Multifocal & Bifocal Contact Lenses to See Up Close?

Do you have problems seeing up close? Are you holding your phone three feet in front of your face so you can read your text messages? Are you grabbing your spouse’s reading glasses to read the menu? Are you constantly taking off your glasses to see up close?  If you are-then you may be one of the millions of people suffering from PRESBYOPIA (a Greek word meaning aging eyes).

Multifocal Contact Lenses for Seeing up Close

Presbyopia is a condition in which the lens inside of our eye becomes less flexible and prevents us from focusing objects close to our face. It usually begins in our early forties and quickly gets worse. Seeta Eye Centers Contact Lens Specialist Dr. Mel Guzman commented, “Patients come to me constantly telling me that they don’t want to wear bifocal glasses or if they are already – they are physically tired of raising their chin up to view the computer. Well, the good news is that you don’t!  There are multifocal contact lenses! And you don’t have to strain your neck to see the computer!” 

  

The technology behind multifocal and bifocal contact lenses is quite amazing. The improvements in the presbyopic contact designs over the past ten years have made them more popular. “The goal of multifocal contact lenses is to provide you with vision correction that will comfortably give you the most out of your daily activities done,” said Dr. Guzman. For example, computer work, driving, shopping, casual reading and even texting without having to use supplementary reading glasses is a great convenience and makes everyday activities really comfortable. If you are expecting to curl up with a 500 page novel you are setting yourself up for a disappointment.

How Do Multifocal & Bifocal Contacts Work?

The manner in which multifocal and bifocal contact lenses work is very different than their eyeglass counterparts. Your bifocal glasses have a separate zone for reading and distance-one zone does not affect the other. The design of multifocal and bifocal contact lenses is quite different- there is no separation between distance and near. This is called SIMULTANEOUS VISION. This means that your eyes receive rays from both far and near at the same time no matter where you are looking. Your brain eventually learns what to do. For most people it takes about two weeks to adapt to this “new” way of seeing. When you stop and think about this you realize how AMAZING this tiny piece of plastic is. Again, no system is perfect! And keep in mind that fitting these specialty lenses can be time consuming and can take several visits, but if you keep REALISTIC expectations and have patience you will be pleased with this technology.

If you or a friend would like to learn more about contact lenses of any type including multifocal and bifocal contacts please feel free to call Seeta Eye Centers and schedule an eye examination by calling 845-454-1025, visiting Seeta Eye Centers or facebook.com/seetaeyecenters.

Seeta Eye Centersis conveniently located at 23 Davis Avenue, Poughkeepsie, New York 12603, 969 Main Street, Cecilwood Health Center, Fishkill, New York 12524 and 664 Stoneleigh Avenue, Suite 100, Carmel, New York 10512 for patients from Westchester County, Rockland County and throughout the Hudson Valley, Dutchess County and Orange County.

Discount Centers LASIK Hidden Costs

Patients shopping around for the best LASIK price in NY should exercise due caution and beware of low LASIK prices with hidden costs you don’t know about at many discount LASIK centers. “We make the cost of bladeless LASIK in NY affordable for almost anyone at Seeta Eye Centers. Anyone who wishes to minimize their dependence on or even eliminate the need for eyeglasses and contact lenses to see at distance is pleased and surprised in a positive way by our flexible monthly payment plans and other ways to fit LASIK into your budget,” commented Stacey Koch, Refractive Surgery Coordinator at Seeta Eye Centers serving the Hudson Valley region of NY with offices in Poughkeepsie, Fishkill and Carmel, New York. “We hear from too many patients who shop for the best price for LASIK and end up getting an unpleasant surprise,” noted Ms. Koch. “Reputable and trusted LASIK surgeons tend to quote fees for LASIK that are comprehensive fees-that is they include everything you need to have LASIK and its associated evaluations and follow up care-regardless of your prescription”, she explained.

What patients seeking bladeless LASIK in NY should know is that discount LASIK centers that offer the lure of the best price for LASIK often quote a price for LASIK that is right on the edge of being deceptive in that it uses the lowest price to draw you in for an evaluation and get you excited about the possibility of having LASIK but then presenting you with hidden costs and fees. These hidden costs and fees can include an additional fee for your prescription that was not within the advertised range. It can include an extra hidden cost of LASIK for astigmatism. It can include an additional hidden cost for follow up care. It may include an extra hidden cost for custom wavefront LASIK or an add on hidden cost for enhancements-and on and on.

Hidden costs and fees for LASIK are somewhat typical of the sales and marketing practices of certain discount centers. LASIK is surgery. “You should choose a LASIK surgeon based on their reputation as recommended by friends and relatives and NOT based on the best price. Choosing a LASIK surgeon based on the best price alone could set you up for a number of hidden costs you can’t even understand and end up costing you more in the long run,” summarized Ms. Koch

If you or someone you know has a question about LASIK or would like to schedule a Free LASIK Consultation please feel free to call Seeta Eye Centers at 845-454-1025, visiting Seeta Eye Centers or facebook.com/seetaeyecenters.

Seeta Eye Centersis conveniently located at 23 Davis Avenue, Poughkeepsie, New York 12603, 969 Main Street, Cecilwood Health Center, Fishkill, New York 12524 and 664 Stoneleigh Avenue, Suite 100, Carmel, New York 10512 for patients from Westchester County, Rockland County and throughout the Hudson Valley, Dutchess County and Orange County.

