Eye Care & Surgery Center NJ Bladeless LASIK Laser Cataract Surgeon Blog

Sunday, February 24, 2019

Joanne’s Cataract Story

Dr. Joel Confino

"My whole life I wore glasses, the thick ones everyone dreads. When I got older my eyes were so bad my prescription was -14.00. For people that can’t relate, when I took my contact lenses out, the whole world was gone. To add insult to injury, as I got older my reading went, so now I needed reading glasses! Then nothing was clear, not near or far. I went to my doctor and he told me I had cataracts and referred me to Dr. Confino. I had heard of Dr. Confino because many of my friends or their husbands had gone to him for their cataracts and just raved. When my own doctor said he had his own eyes done by Dr. Confino, I went home and made an appointment.

It took a couple months before they had an opening for me to see him, but he was worth the wait. He was so patient with me, answered all my questions, then sent me to his colleague, Jerette who could not have been more helpful in setting everything up, making sure I stayed organized and keeping me calm. Dr. Confino recommended multifocal lenses for me so that I could see distance and near without glasses. I did not believe that could even exist for me. I had my surgery on my first eye and the next day I drove myself to my post op and could not believe how well I could see and read! It only got better after my second eye. Dr. Confino and his staff gave me a miracle, the vision I always dreamed about.”-Joanne M.

If you or some you know is experiencing cataract symptoms such as cloudy foggy vision, glare or difficult night driving and would like to learn more about cataract surgery & lens implants please call The Eye Care & Surgery Center at 908-789-8999, visit The Eye Care & Surgery Center, Google+ or facebook.com/eyecareandsurgerycenter to schedule an appointment.

The Eye Care & Surgery Center is located at 592 Springfield Avenue, Westfield, New Jersey 07090, 10 Mountain Boulevard, Warren, New Jersey 07059 and 517 Route One South, Suite 1100, Iselin, New Jersey 08830, and is conveniently located for patients from throughout central and northern New Jersey.

Sunday, February 17, 2019

Glaucoma Eye Drop Side Effects



Glaucoma is typically treated with one or more types of eyedrops although today laser treatment for glaucoma may be a good option for many patients to reduce or even eliminate their need for eye drops. Almost all eyedrops for glaucoma have some side effects that can include redness, changes in the color of your eyes and eyelids. In addition glaucoma eye drops can cause system side effects including changes in blood pressure, irregular pulse and changes in heart rate, becoming unable to exercise, breathing problems and even impotence in men. Some patients also report dry eyes from glaucoma eye drop medication.

Always be sure to tell your primary care physician about all of the eye medicines you take including glaucoma eye drops even if you are not experiencing any side effects. If you are experiencing any of these side effects, please be sure to schedule an appointment so that we might be able to offer alternative treatments which might include and in office laser treatment.

To learn more about glaucoma or schedule a glaucoma eye exam, please call The Eye Care & Surgery Center at 908-789-8999, visit The Eye Care & Surgery Center, Google+ or facebook.com/eyecareandsurgerycenter to schedule an appointment.

The Eye Care & Surgery Center is located at 592 Springfield Avenue, Westfield, New Jersey 07090, 10 Mountain Boulevard, Warren, New Jersey 07059 and 517 Route One South, Suite 1100, Iselin, New Jersey 08830, and is conveniently located for patients from throughout central and northern New Jersey.

Sunday, February 10, 2019

Taking Aspirin Makes AMD Worse?



Most seniors and other people who suffer from vascular, heart, blood clotting problems or even arthritis are well aware of the benefits of taking a daily aspirin. In fact many people have been prescribed aspirin as part of their overall care by their primary care or other specialty physicians. Seniors are also well aware that age related macular degeneration (AMD) continues to be a leading cause of vision loss. Until recently there was some confusion and disagreement regarding whether it was safe or even risky for those who have AMD to take aspirin as it could increase bleeding risk in the retina and worsen AMD. A very careful review of information was reported in the journal Retina and gave us good insight into the conclusions that overall, the types and size of studies showing the positive benefits of aspirin use for cardiovascular health were quite a bit better that the smaller limited studies showing a possible adverse effect of aspirin use in relation to AMD. The benefits of aspirin usage include preserving the duration and quality of life by decreasing stroke and heart attack risk. These benefits seem to far outweigh the theoretical risks of possibly exacerbating wet AMD, which we can now control reasonably well with anti-VEGF injection therapy with Eylea®, Lucentis® and other available medications.

