Improvement in Glaucoma Blindness Rate

Rate of Blindness Caused by Glaucoma Decreasing

Glaucoma affects more than 2.7 million people in the United States and over 60 million globally. Although the disease is a leading cause of blindness worldwide, the probability of going blind from glaucoma has been significantly reduced due to advances in diagnosis and treatment. In office use of optical coherence tomography (OCT) to study and measure the nerve fiber layer of the retina and optic nerve as well lasers and implantable microscopic devices to change the risk of blindness from glaucoma. Researchers from Mayo Clinic College of Medicine studied the change in the rate of blindness from glaucoma over 2 consecutive 20 year periods and found that the rate of blindness was decreased by half but still remained unacceptably high! The best ways to avoid vision loss from glaucoma are to know your risk factors-such as family history, African and Hispanic descent, smoking, diabetes and sleep apnea, and be sure to schedule regular eye exams with glaucoma testing within timeframes recommended by your eye doctor.

If you or someone you now is concerned about their risk of glaucoma, schedule an 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.

Gina’s Cataract Surgery

“I had been diagnosed with cataracts by my optician one year ago.  I knew my vision was failing rapidly but I was determined to find the very best surgeon due to the severity of my vision loss and very high glasses prescription.  I was literally wearing glasses Thicker than Coke bottles with a -18 prescription.  I then set out to find a surgeon and was shocked to find a “mill” of cataract surgery centers!  I was hurried through, presented with forms and bills and rushed along.  One highly recommended surgeon actually told me that he “didn’t have much confidence “that my vision could be corrected! After visiting five more facilities, including two in New York, I was beginning to accept the fact that my vision would continue to deteriorate and that I could no longer drive! Then suddenly I remembered Dr. Joel Confino! My children had gone to him years ago and I figured I’d try one more time! From the moment I entered the office, I knew I had found the right place.  The office staff was professional yet very friendly! They sensed my struggle and assisted me with filling out forms and literally helped me find the waiting area and guided me to the exam rooms.   The best news of all was when Dr. Confino examined my eyes.  He instantly knew the seriousness of the extent of my vision loss.  He examined carefully, thought deeply, and said “I believe we can drastically improve your vision!” At that moment I knew I found a competent, experienced, confident doctor!!!!  We planned and discussed exactly what needed to be done and set up dates for my surgeries!  However, I was still fearful and had a million more questions!  The office staff answered every single one of my questions, no matter how many times I called, even if it was the same question over and over!  Every single person was supportive, professional, serious, yet always friendly and upbeat!  

This continued from my very first appointment throughout my entire journey!  I can now proudly say that i have 20/20 vision! I feel like a true miracle has occurred!!! I can see leaves and flowers and colors and details!  I can drive at night!!! No more thick heavy glasses, no more scratchy contact lenses!  My miracle is Dr. Joel Confino and Team at the Eye Care and Surgical Center! Forever grateful and appreciative, Gina N.” 

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.

Things to Know About Cataracts

Three Things Patients Should Know About Cataracts

Cataracts are an extremely common cause of vision loss-especially as we grow older. In the U.S. some 25 million people have cataracts which can often cause cloudy, blurry vision, dimming of vision, faded or dulling of colors, glare and difficulty with night vision or in dim lighting. These symptoms may indicate the presence of cataracts, which affect about 70 percent of people by age 75. The good news for people with cataracts is that they are corrected with cataract surgery and lens implants and restore excellent vision and a better lifestyle. Things you should know about cataracts include:

Age Isn’t the Only Risk Factor for Cataracts. Pretty much everyone will develop cataracts with age, many studies demonstrate that lifestyle and behavior can influence when and how severely you develop cataracts. Diabetes, extensive exposure to sunlight, smoking, obesity, high blood pressure and certain ethnicities have all been linked to increased risk of cataracts. Eye injuries, prior eye surgery and long-term use of steroid medication can also result in cataracts.

Cataracts Cannot Be Prevented, But You Can Lower Your Risk. Always wear UV blocking sunglasses and hats with brims when out in sunlight. Eating more Vitamin C-rich foods may delay how fast cataracts form. Absolutely, avoid smoking cigarettes, which have been shown to increase the risk of cataract development.

Cataract Surgery Helps Improve More Than Your Vision. During cataract surgery, we replace the natural clouded lens with a permanent artificial lens implant or called an intraocular lens, or IOL, which should improve your vision significantly and allow us to correct nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism that you may have had before your procedure. In addition, we can help you choose a lens implant that also provides you a range of clear vision for arm’s length and near tasks such as for reading or using the computer. Besides the vision benefits, cataract surgery has been shown to improve your overall quality of life and reduce the risk of falling by providing more comfortable and safer mobility. 

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 schedule an appointment 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.

Back to School Contact Lens Care

Did you know that 25% of children and adolescent emergency room visits related to medical devices are for contact lens problems? Many of our children and teenagers start wearing contact lenses as they enter junior high or high school. Safe and enjoyable contact lens wear does require good hygiene and care in order to prevent a risk of infection. Young people are notoriously poor at caring for their contact lenses, creating a potential gateway for serious eye infections that can cause impaired vision or even blindness. Research has shown that poor contact lens care practices by teens and young people raise their risk of eye conditions such as infectious keratitis and corneal ulcers. In the most severe cases, they may require corneal transplants to restore sight. Fortunately, contact lens eye infections can be prevented by following simple contact lens care guidelines. Here are some practical safety tips that teens with contact lenses should follow to avoid eye infections.

New Quarter, New Case! Replacing your contact lens case every three months will help keep germs at bay. To make it easy to remember, swap out your case at the beginning of each quarter. Waiting to replace contact lens cases after 6 months increases the risk of eye infection by nearly 5.5 times!

Just Say NO to H20. You may be captain of the swim team, but you shouldn’t swim, shower or go in a hot tub wearing lenses. Water from the tap might be clean enough to drink or bathe in, but it’s still home to the parasite Acanthamoeba, which can cause severe eye infections resulting in vision loss. For the same reasons, NEVER use water to rinse or soak contact lenses or cases.

You Snooze, You Lose. Never sleep in your contact lenses. Even occasionally sleeping in contact lenses increases the risk of moderate to severe eye infection by 6.5 times. Unfortunately, a poll of nearly 100,000 people by BuzzFeed found that about 70 percent of respondents occasionally or regularly sleep in their contact lenses.

It’s Too Late If You Wait. Symptoms of eye infections include redness, pain and light sensitivity and requiring examination and evaluation immediately. Waiting to get examined or treated could lead to vision loss.

If you or someone you know would like to learn more or has questions about contact lens hygiene and safety, please schedule an appointment 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.