Halloween Contact Lens Eye Problems

NY eye specialist Andreas Wolter, M.D. of Seeta Eye Centers in Poughkeepsie, Fishkill and Carmel New York advised patients to use caution in order to avoid Halloween contact lens eye problems. “Contact lenses are a medical device. Sometimes we forget this as we try and look cool by changing our eye color or look devilish with decorative non prescription Halloween contact lenses as part of our costume”, stated Dr. Wolter. “Even someone with perfect vision would still require an eye exam and a prescription and proper fitting in order to wear any kind of contacts, including cosmetic lenses-comfortably and safely.”

According to the Food and Drug Administration, all contact lenses are regulated medical devices that require a prescription and proper fitting by an eye-care professional. Some websites advertise decorative contacts as if they were fashion accessories or toys with fanciful, playful packaging in order to attract teens and young adults, especially girls. The problem is not that people use decorative, non corrective lenses-sometimes called Plano-or zero-powered lenses, but that they buy the devices without a prescription through unlicensed vendors on the Internet or at flea markets and specialty shops. The buyer of these over-the-counter contact lenses faces a huge risk including scratched corneas, pink eye and more serious types of blinding infection as a result of a corneal ulcer

In 2005, a federal law was passed that classified all contact lenses as medical devices and restricted their distribution to licensed eye-care professionals. Illegal sale of contacts can result in civil penalties of up to $11,000 per violation.

The safe and effective use of contact lenses-whether decorative or not-requires proper fitting and education about their care to prevent the potential for serious eye  problems from becoming a reality.

If you or a friend would like to learn more about contact lenses of any type including decorative contacts please feel free to call Seeta Eye Centers and schedule an eye examination by calling 845-454-1025, visiting Seeta Eye Centers or facebook.com/seetaeyecenters and we will be happy to give the most appropriate information and refer you to qualified licensed contact lens practioner who will help you get the safest contact lenses for your eyes.

Seeta Eye Centersis conveniently located at 23 Davis Avenue Poughkeepsie, New York 12524 and 664 Stoneleigh Avenue, Suite 100, Carmel, New York 10512 for patients from Westchester County, Rockland County and throughout the Hudson Valley, Dutchess County and Orange County.

NY Surgeon on Cataract Night Driving Problems

Night driving problems caused by cataracts can be particularly difficult for patients,” shared NY Cataract Surgeon Satish Modi, M.D. “Patients constantly tell me that one of the most troubling things about their vision with cataracts is how difficult it can be while driving at night,” said Dr. Modi of Seeta Eye Centers serving the Hudson valley with offices in Poughkeepsie, Fishkill and Carmel, New York. “Driving at night is already difficult enough as reduced lighting can cause you to misjudge distances and boundaries like the edge of the road as well as simply causing an overall dimming of your vision,” Dr. Modi further explained. “So, if you have the beginning of a cataract and are becoming fearful of night driving, please tell as it might well be time to consider whether cataract surgery might be a good option to help you regain your night driving comfort and confidence,” Dr. Modi suggested.

If you or someone you know feels they have night driving problems that might be related to cataracts or has a question about cataracts, cataract surgery or lens implants please feel free to schedule an eye exam by calling Seeta Eye Centers at 845-454-1025, visiting Seeta Eye Centers or facebook.com/seetaeyecenters.

Seeta Eye Centersis conveniently located at 23 Davis Avenue Poughkeepsie, New York 12524 and 664 Stoneleigh Avenue, Suite 100, Carmel, New York 10512.

Macular Degeneration & Increased Stroke Risk

Late age related macular degeneration (AMD) may be an indicator of the increased risk of stroke. You may wonder, “What does my risk of having a stroke have to do with age related macular degeneration?” Possibly quite a bit as it turns out. The Rotterdam Study reported at the International Stroke Conference Older suggested that adults with late-stage, age related macular degeneration (AMD) may have a significantly higher risk for hemorrhagic stroke than do individuals without the eye disease. There may be a common underlying process contributing to both age related macular degeneration (AMD) and bleeding strokes, but more research will be needed to determine if that’s the case. Researchers found that the risk for any stroke was 56% higher in participants with late-stage AMD than in individuals without AMD after they controlled for the effects of age, sex, diabetes, blood pressure, use of antihypertensive medication, smoking, cholesterol levels, carotid artery plaques, body mass index, alcohol intake, and C-reactive protein levels.

“The single most significant finding in the study was that participants with late-stage AMD-either the wet or dry forms-had six fold higher risk for intracerebral hemorrhage or stroke than did participants without AMD,” noted Dr. Satish Modi of Seeta Eye Centers.”This is a critical piece of information we need to share with patients and their physicians.”

If you or someone you know suffers from or is concerned about age related macular degeneration (AMD), especially if they are concerned about their risk of stroke or have a family history of stroke please feel free to schedule an eye exam by calling Seeta Eye Centers at 845-454-1025, visiting Seeta Eye Centers or facebook.com/seetaeyecenters.

Seeta Eye Centers is conveniently located at 23 Davis Avenue, Poughkeepsie, New York 12603, Cecilwood Health Center, 969 Main Street, Fishkill, New York 12524 and 664 Stoneleigh Avenue, Suite 100, Carmel, New York 10512 for patients from Westchester County, Rockland County and throughout the Hudson Valley, Dutchess County and Orange County.