Keratoconus can cause blindness. In most cases this is not permanent and can be corrected with contact lenses or surgical procedures.
If found early, corneal crosslinking treatment can stop keratoconus in its tracks. Evidence shows that this seems to be a cure, but only if detected and treated early
In certain cases of keratoconus, it is possible to do a treatment using the same laser as in Lasik. This however is not done to rid yourself of glasses or contact lenses like it is in people without keratoconus but rather to improve vision a little and thus quality of life.
Glaucoma usually takes months or years to cause blindness, however if it has not been detected for years it may seem like the vision loss was sudden. There are different types of glaucoma. The most common types do not cause sudden blindness.
It is best to have an eye examination once a year as a diabetic without eye problems. If you already have diabetic damage in your eyes more frequent checkups are advisable. If you are diabetic for 20 years or longer (even without vision complaints), you may be risking permanent blindness if you do not get your eyes checked. The diabetic eye destruction can go on in the background until it is too late to salvage vision. Early treatment can preserve your vision!
Red painful eyes can be caused by many conditions. It is impossible to know without examination what is causing your red eye. A useful tip is to use an artificial tear supplement eye drop for 2 to 3 days (as long as your vision is perfect). If it helps it is most likely that you have a dry eye condition. If this does not help consult your ophthalmologist. In our experience, an eye drop that costs less than R100 is unlikely to be good for your eyes… avoid them. Dry eye can be successfully treated with Intermittent Pulsed Light therapy. See our page on E-eye treatment.
If you are a driver and have cataracts, you should visit your ophthalmologist or optometrist to have your vision screened to make sure you meet the minimum requirements for driving. If you are not a driver (or you do meet the minimum requirements for driving) there are some common symptoms that suggest that you need cataract surgery: Difficulty reading even with reading glasses, difficulty recognizing faces, glare in bright light, difficulty driving at night and the feeling that your glasses are just not helping… these are the most common symptoms that suggest that you need your cataracts removed. Cataract surgery is seldom urgent, but the outcomes are good in 95% of cases and the surgery is not painful.
In most normal cases you will be able to drive and resume normal activities and work 48 hours after surgery. There are certain conditions which require a longer recovery period after cataract surgery, but these are not common.
Although eyelid cysts can be incised and drained there is a high rate of recurrence whether it is treated medically or surgically. We often perform this procedure under local anesthetic in our office’s procedure room.
Very few medical aid plans will cover Lasik. Your fees for Lasik would require upfront payment
The aim of having an eye assessment for a sudden red eye is to find the cause of the problem. Although it is not always possible to get rid of the red eye immediately, treating the cause is always the healthiest way to fix the problem.
There are 2 main laser procedures to rid yourself of glasses. The first procedure called Lasik allows you to recover within 48 hours after which you can drive or go to work. The second procedure works just as well as Lasik but can be done in certain eyes that are not suitable for Lasik .This procedure called trans-PRK requires one week of recovery time (which means you will be off work for 1 week) and your full vision will return after one month.
Normal activities may resume after 48 hours. In most cases you will be required to use eye drops for six weeks after surgery. You will usually be able to change your glasses one month after surgery.
If proper care is taken, contact lenses can be extremely helpful for vision and be quite safe. There is always a small risk of injury or infection when using contact lenses. It is always a good idea to report any problems with your eyes without delay if you are a contact lens wearer. Infection in the eye from contact lens use can have serious consequences but can be treated if found early.
please see the article on glaucoma click here.
Wearing the wrong spectacles cannot cause permanent damage to your eyes. It can give you eyestrain, headaches, and painful eyes. These problems can be reversed once you are wearing the correct glasses.
The standard consultation fee is designed to cover many small tests which are required to do a proper examination. It is designed to be cheaper than medical aid rates. Most patients benefit from paying upfront rather than charging to medical aid and then being forced to cover differences in the fee. Currently the standard consultation rate is R1200. You may be required to have other tests that will be charged to medical aid or that you will be required pay for (over and above standard consultation fee). Our practice is designed to optimize your quality of care. We do not aim to see many patients at low rates. We believe that this is the way our patients get the best care for their eyes.