Celebrate Comic Book Day with Superhero Vision

September 25 is National Comic Book Day. There are many genres of comic books from which to choose, such as superhero, manga, humor, science fiction/fantasy, horror, comics and more. People of all ages love comics because they have interesting characters, exciting story lines and detailed graphics. 

Today comics are available electronically on tablets, websites and smart phones. But if you prefer the “old school” way of reading printed comics, and you are farsighted (meaning you see distant objects clearly but close-up objects are blurry), you probably have to wear glasses or contacts to read their fine print. 

If you’re a comic book fan over age 21, wouldn’t it be great to pick up any comic, any time, day or night, and be able to read it? LASIK vision correction in Richmond can correct farsightedness, allowing many patients to achieve 20/20 vision after the quick procedure. The LASIK process uses a laser to slightly alter the shape of the cornea with superb precision, allowing light to properly focus on the back of the eye (the retina). The actual procedure takes just a few minutes per eye, is virtually painless and most patients are back to work within a day or two. 

The procedure is so effective that some of Dr. Lipstock’s happy LASIK patients at Lipstock LASIK & Cataract Center consider him a superhero! Find out if your eyes are ready for an “Adventure in Richmond LASIK.” You won’t have X-ray, night or freeze vision after LASIK, but you may still feel like you have super strength vision when you can wake up in the morning and see without glasses. 

Visit lipstocklaser.com or call 804-288-1543 to schedule your free LASIK Consultation or take the free online LASIK Self-Evaluation as a first step.  

Sport Eye Injuries and Cataracts

At Lipstock LASIK and Cataract Center, we encourage our patients to maintain an active lifestyle, and participation in sports is a great way to do that. However, it is also extremely important that people of all ages protect their eyes while playing sports in order to minimize the chance of a sports-related eye injury in Richmond. It is estimated that 90% of sports-related eye injuries can be prevented by wearing protective eyewear.

According to past statistics from the Coalition to Prevent Sports Eye Injuries, there have been as many as 600,000 eye injuries each year related to sports and recreation. The group considers the following sports to be high-to-moderate risk of eye injury (some may surprise you):

• Fishing
• Golf
• Basketball
• Baseball
• Softball
• Lacrosse
• Hockey
• Tennis
• Soccer
• Volleyball
• Water Polo
• Football
• Air Rifle
• BB Gun
• Paintball
• Boxing
• Martial Arts
• Cricket
• Squash
• Racquetball
• Fencing
• Badminton

It is estimated that 90% of sports-related eye injuries, such as blunt trauma, penetration injuries and more, can be prevented by wearing protective eyewear. If you wear prescription glasses to correct nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism, your regular glasses will not provide adequate protection. Polycarbonate lenses can provide the right protection during sports, which means that you will have to wear contact lenses in order to see well.  

If you cannot wear contact lenses, or if you simply don’t like wearing them, you may be risking your eyesight by not having the ability to wear the right polycarbonate lenses. LASIK vision correction is one option to help improve your natural vision and give you the visual freedom to participate in sports more safely. 

So, whether you play leisurely rounds of golf, fast-action basketball or any type of sport, protect your eyes. And if you are interested in learning more about LASIK in Richmond, contact Lipstock LASIK and Cataract Center at 804-288-1543 or lipstocklaser.com to schedule a free LASIK Consultation.

Alcohol’s Effects on Night Vision

We all know that alcohol impairs judgment and coordination and slows reaction time.

But here is yet another reason to cut back on your alcohol consumption: A study coming out of the University of Grenada has shown that overconsumption can also adversely affect your night vision. The study examined 67 subjects who had consumed various quantities of wine. The researchers used a “halometer” visual test to determine the level of night vision disturbances and optical image quality. What they found was that the greater the breath alcohol content level, the greater the visual disturbance.

Why Alcohol Affects Vision

Alcohol disturbs the tear film that covers the surface of the eye. The ethanol (intoxicating agent) present in alcoholic drinks disturbs the outer tear film layer, causing the aqueous part of the tear to evaporate. When tear film is disturbed, the image quality that forms on the retina is also negatively affected, leading to the presence of halos and other visual disturbances in night vision.

Pre-existing Vision Conditions

Now add into the equation a pre-existing vision condition, such as nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism. If your vision is already impaired due to a refractive error and you consume alcohol, the tear film disturbance combined with poor choices (such as not wearing glasses or contacts) can lead to disastrous consequences for yourself and others. LASIK vision correction in Richmond can correct these types of refractive errors, but even having 20/20 vision will not reduce the negative effects of alcohol on your vision.

In the past, some LASIK patients also complained of night vision problems after their procedure; however, today’s LASIK technology has effectively reduced this type of complication of LASIK. To learn more about Richmond LASIK and find out if you might be a good candidate for the procedure, contact Lipstock LASIK & Cataract Center at 804-288-1543 or lipstocklaser.com. And whether or not you have LASIK, please never drink and drive.