Self Esteem, Contact Lenses & Teens

“Teens have a lot to deal with in terms of self esteem. The “Trifecta of Awkwardness-braces, acnes and glasses-can be a challenge that we can often favorably impact with contact lenses,” commented Joel Confino, M.D. of The Eye Care & Surgery Center in Westfield, Warren & Iselin, New Jersey.“Contact lenses can play an important role in helping adolescents-especially teenagers-with some difficult times for their self esteem and self image. I know all too well from my own kids, the peer pressure and insecurity created by concerns about appearance at these ages,” Dr. Confino stated. 

Not being able to play sports or worrying about how they look can leave many teens feeling anxious, stressed out and unhappy. “We love fitting patients in this age group with contact lenses because we routinely see that teens who wear contact lenses benefit beyond simply correcting their vision. They typically improve in how they feel about their physical appearance, their acceptance among friends and of course their ability to play sports,” further explained Dr. Confino.

If you or someone you know would like to learn more about contact lenses or schedule an appointment for a contact lens fitting please call The Eye Care & Surgery Center at 908-789-8999, visit The Eye Care & Surgery Center or facebook.com/eyecareandsurgerycenter.

With locations 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, The Eye Care & Surgery Center is a leading NJ eye care practice serving central and northern New Jersey.

NJ Eye Doctor on Contact Lens iPhone App

NJ eye doctor Joel Confino, M.D. reviewed an iPhone app to help contact lens wearers. “A new app is available for use on iPhones and iPads that provides a convenient way to keep track of how many times you have worn your reusable contact lenses. No more having to wonder if it's time to replace your contacts. This is a nice way to help keep your contact lenses safe and your eyes healthy,” commented Dr. Confino. “Proper lens replacement is critical to your eyes' health when wearing contacts. The app is available at iTunes for contact lens wearers to have a look at.”

If you have questions or need an appointment to learn more about the iPhone app to help contact lens wearers please call The Eye Care & Surgery Center at 908-789-8999, visit The Eye Care & Surgery Center or facebook.com/eyecareandsurgerycenter.

With locations 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, The Eye Care & Surgery Center is a leading NJ eye care practice serving central and northern New Jersey.

Happy Holiday’s & Untreated Hearing Loss

Happy Holidays?  Maybe Not for those with untreated hearing loss!

People who “live” with untreated hearing loss are more prone to anxiety, depression, feelings of isolation, and even anger. The holidays can be especially trying for those with hearing loss because there’s usually a lot of laughter and sharing of stories. Often the person with hearing loss feels left out and that others may be laughing at, or talking about, THEM, causing feelings of paranoia. The “Happy” Holidays can be very unhappy for those suffering with untreated hearing loss.

For the loved ones of someone struggling with hearing loss, frustration and anger are the two biggest results and could put a damper on any holiday celebration and a strain on the family dynamic. Hearing loss is a great cause of family friction and generally degrades quality of life. With the holiday season approaching, I strongly urge everyone who may suspect they have hearing loss, to at least have it checked and have your options explained to you. What a wonderful holiday gift to yourself or a loved one… the gift of hearing.

Eye Exams for Diabetic Retinopathy

“Regular eye exams are the best way to help prevent vision loss from diabetic retinopathy,” said Ophthalmologist & Retina Specialist Milton Kahn, M.D. of The Eye Care & Surgery Center in Westfield, Warren & Iselin, New Jersey. “The eye examinations for diabetic retinopathy need to be thorough and when necessary include advanced testing such as retinal photography, fluorescein angiography and ocular coherence tomography in order to really document how the retina and it’s blood vessels are functioning,” Dr. Kahn further explained. “Depending on the severity and the risk of progression of each patient’s diabetic retinopathy we will advise them of the frequency and intervals for their exams. But, patients with diabetes need to know that it is terribly important to keep their appointments.”

Vision loss from diabetes and especially catastrophic vision loss from diabetic retinopathy can be prevented with early detection, diagnosis and treatment. If you or someone you know has diabetes or even elevated blood sugar levels they should work to prevent diabetic eye disease and problems with regular eye exams by calling The Eye Care & Surgery Center at 908-789-8999, visiting The Eye Care & Surgery Center or facebook.com/eyecareandsurgerycenter to schedule an appointment.

With locations 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, The Eye Care & Surgery Center is a leading NJ eye care practice serving central and northern New Jersey.

