How can diabetes damage the eyes?

Diabetes is a very common condition, estimated to affect more than 30 million people in the US. It causes symptoms in many different body systems, including in the eyes. Eye disease caused by diabetes is known as diabetic retinopathy. It has two forms: proliferative and non proliferative. What are the differences? If you’re living with diabetes, how can you protect your eyes?

At the root of diabetic eye disease...Read More

At some point during their lives, everyone starts to experience changes in their eye’s ability to focus on near objects. Most people notice this beginning in their 40s, though the exact timing is different for each person. The process is known as presbyopia, and it’s a completely normal and unavoidable part of aging, but many people find that it creates problems in their daily lives.

Even those who have never needed corrective lenses during their younger years may consider having...Read More

Although LASIK surgery has an excellent track record, some people end up choosing to have a second LASIK procedure in the future. Why might someone want to have a LASIK enhancement?

There are a few different reasons that someone might choose to have a LASIK enhancement procedure. Some of these include:

Many people find that polarized sunglasses help them to see better outdoors. Even indoors, some people prefer to have polarized lenses in their glasses. How do these lenses work?

In general, light reflects from a surface in all directions. Rather than being lined up, the light waves are at all different orientations. However, when light reflects off a flat surface, the light waves will tend to be lined up in a more uniform direction. This is usually a horizontal...Read More

With summer in full swing, many people are outside enjoying the long days and warm weather. Spending time outdoors is healthy for you in many ways. However, as eye doctors, we also want you to be aware of the importance of protecting your eyes while you’re out there.

The same ultraviolet (UV) light that causes your skin to sunburn can also cause damage to your eyes. Some of the problems that can be...Read More

As experts in the field of visual health, we’re always watching the latest research to see what new developments are coming. There’s recently been some research that caught our eye. A very exciting new class of treatments is currently in clinical trials, and is likely to become widely available within the next few years. These are eye drops for presbyopia, which is the age-related loss of near vision that affects everyone beginning in their 40s.

Here at North County Laser Eye Associates, we’re committed to improving people’s vision. Although laser vision correction and cataract surgery are the most common procedures we perform, we also offer other forms of treatment that can help to save or improve a person’s vision. In fact, sometimes a vision problem doesn’t originate in the eye itself, but in the tissues around the eye.

As...Read More

Dry eye is a common condition, and it can be uncomfortable for many sufferers. What causes dry eye? How can this problem be treated?

Though tears are made up primarily of liquid (a solution of salts dissolved in water), there is also a lipid (fat) component that helps to prevent tears from evaporating too quickly, and a mucus component that helps to spread tears out over the surface of the eye. Deficiencies of any of these...Read More

When a patient decides to have LASIK, it’s an investment in the future. If you decide to have LASIK, how long will it last? Should you plan for a “touch up” or a repeat procedure in the future?

The short answer is that LASIK (and other similar types of laser eye surgery) cause permanent changes to the shape of the cornea. In that sense, patients can expect the results to last for the rest of their lives. Once...Read More

As technology continues to improve at a rapid pace, we’ve seen many innovations in the field of laser vision correction. Dr. Chen and the staff at North County Laser Eye Associates are committed to incorporating the best new technology into our practice, so we can offer our patients the best possible results.

One of the most revolutionary has been the development of custom LASIK. By using a detailed scan of the cornea to plan...Read More