5 Eye Diseases That Require Eye Doctor Care

There’s no denying that cases of eye problems make up a huge number, and the people affected with vision problems continue to increase every year. This makes the number of people searching for eye doctor St. Louis Mo increase as well. As these numbers increase, it’s no doubt that the need for eye disease treatment procedures has also increased. With advancements in technology and experienced ophthalmologists, treatment for such diseases have strong evidence-based results and are effective in addressing the number of patients seeking help. Below are some of the common treatments for eye diseases used by eye doctors.

LASIK. LASIK is short for laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis. It is widely known as the most common type of refractive surgery, that fixes the way eyes focus. This procedure is done with the use of a laser to remove tissue under the surface of the cornea, thus reshaping it. Reshaping the cornea can correct eye problems such as nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism. The surgery can take just about 30 minutes for both eyes, with improvements in vision noticeable within a day after surgery.

Photorefractive Keratectomy. Commonly known as PRK, it has the same functions as the LASIK surgery. PRK also uses laser technology to remove cells on the surface of the cornea. Unlike the LASIK surgery, however, PRK does not involve creating a "flap" in the cornea before reshaping the surface. Although both types of refractive surgery are evidence-based, the cornea of some patients is better suited for PRK than for LASIK. Through PRK, most people’s vision improves by 80% in four weeks and by 95% after 12 weeks.

Glaucoma and Macular Degeneration Surgery. Surgeries for glaucoma and macular degeneration deal with saving eyesight as vision loss is usually irreversible for these conditions. Other treatment options include Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty, Micropulsed Diode Laser Trabeculoplasty, iStent, and Trabeculectomy. Surgery for these eye conditions is usually an outpatient procedure, and often needing laser treatment procedures.

Lens Replacement Treatment. This type of treatment is usually suited for patients suffering from eye conditions such as cataract, or for patients who do not qualify for laser eye surgery. There are three types of lens replacement surgery including Refractive Lens Exchange, also known as Clarivu, corneal graft, and cataract surgery. In Clarivu, the procedure involves replacing the eyes’ natural lenses with an artificial lens. In a corneal graft, the procedure involves replacing a damaged or diseased cornea with a new one. In cataract surgery, the natural lens of the eyes is removed to remove any cataracts causing blurry and cloudy vision.

Vitrectomy Treatment. This is used to cure patients affected by eye conditions related to diabetes. The surgical procedure removed the vitreous gel from the middle of the eye to restore accurate vision. Types of vitrectomy treatment include pars plana with internal tamponade and scleral buckling and retinopexy YAG laser photodisruption.

The list for effective eye treatments goes on, and more treatments are still being developed in the field of ophthalmology. These treatment procedures are one with the notion that eye health is very important to every individual, for it equates to a better quality of life.

Teacher-turned online blogger, Shirley is a full-time backyard homesteader based in Virginia. When she doesn't have her face buried in a book or striding in her garden, she's busy blogging about simple life hacks of the daily life.