About 24 million U.S. adults have at least one cataract, which is a rate expected to double within the next three decades, according to the National Eye Institute. The risk for cataract increases significantly as we get older, affecting about half of those aged 75 years and up to 70 percent of those who are
LASIK eye surgery has become increasingly popular over past years in Jacksonville, Florida, and more and more people are making the decision to get rid of their glasses and contact lenses for good. Some prefer their appearance without glasses, find that glasses or contacts hinder their lifestyle, or find that the costs associated with lenses,
Dr. Rajesh Shetty appeared on First Coast News with 22-year-old Ivey Branaum, who was diagnosed with glaucoma when she was just 18. Although glaucoma is most common in people 60 and older, this rare case could have left Ivey blind if it hadn’t been for a routine eye exam. January is Glaucoma Awareness Month, so
A cornea transplant is a surgical procedure that replaces tissue inside the eye with tissue from a donor. More specifically, the surgeon replaces the cornea, which is the clear, round outer lens of the eye that helps with focus. The procedure can help you see better and reduce eye pain. There are several reasons someone
Patients who suffer from blepharitis have long been frustrated by the limited treatment options available for the condition. The area around the eyelids are notoriously difficult to keep clean, and antibiotic or steroid topical treatments are inconvenient and open the door for bacteria to build up again once the treatment has stopped. Now, the revolutionary
Glaucoma is an umbrella term used to describe a group of complex eye diseases that cause optic nerve damage. If left untreated, it can lead to vision loss, including blindness. The damage that glaucoma causes is both irreversible and progressive. It is the second leading cause of blindness but with early detection and treatment, the
A nasolacrimal duct obstruction, or as it is more commonly known—A blocked tear duct—is very common among children. Approximately 5% of children will develop a blocked tear duct, but over 90% of them naturally resolve this issue by the time they turn 1 year old. The other small percentage of kids who are left with
With the advent of LASIK eye surgery and technological advancements that have put LASIK on the map, you have to wonder: Is LASIK better than contacts? LASIK is a safe vision correction alternative to contact lenses; the safety of the procedure has been well documented, dating back to a 10-year study by the AAO (American
Ever have a bad migraine? They aren’t fun, but one out of 200 people that suffer from migraines endure an even worse type of migraine called an Ocular Migraine. These migraines cause vision loss, or in some cases blindness, that can last for around an hour. Some experts in the ophthalmic field call these episodes
Every human has a naturally occurring blind spot in their vision. This blind spot can actually be potentially reduced in size with certain types of eye-training exercises. A study conducted by scientists determined that with special eye-training techniques you can reduce the blind spot in your vision as much as 10%, thus improving overall vision.
Contact lenses are a very popular choice for many Americans in regards to vision correction. If used properly, contacts are a relatively safe and effective way of combating vision problems, but according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) approximately 99% of contact wearers, 18 years of age and above, commit at least one contact
According to the World Health Organization, cataracts are responsible for about 51 percent of blindness world wide. A cataract is a protein clump in the lens of the eye that blurs vision and most commonly develop with age or sometimes can be inherited. Right now, the only way to treat cataracts is to remove the
