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Understanding Mgd

Berks Eye Physicians & Surgeons, Ltd.
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LASIK Recovery in Reading, PA

If you are suffering from MGD, your symptoms will appear almost identical to those of dry eye syndrome. In fact, MGD is a prime cause of dry eye. Because these two conditions are so closely allied, only a trained professional like the experienced doctors of Berks Eye Physicians and Surgeons can accurately diagnose and treat the root cause of your eye pain or blurred vision.

Oil and Water

The fine layer of moisture on the surface of your eye protects sensitive tissues, lubricates eye movement and promotes clarity in your vision. This layer is actually comprised of water, oil and mucus, and a deficiency in any of these three can lead to irritation and dryness.

When the cause of your discomfort is dry eye syndrome (keratoconjunctivitis sicca), the problem is a decrease in the amount of tears protecting the eye’s surface. When the condition is MGD (meibomian gland dysfunction), the 20 to 30 glands in the lower eyelid that secrete oils or lipids are not working properly. The purpose of these oils is to keep tears from evaporating quickly. When gland function is interrupted, the watery surface of the eye is constantly dissipating, resulting in evaporative dry eye. 

Symptoms for both dry eye and MGD may include pain or a burning sensation in the eyes, itchiness, redness, light sensitivity and blurred vision. Patients may have a feeling that there is a small particle in the eye.

MGD is common in the general population. Risk increases with age, with those over 40 having the highest likelihood of developing MGD. There also seems to be a correlation of MGD with heavy use of eye makeup. Over time, cosmetics can clog the meibomian glands and suppress oil production.

Convenient Solutions

In recent years many exciting new treatment therapies have been developed. The LipiFlow thermal pulsation system uses targeted heat to melt away waxy gland obstructions in as few as eight minutes.

If you would like to learn more about MGD, we invite you to schedule a personal consultation in our Reading office with Dr. Domenic C. Izzo, Jr. at Berks Eye Physicians and Surgeons today.

How Quickly Will I Recover From Lasik?

Berks Eye Physicians & Surgeons, Ltd.
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LASIK Recovery in Reading, PA

Advanced technology has made LASIK more convenient and comfortable than ever before. Part of that convenience is the brevity of the procedure and speed at which your eyes achieve maximum clarity.

The surgical laser is in contact with the cornea for 40 seconds or less, and the entire procedure is over in about a half hour. The recovery period is also brief, and typically free of complications. Below, the experienced vision care professionals of Berks Eye Physicians and Surgeons outline the phases of post-LASIK healing.

Recovery Stages

Your eyes begin healing immediately after your LASIK procedure, and you should begin seeing clearly within eight hours. Over the next few months, your vision will adjust to the new cornea shape until you achieve maximum clarity.

During the recovery period, some patients report slight fluctuations in vision, sensitivity to light, halos around lights, occasional blurring and difficulty with night driving. In addition, it is not uncommon to experience dry eyes for weeks or months. You may briefly experience a slight itching or burning sensation. Give your eyes room to heal efficiently by avoiding makeup, swimming, vigorous physical activity, contact sports and, especially, rubbing the eyes.

Make sure to keep your follow-up appointments, as it allows your ophthalmologist an opportunity to measure the changes in your vision and check for any complications. If you do feel pain as your eyes heal, this is actually an indicator that you need to return to the office so that your surgeon can check for infection or other side effects that require prompt attention.

If you would like to learn more about LASIK, we invite you to schedule a personal consultation in our Reading office with Dr. Domenic C. Izzo, Jr. at Berks Eye Physicians and Surgeons today.

At What Age Will I Need Reading Glasses?

Berks Eye Physicians & Surgeons, Ltd.
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Presbyopia Treatment in Reading, PA

At age 40 or above, you are likely to experience presbyopia, the condition that makes a trip to the drug store’s reading-glass carousel a middle-age rite of passage for many.

Presbyopia becomes obvious when a person begins holding books and magazines farther away to allow the eyes to focus on fine print at greater distances. Eventually everyone runs out of arm length, and must accept that vision correction is necessary for focusing on close distances. Below, the experienced vision care team at Berks Eye Physicians and Surgeons reviews treatment options for presbyopia, including traditional lenses, LASIK and advanced IOLs.

