

How is Cataract Surgery Performed in Trenton?

Most cataract surgeries are performed in an outpatient facility. You won’t be put to sleep as you would with other types of surgeries, but you’ll be sedated so that you’re comfortable. Keep in mind that your eye will need to remain open during the procedure so that the cataract can be removed. 

After you’re comfortable and in the operating room, your doctor will remove the lens that has become clouded. An artificial lens will then be placed in your eye. This artificial lens will provide the clear vision that you had before the cataract developed and often better vision than you had before surgery. Since the procedure is performed in an outpatient facility and usually doesn’t take long to complete, there’s typically no need to stay in a hospital overnight. 

During the surgery, ultrasound technology is used to break apart the cataract so that it’s in small pieces. This makes it easier to remove through a suction procedure instead of making multiple incisions in your eye. Since there are fewer and smaller incisions made, the recovery time is faster and an easier process. There are also fewer complications that present with this type of surgery including a decreased risk of an infection. Once the lens is completely removed, your doctor from Campus Eye Group will place the clear lens. This is placed right where your natural lens was so that it can function as naturally as possible. You usually won’t be able to tell that there is a different lens in your eye as it’s the same size and shape as your natural one. You will need to go back to your doctor at Campus Eye Group the next day after your surgery and then as necessary to ensure that your eye is healing properly. 

To get started on your treatment and to learn more about cataract surgery, contact Campus Eye Group today.