-- Are Your Eyes Healthy? --
Before you get ready to have lasik eye surgery done, you need to make sure your eyes are healthy enough for the procedure.
Your doctor will help you decide this. However, you can begin by being aware of certain aspects of healthy eyes.
Some systemic diseases affect the health of your eyes. Active diabetes is one. Aside from being a cause a diabetic retinopathy, it also causes poor healing in the eyes after surgery. If you have uncontrolled diabetes, you should not have lasik eye surgery.
Certain other diseases cause deterioration in the eyes. Lupus or rheumatoid arthritis can have this affect. If you have these diseases, the health of your eyes is questionable, at best. These autoimmune disorders cause problems for many people.
People with HIV have less healing ability in their eyes than healthy people do. The same is true for people with Herpes simplex or Herpes zoster (shingles) of the eye area. Their eyes are not as strong as they should be.
Do you have an eye infection? If you do, you know that your eyes are temporarily unhealthy. If you go to a doctor and follow instructions for treatment of the infection, you should be well in no time. Ignore the infection and you could have a permanent problem.
Blepharitis is a condition of the eye that causes the eyelids to be inflamed. Your eyelids will be all crusty and you will definitely notice the difference. If you are going to have lasik eye surgery, you should have this condition treated, as it could lead to complications with the surgery.
Most people are checked for glaucoma when they have their annual eye exam. If you have not had this screening, ask for it. You should have the chance to have glaucoma treated if you have it. If it is uncontrolled, your eyes will be very unhealthy.
Cataracts are usually a condition that comes on with age. However, there are other risk factors, such as overexposure to the sun without protective eyewear. Your doctor should be able to tell in your annual exam if you have cataracts.
When your doctor dilates your eyes during a routine exam, one thing he/she is looking for is a detached retina. When you have a sudden change in eyewear prescription, the doctor usually checks for this condition. It is a serious condition and needs attention.
Notice if you have dry eye symptoms. These can be treated by your doctor. With the proper care, this condition should not stop you from having lasik.
Then, if you have escaped all these conditions and have no injuries to your eyes, they are probably very healthy. You can be happy in the knowledge that your eyes are just fine.