Rigid With Age

As we grow older, the lenses in our eyes become thicker and less flexible, and it becomes harder for the optical ciliary muscle to flex the lenses sufficiently to focus on near objects. In addition to needing larger print, greater distances and brighter light to read, you may also experience headache and eye strain. Although the effect is the same as farsightedness, it is actually a separate condition. One main difference is that farsightedness usually shows up much earlier in life.

Revolutionary Spectacles

Solutions to presbyopia trace as far back as Benjamin Franklin, whose enlightened quest to free himself from myopia and presbyopia led to the invention of bifocals. Eyeglasses remain a popular choice for mild presbyopia, even as the options have expanded beyond that of a pair of “Ben Franklins.” Progressive lenses blur the line between lenses of different strength and contour, and trifocals allow clear vision at a range of distances.

Contact lenses have been designed with these same principles in mind. Thanks to tremendous technological advances in recent years, multifocal contacts can now provide seamless, panoramic vision for patients with almost any type of prescription. In addition, some people choose the “monovision” option. Using this technique, a patient wears one contact lens that corrects for near vision; and, if correction for distance is necessary, a lens for nearsightedness in the other eye.

Surgical solutions include LASIK and refractive lens exchange (RLE), which replaces your eyes’ natural lenses with permanent, multifocal intraocular lenses (IOLs). IOLs are most commonly used after cataract surgery.

If you would like to learn more about effective solutions for presbyopia, we invite you to schedule a personal consultation in our Reading office with one of the skilled ophthalmologists at Berks Eye Physicians and Surgeons today.

Tips To Avoid Digital Eye Strain

Berks Eye Physicians & Surgeons, Ltd.
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With more of our work, communication and leisure time taking place digitally, the team at Berks Eye Physicians and Surgeons has seen an uptick in patients experiencing symptoms of computer vision syndrome — also referred to as digital eye strain.

Common symptoms of digital eye strain include eye fatigue, eye dryness or irritation, headaches, blurry vision and neck and shoulder pain. The more time spent using a computer, the worse the symptoms can be.

Luckily, there are ways to reduce symptoms of digital eye strain without giving up your job or social media use. Read on as our team shares some simple steps to minimize digital eye strain when working on computers.

Continue reading “Tips to Avoid Digital Eye Strain” →

Why We Dilate Your Eyes During An Eye Exam

Berks Eye Physicians & Surgeons, Ltd.
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The team at Berks Eye Physicians and Surgeons greatly values your ocular health, and we want to help you enjoy clear vision as long as possible. One of the most important ways to ensure the long-term health of your eyes is to have regular comprehensive eye exams.

Often our doctors use dilating drops prior to eye exams. Dilating your eyes allows more light into your eyes, giving our doctors a clear look all the way into the back of your eyes.  Think of dilation as a way of opening a door to see inside a room, instead of trying to look through a peephole.

Not only can we spot problems like a torn retina or an eye tumor during dilated eye exams, we can also catch signs of systemic diseases early — sometimes before a primary care doctor or specialist has a chance to diagnose these conditions.

Continue reading “Why We Dilate Your Eyes During an Eye Exam” →

Addressing Common Concerns About Cataract Surgery

Berks Eye Physicians & Surgeons, Ltd.
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Cataract surgery involves removing your eye’s natural, clouded lens and replacing it with an artificial lens. Although the procedural steps seem straightforward, it is normal to be a little daunted by the thought of surgery. This might be your first experience with eye surgery and you probably do not know what to expect.

The team at Berks Eye Physicians and Surgeons has many years of experience working with patients just like you, who felt anxious about the surgery. We will never dismiss your fears or brush them off. Instead, we are committed to educating you about the procedure and working with you to navigate your nerves about cataract surgery.

Read on as we address some of the most common concerns about cataract surgery.

Continue reading “Addressing Common Concerns About Cataract Surgery” →

What To Expect On The Day Of Your Lasik Surgery

Berks Eye Physicians & Surgeons, Ltd.
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LASIK surgery is nothing new to the team at Berks Eye Physicians and Surgeons. We understand that this is probably your first time undergoing laser eye surgery, and it is completely normal to feel curious and perhaps slightly nervous about your procedure. Having an idea of what you can expect on the day of surgery will hopefully calm some of your nerves and make you more confident about the procedure.

Continue reading “What to Expect on the Day of Your LASIK Surgery” →
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ADDRESS:
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