Is LASIK for you?

By Jessica Burkhart, Associate Editor


"Guys don't make passes at girls who wear glasses…" That quote isn't true, but it might be having an influence on today's teens. Now, more than ever, we are tossing our glasses aside and popping in a pair of contacts.

Contact lenses come in a variety of colors, from normal eye colors to enhanced versions such as cat eyes, American flags and spirals. Cool colors and designs may come with a price, a price that won't come from your wallet but rather your eyes' health. So, whether you're thinking about getting contacts instead of glasses or you just want to change your eye color, read more to learn about the available options.

What exactly are contacts? Contact lenses are small saucers that fit over your cornea. They float on a layer of tears held by surface tension until they are removed. Contacts are not able to get "lost" in your eyes.

For those who need vision correction and want to wear contacts, there are two main types of contact lenses, hard and soft. Hard lenses are best for those with a moderate to severe astigmatism, or a condition that causes blurring of lights or lines. Those who have severe astigmatism may find that their eyes turn soft lenses inside out or they move around too much in the eyes due to the astigmatism. Hard lenses also offer the clearest vision possible with contacts.

Hard lenses have a drawback. They do not allow as much oxygen to your eyes as would soft contacts. If your eyes do not receive enough oxygen, they are prone to corneal infection, dryness and redness. Hard lenses are typically less comfortable to wear than soft lenses.

Soft contact lenses are the most popular and widely used. They are disposable yearly, monthly, weekly, biweekly, daily and many other schedules. As often as you can throw away your lenses, the less prone to infection and germs you'll be. It is imperative that you never sleep in any type of lens even though contact lens companies claim you can do so. Sleeping in lenses is the easiest way to cause permanent eye damage.

Contact costs differ due to many factors such as choosing hard or soft lenses, the brand of contacts you choose and how often you change them. The more often you dispose of your lenses, the slightly more expensive they'll be. Cost shouldn't be your only determining factor, spending a few extra dollars to help preserve your eyes is always worth the added expense.

Teens who don't need vision correction sometimes opt for contacts to change their eye color or to express themselves with lenses that sport special effects. This topic is easy to tackle; if you don't need vision correction you don't need to wear contacts.

The FDA continually warns that ill-fitted decorative lenses can cause severe eye-health problems and can lead to blindness. Peaking during the Halloween season, gas stations, internet sites, flea markets and other stores and companies sell teens decorative contact lenses without a prescription in a "one size fits all" market. You couldn't wear a size four shoe if your foot was really a size eleven which is why one size fits all doesn't work with contacts. Keep in mind, if you do need vision correct and want decorative lenses, it is safe to purchase them through an eye doctor. If you're just looking to have cat eyes for a night, don't turn to the street for lenses.

If contacts aren't your thing and you don't want to wear glasses, there is now an increasingly affordable surgery to restore your vision. LASIK is an eye surgery used to correct most vision problems. LASIK surgery changes the shape of the eye's cornea with a small knife and laser. Patients enter as out patients and the total surgery generally lasts less than thirty minutes; some even take ten minutes per eye.

On LASIK's website, www.lasikeyesurgery.com, you can find a certified doctor in your state, book an appointment online and set up a free consultation. LASIK's doctors stress the importance of doing your homework on this subject before rushing into this procedure. Like any surgery, there are possible risks and complications with LASIK, the most severe being blindness. The FDA approves LASIK, but there are no long-term studies on side effects that could appear after several years of having LASIK performed.

A crucial section to read on LASIK's website is "When is LASIK not for me?". No one under eighteen can have LASIK surgery, those with diabetes or other disease may also not be candidates for this procedure. Read and study websites, brochures, newspaper articles and other media before making the decision to have LASIK performed. Cost should not be your only determining factor as to what doctor you choose. The average price for LASIK hovers between $1000 and $1200 for both eyes. LASIK surgeries have been advertised for as low as $200 per eye, but buyer beware. Doctors have been known to advertise for LASIK surgery in traveling clinics and offer to perform the surgery cheaply and in mobile buses or mobile homes. These so called "clinics" are often unsanitary and doctors often aren't fully trained in performing LASIK. Be sure your LASIK specialist is reputable and do a bit of digging online to find out information about him or her.

Whichever type of vision correction you choose, be safe and choose wisely. Visit your local eye doctor before deciding on contacts, glasses or LASIK.

Photo Credits:
http://www.lasikeyesurgery.com

Article Credits:
http://www.eyecareforyou.com
http://usgovinfo.about.com
http://www.aao.org
www.allaboutvision.com
http://www.lasikeyesurgery.com
http://www.fda.gov