1-Astigmatism

Astigmatism is a type of refractive deformity of the eye and can cause blurred vision and are the most common reason why a person goes to see an ophthalmologist.

Astigmatism is seen in many people from short sighted to long sighted people. It is a very common eye condition however it is not understood by most people. Basically, it means that your eye has difficulty focusing on objects at certain angles. Many patients have issues with vertical lines or walls that appear to the patient as if they are leaning over or bent. This is caused by the shape of the inner eye a normal eye one with perfect vision is shaped like a golf ball, someone with astigmatism is shaped more like a football or egg.

Some typical symptoms often associated with astigmatism:

• Distorted vision

• Blurry vision

• Eye strain

• Squinting

• Headaches

Astigmatism is common in many people and most people have some mild form of astigmatism.  For those that it is noticeable it can be corrected with glasses, contact lenses, a lens implant and many times laser corrective surgery.

2-Dysfunctional Lens Syndrome (DLS)

Have you always had good vision seeing things clearly without the need for glasses or contacts but now that you are a little older you are having difficulty reading, or with glare when driving at night or do you experience blurry vision? These vision issues may be from an age-related vision syndrome called Dysfunctional Lens Syndrome sometimes referred to as “DLS”.  Even patients that have previously had LASIK surgery may think “hey, my LASIK wore off”. This simple, not the case. DLS effects the eye’s lens, not the cornea which is reshaped during LASIK surgery. Patients with DLS are experiencing an issue with the eyes lens not being clear and not flexible and able to change shape to focus on objects far and near. This slow progressive vision loss occurs naturally over the years. Your eyes lens will stiffen and lose their clarity eventually turning yellow degrading vision eventually turning into cataracts.

The Stages of Dysfunctional Lens Syndrome

Typically DLS patients experience three stages.

Stage 1 occurs in people in their 40s, this is when the lens in the eyes loses its flexibility. These people tend to use reading glasses because the eye’s lens can’t focus on things up close.

Stage 2 generally experienced when people are in their 50’s and 60’s. This is when the eyes lens optics begin to degrade losing sharpness they begin to yellow lose their clarity and will scatter light making it more difficult to see things clearly at lower light levels.

Stage 3 is when people with DLS are typically in their 70’s which is when the lens is clouded and diagnosed as a cataract.

DLS is a normal progression of the eyes lens and is normal in people as they grow older.

DLS Options

When patients are affected by DLS stages 1 or 2 it is possible to resolve these vision issues by surgically replacing the dysfunctional lens with an interocular lens or IOL. This very popular surgical procedure improves vision by having the dysfunctional lens removed from the eye and replaced with a new flexible clear IOL.  With a premium, IOL patients reduce the dependence on glasses and will not experience cataracts later in life.

Your eyesight can affect just about every task you do during the course of the day. With our technical advancements in vision care, we have a solution which can provide patients that suffer from DLS and provide them with clear good vision. Dr. Roberts will examine your eyes and will discuss your eye condition with you. If DLS is diagnosed he will explain all the options that are available to you in order to correct your vision and see clearly again.