If you or someone you know takes aspirin and has or has been recently diagnosed with age related macular degeneration (AMD) it appears safe and beneficial to follow your physicians prescribing instructions and not worry about any increased risk of worsening AMD. If you have questions or need to schedule an eye exam please call The Eye Care & Surgery Center at 908-789-8999, visit The Eye Care & Surgery Center, Google+ or facebook.com/eyecareandsurgerycenter to schedule an appointment.

The Eye Care & Surgery Center is located at 592 Springfield Avenue, Westfield, New Jersey 07090, 10 Mountain Boulevard, Warren, New Jersey 07059 and 517 Route One South, Suite 1100, Iselin, New Jersey 08830, and is conveniently located for patients from throughout central and northern New Jersey.

Monday, February 4, 2019

Protect Your Eyes from Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD)




7 Ways to Protect Your Eyes from Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD)
Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) continues to be the leading cause of vision loss in seniors and those over 50 years of age. While there is no way to completely eliminate the aging process, there are some things you CAN do to prevent vision loss. The key to preventing vision loss from Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) is early detection, diagnosis and treatment. There are a number of steps you can take that are helpful in preventing AMD vision loss.

Get Regular Comprehensive Medical Eye Exams. AMD often has no early warning signs, so getting regular comprehensive eye exams is critical in diagnosing and treating this eye disease in its early stages, BEFORE vision loss has occurred. The American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends that adults with no signs or increased risk factors get a baseline eye disease screening at age 40 which is the time when early signs of disease and changes in vision may start to occur. Even if you have obvious eye problems, symptoms or decreased vision, by age 65, it is recommended that you have a comprehensive eye exam every one to two years.

Stop Smoking. Many studies now show that smoking increases the risk of developing AMD by two times and the speed at which it progresses!

Eat a Proper Diet. Many studies demonstrate that eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and nutrient packed foods, such as salmon and nuts, may reduce the risk of AMD. Research also suggests that patients who ate fresh fish, an important source of omega-3s, were at lower risk of developing AMD.

Take the Right Macular Health Vitamins. Vitamins can delay progression of advanced AMD and help people keep their vision longer if they have intermediate AMD or advanced AMD in one eye. But make sure it’s the right combination of vitamins! recent study found that some of the top-selling products do not contain identical ingredient dosages to eye vitamin formulas proven effective in clinical trials. 

Get Regular ExerciseExercising three times a week can reduce the risk of developing wet AMD by 70 percent. Studies also show that physical activity may lower the odds of both early and late-stages of AMD.

Monitor Vision with an Amsler Grid. This simple, daily routine takes less than one minute and can help people with AMD save more of their vision. Using this grid is essential to finding any vision changes that are not obvious, so you can report them to your eye doctor.

Know Your Family Eye Health History. If you have a close relative with AMD, you have a 50 percent greater chance of developing the condition. You may need more frequent eye exams and specialized testing based on your family history.

Take these simple steps to help prevent Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD). Begin by making sure you have a comprehensive eye exam at The Eye Care & Surgery Center at 908-789-8999, visit The Eye Care & Surgery Center, Google+ or facebook.com/eyecareandsurgerycenter to schedule an appointment.

The Eye Care & Surgery Center is located at 592 Springfield Avenue, Westfield, New Jersey 07090, 10 Mountain Boulevard, Warren, New Jersey 07059 and 517 Route One South, Suite 1100, Iselin, New Jersey 08830, and is conveniently located for patients from throughout central and northern New Jersey.