You thought you couldn't wear contacts (because of astigmatism, you need bifocals, your eyes are dry, etc.)? You thought you weren't a candidate for LASIK? And lastly, you thought that you could tell if you were developing an eye disease, didn't you? THINK AGAIN! Read on and I'll tell you how to treat your eyes right this year so they will last you a lifetime! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ in this issue ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * Preventative Eyecare * The "new" LASIK * Contact Lenses for 2004 * Glaucoma: An explanation * Macular Degeneration: An explanation Preventative Eyecare ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If you could only see what we can see when you come in for a visit to our office for a "routine" eye examination. Did you realize that within the eye, Dr. Angie and I can see signs of high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol and triglycerides, thyroid imbalances, toxic medication levels, strokes and signs of impending strokes, metastatic tumors, multiple sclerosis, myasthenia gravis, arthritis, rosacea, lyme disease, leukemia, nutritional deficiencies, gout, venereal diseases, OK, I think you probably get the picture... All of that IN ADDITION TO eye problems! I don't want to bore you and I don't have room to list all of the EYE problems we detect during "routine" eye exams. Instead, let's focus on preventative steps that you can take to keep your eyes healthy. First, for kids and active adults, we insist on using a polycarbonate lens material. It is the most shatter- resistant lens available--plus it is light, thin, and inherently blocks UV light, which brings me to my next point. Overexposure to ultraviolet light has been implicated in causing cataracts, macular degeneration, and other eye problems--protect yourself against it with treated lenses or sunglasses. The last thing I will discuss is nutrition. After all, you really are what you eat (or drink or breathe)! Clinical studies have proven that antioxidants are good, smoking is bad. In short, you can get your antioxidants by taking supplements or eating spinach, your choice. After you have clicked on the link below, then click "Take the Quiz" under "Healthy Eyes, Healthy People." test your knowledge... >> http://www.aoanet.org/eweb/startpage.aspx?site=aoastage The "new" LASIK ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The "new" LASIK is also called custom LASIK among other things. The original LASIK procedure, which is still super, treats your eye evenly throughout the cornea with a fine laser "sculpting." Custom LASIK is the same procedure, but your eye gets a different "sculpting" as needed in each of 100 different points in the cornea. So, two people with the same prescription will more than likely get two different laser "sculptings" (is that a word by the way?) depending on differences in undulations in the cornea and differences in the eye's focusing system. Confused yet? Well, here's the part that matters most: Patients have better outcomes more of the time with custom LASIK than with traditional LASIK. Still confused? Don't worry, both methods are great and there's no difference in cost at the center with which we routinely share care. Call or email us to find out for which type you are a candidate. more on custom LASIK... >> http://www.tlcvision.com/centers/indiana/customlasik/default.asp?load=section1 Contact Lenses for 2004 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ New for 2004 is the Acuvue Advance 2 week disposable lens. It is worn in the traditional way a disposable contact lens is worn, but it transmits 3 times more oxygen and is supposed to be more comfortable. I'll keep you updated--oh, and cost is going to be $3-4.00 more for a box of six. Not new, but gaining considerable market share is the Ciba Focus Night and Day 30 day continuous wear lens. Yes, you can sleep in it safely for 30 days straight--talk about low maintenance! We have fit or offered it to many of you already. Lastly, keep in mind that there is a contact lens design for ALMOST everyone. Examples are rigid gas permeable or toric for astigmatism, soft daily disposable for someone with allergies, or a bifocal lens for presbyopia. Call or email us and we'll check your chart to see if you might be a candidate for contact lenses. Focus Night & Day Contacts >> http://www.nightanddaycontacts.com/html/lens.shtml Glaucoma: An explanation ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Glaucoma is an eye disease in which the optic nerve ("cable" running to the brain) develops a poor blood and "nerve" flow at the point where it enters the back of the eye. Most often, this is caused by high eye pressure which "chokes off" this blood and nerve flow. This can cause you to slowly, and unnoticeably, lose side vision and eventually central vision. I admit that was pretty simplistic. If you want more information that is still readable for a non-eye doctor then visit the link to the National Eye Institute below. More information on Glaucoma >> http://www.nei.nih.gov/health/glaucoma/glaucoma_facts.htm Macular Degeneration: An explanation ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I've been thinking a lot about how to make this explanation short, sweet, and understandable and I can't seem to do it. The link below does a pretty good job. Let me know if you have any specific questions. Thanks! More information on Macular Degeneration >> http://www.nei.nih.gov/health/maculardegen/armd_facts.htm#2 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Quick Links... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Register Now >> http://www.longfamilyeyecare.com Last Month's Newsletter >> http://www.longfamilyeyecare.com/newsletters.html Related Topics >> http://www.longfamilyeyecare.com/links.html Featured Eyewear: Nike Flexon >> http://www.marchon.com/MarchonWeb2002/2002HTML%27s/flexonwnike2002.html Additional Services >> http://www.longfamilyeyecare.com/services.html More About Us >> http://www.longfamilyeyecare.com/aboutus.html ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ email: drjarrod@longfamilyeyecare.com voice: 812-332-5090 web: http://www.longfamilyeyecare.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~