Protect Your Eyes from Winter Rays

Your eyes don’t know what season it is.

Whether it’s winter, spring, summer or fall, your eyes need protection from the sun’s harmful rays.

Most people recognize the need for sunglasses during warmer months and in warmer climates. However, when the temperature starts to dip, people often assume that eye protection is no longer necessary (or even silly).

Why Winter Shades are Important

• The sun is positioned at a lower angle in the sky during the winter, so the rays may affect the eyes more directly
• Fresh snow reflects 80% of the sun’s UV rays, causing extreme glare (dangerous when driving, skiing, etc.)
• Dry eye symptoms can worsen during dry winter months; wraparound sunglasses or sports goggles may help
• Overexposure to harmful UV rays can lead to cataracts and macular degeneration in Richmond
• Polarized, anti-reflective sunglasses can block 100% of UV radiation (ask your eye doctor for recommendations)

Another Reason for LASIK

If you are nearsighted or have astigmatism, you will need corrective lenses to see distant objects clearly; that means investing in a good pair of prescription sunglasses to wear all year long. The other option is to wear contact lenses with over-the-counter sunglasses. However, dry, cold winter air can cause eye irritations for contact wearers.

LASIK vision correction in Richmond can make wearing sunglasses in the winter:

• More cost effective (in the long run the one-time cost of LASIK is cheaper than the ongoing expense of replacing and maintaining glasses and contacts)
• More fashionable (because of the vast choices that exist)
• More comfortable (no trying to fit goggles over glasses)

Wear Sunglasses All Year

Back in 1984, Corey Hart hit the music charts with his hit, “Sunglasses at Night.”

While Mr. Hart may have worn his sunglasses in the evening hours, to stress the importance of protecting your eyes against daytime winter rays, we’d change the song to “I wear my sunglasses all year…”

Sport your cool sunglasses all year long. And if you don’t want to invest in prescription sunglasses, consider having LASIK at Lipstock LASIK & Cataract Center. Dr. Lipstock offers free LASIK Consultations to ensure you are a good candidate for the procedure and answer all questions you may have. Contact Lipstock LASIK & Cataract Center today to arrange your appointment: 804-288-1543 or lipstocklaser.com. 

5 Reasons Your Dog Wants You to Have LASIK

Your “best friend” wants you to have LASIK in Richmond.

If you are nearsighted, farsighted or have astigmatism, here are the reasons why:

1. No waiting around to go on walks while you search for your glasses.
2. No tripping over him in the middle of the night because you can’t see without your glasses.
3. No dropping your contact lenses in his water dish.
4. No getting in trouble for chewing up your expensive prescription sunglasses.
5. No mistaking him for the cat because – well – they are the same size...

After a successful LASIK procedure, you might achieve 20/20 vision. That means vision without glasses to play, wrestle, cuddle and walk your dog...every day and every night.

Make your dog happy. Schedule a free LASIK Consultation at Lipstock LASIK & Cataract Center today to find out if your eye anatomy and eye health is right for LASIK. If Dr. Lipstock gives you the green light and you choose to proceed with the procedure, your pooch will be happier than a poodle in a peanut butter factory. 

Cool Facts About Dolphin Eyes Part 3

“A dolphin’s pupil has a type of built-in shade. When our eyes are exposed to light, our pupils get smaller to let less light in. Dolphins have a kind of lid, called an operculum, that slides down to cover most of the pupil when it is bright. It almost looks like two pupils when this ‘lid’ comes down.”

-          Joy Clausen Soto, Senior Dolphin Trainer at SeaWorld

Humans don’t have instant shades on our eyes. We have to wear sunglasses to protect our eyes from the harsh sun. When you are nearsighted, farsighted or have astigmatism, it’s often necessary for you to purchase expensive prescription sunglasses to be able to see in sunlight.

LASIK has allowed millions of Americans to expand their sunglasses collections with a multitude of cheap sunglasses by correcting their refractive errors.

In a LASIK procedure, a surgeon creates a thin flap on the cornea that is peeled back to allow access to the underlying corneal tissue. This can be done using a microkeratome or femtosecond laser. Once the flap has been created, an excimer laser is used to reshape the cornea (correct the refractive error) so it can properly focus light on the retina (the back of the eye). This is the actual vision correction step in the procedure. Once the cornea is reshaped, the flap is put back into place so it can heal. The entire procedure only takes minutes per eye.

Like any surgical procedure, LASIK does carry risks. You should always have an open discussion about all of the risks of LASIK with your surgeon before you make any decisions to move forward with the procedure. You should also remember that even if you have 20/20 vision, it’s still important to wear sunglasses to protect your eyes. You’re not a dolphin, after all!

Find out if cheap sunglasses might be in your future. Contact Lipstock LASIK and Cataract Center in Richmond to schedule a LASIK Consultation and see if you’re a good candidate for LASIK. Call 804-288-1543 or visit lipstocklaser.com today.