Q: Do I have cataracts and are they ready for removal?
A: Cataracts develop in the natural lens which is behind the pupil inside your eye. Cataract is a loss of transparency (or clouding) of the natural lens and can be caused by aging, trauma, medications or a number of systemic diseases. A recommendation for removal comes from a combination of the density of the cataract and the effect it is having on the patients visual requirements.

Q: Is laser vision correction safe and would I be a good canidate?
A: The decision to have LASIK or laser in-site keratomileysis, is an important one that ultimately, only you can make. It is important that you have realistic expectations and that your decision is based on facts, not hopes or misconceptions. We at Family Eyecare will help you examine the facts and develop realistic expectations in a non-pressured atmosphere. The ideal candidate for LASIK is over 18 years of age and has healthy corneas. Canidates must not have had a significant increase in their prescription in the last 12 months.

Q: What is Amblyopia or Lazy eye and how can it be detected?
A: Amblyopia (Lazy Eye) is a condition where the brain ignores signals coming from one eye. The eye that is being ignored doesn't develop normal vision. Amblyopia is hard to detect because most children can function normally with one good eye. Treatments for amblyopia are usually successful if detected before age 7 and may not work at all after age 10. Making the brain use both eyes and getting them to work as a team becomes harder after age 7.

Q: What is Strabismus or eye misalignment?
A: Stabismus or eye misalignment is a condition where one eye is straight and the other is turned in, out, up or down. If strabismus is not treated the brain will start ignoring the eye that is not aligned and it causes amblyopia (see definition above). Strabismus can be caused by focusing problems (being very farsighted) or an eye muscle problem. Early detection and treatment are important to successful eye alignment and binocular vision (using both eyes).

Q: What is Glaucoma and how will I know if I need to be checked for this?
A: Glaucoma (often called the "silent thief") is an eye disease wehre the intraocular pressure is too high and causes irreversable damage to the optic nerve. It gets the name "silent thief" because there are no symptoms to most types of glaucoma and goes undetected until a persons eyesight is already damaged. More than 3 million Americans are struggling with glaucoma and more than 125,000 have lost their sight. There are many risk factors such as age, race, medications and family history so it is important to be examined and find out if glaucoma may be a problem for you.

Q: If I have a lot of astigmatism can I wear contact lenses?
A: Many factors must be evaluated to determine if you are a good candidate for contact lenses. Astigmatism is one of these factors that we use to make a recommendation. Many new lenses have been granted approval in the past few years and most patients can now be fit successfully.

Q: Can I wear contact lenses if I wear bifocals?
A: As stated before many factors must be considered to determine if you are a good candidate for contact lenses. Bifocal contact lenses have been availabale for many years and the technology is improving every year. Come in and talk to us about whether they would be a possibility for you.