LASIK and Dry Eyes
LASIK is growing increasingly popular with patients who are sick and tired of wearing glasses or contact lenses and want to address their vision problems once and for all. If you have nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism or any of a number of vision problems, you are likely an excellent candidate for LASIK. You likely have a number of concerns and questions about the procedure, and your doctor can answer them. Patients with dry eyes often wonder whether they’re good candidates.
Dry eyes, however, can prove to be more than an inconvenience when it comes to LASIK. This condition is both a hurdle to undergoing LASIK and a potential complication of the procedure. If you’re considering LASIK vision correction surgery, you should review some information on dry eyes and LASIK.
Before the Procedure
Your doctor will do an extensive evaluation of your eyes before even thinking about performing LASIK. One of the key factors he will consider is the dryness of your eyes.
If you suffer from dry eyes, the results from your LASIK procedure might not be as good as the average LASIK patient. For that reason, your dry eyes might affect your LASIK candidacy.
Now, if you suffer from dry eyes, that is not automatically a disqualifier. Your doctor might be able to treat the condition before proceeding with LASIK. If that’s just not possible, there are several LASIK alternatives such as PRK that might be a better fit for you.
After the Procedure
Dry eyes are one of the most common post-LASIK complaints. For most patients, this dryness is temporary and will soon disappear. The likelihood of suffering from dry eyes after LASIK is higher if you had dry eyes before the procedure.
If your eyes are chronically dry following LASIK, this may impact your ability to achieve the optimum vision correction. Your doctor will determine before the procedure whether you are at increased risk for post-LASIK dry eyes. If you are, there are several steps he can take to minimize this possibility, such as prescribing lubricating eye drops.
If you’re suffering from vision issues in Rockin, Folsom, Sacramento or any of the surrounding areas and you want to know if LASIK is right for you, please visit the website of Wilmarth Eye Care today.