Night Driving Problems with Cataracts

Night driving problems can be quite disturbing when patients have cataracts. “Patients constantly tell me that one of the most troubling things about their vision with cataracts is how disturbing they can be while driving at night,” said Ivan Jacobs, M.D. of The Eye Care & Surgery Center in Westfield, Warren & Iselin, New Jersey. “Driving at night is already difficult enough as reduced lighting can cause you to misjudge distances and boundaries like the edge of the road as well as simply causing an overall dimming of your vision,” Dr. Jacobs further explained. “So, if you are becoming fearful of night driving and you have been told that you have the beginning of a cataract it might well be time to consider whether cataract surgery might be a good option to help you regain your night driving comfort level,” Dr. Jacobs recommended.

If you or someone you know feels they have night driving problems that might be related to cataracts or has a question about cataracts, cataract surgery or lens implants please feel free to call The Eye Care & Surgery Center at 908-789-8999, visit The Eye Care & Surgery Center or facebook.com/eyecareandsurgerycenter to schedule an appointment. 

The Eye Care & Surgery Center is staffed by a team of Board Certified NJ Ophthalmologists who are subspecialty Fellowship trained New Jersey eye surgeons, Opticians, technical and administrative staff who provide eye examinations for adults and children, surgery for cataracts, intraocular lens implants (IOL), laser vision correction such as LASIK, diagnosis and treatment of cornea disease including cornea transplants, diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the retina including diabetes and age related macular degeneration (AMD) and diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma, reconstructive and cosmetic facial surgery including eyelid surgery and facial and skin rejuvenation as well as contact lenses, eyeglasses, eyewear and optical services. 

With locations 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, The Eye Care & Surgery Center is a leading NJ eye care practice serving central and northern New Jersey.

NJ Diabetic Eye Disease Awareness Month

NJ Retina Specialist Milton Kahn, M.D. of The Eye Care & Surgery Center reviewed information about diabetic eye disease and diabetic eye problems as Prevent Blindness America has designated November as National Diabetic Eye Disease Awareness Month. “The most recent Prevent Blindness America Vision Problems in the U.S. report identified that diabetes is the leading cause of new cases of blindness in adults 20-74 years of age. This is compounded by data from the Centers for Disease Control indicating that diabetes affects 25.8 million people in the United States. Although there is no cure for diabetic eye disease, annual eye exams for diabetes patients are essential to help slow the progression of the disease,” said Dr. Kahn.

The Prevent Blindness America Vision Problems in the U.S. identified that there are almost 8 million people ages 40 and older who have diabetic retinopathy. This represents an 89 percent increase between the years 2000-2012. “Certainly the incidence of some eye diseases and problems will increase with the aging of the baby boomer population. But, it is really disturbing to see the spike in diabetic retinopathy cases which is a direct consequence of the diabetes epidemic in this country,” Dr. Kahn explained.

The vision loss from diabetic retinopathy can be prevented if it's caught early and treated in time. More than one third of those diagnosed with diabetes do not adhere to vision care guidelines recommending a dilated eye exam every year. As part of Diabetic Eye Disease Awareness Month we are urging people with diabetes to have a dilated eye exam every year. The longer a person has diabetes, the greater his or her risk for developing diabetic retinopathy. However, diabetic retinopathy does not only affect people who have had diabetes for many years, it can also appear within the first year or two after the onset of the disease.

In addition to having regular eye examinations and testing at the direction of your eye doctor, patients can help to reduce the risk of developing diabetic eye disease  by not smoking, controlling their cholesterol and lipid profile and blood pressure, as well as working to eat a heart-healthy diet rich in fish, fruit and green leafy vegetables and exercising. 

If you or someone you know has diabetes or even elevated blood sugar levels they should work to prevent diabetic eye disease and problems with regular eye exams by calling The Eye Care & Surgery Center at 908-789-8999, visiting The Eye Care & Surgery Center or facebook.com/eyecareandsurgerycenter to schedule an appointment.

With locations 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, The Eye Care & Surgery Center is a leading NJ eye care practice serving central and northern New Jersey.

Hidden Costs at NJ LASIK Discount Centers

The Eye Care & Surgery Center cautioned patients to beware of low LASIK prices in NJ with hidden costs you don’t know about at NJ LASIK discount centers. “LASIK costs are affordable for almost anyone who wishes to minimize their dependence on or even eliminate the need for eyeglasses and contact lenses to see at distance. BUT-there are many patients who shop for the best price for LASIK and end up getting an unpleasant surprise,” noted Jerette Lerner, Director of Refractive Surgery at The Eye Care & Surgery Center in Westfield, Warren & Iselin, New Jersey. “Reputable and trusted LASIK surgeons tend to quote fees for LASIK that are comprehensive fees-that is they include everything you need to have LASIK and its associated evaluations and follow up care-regardless of your prescription”, continued Ms. Lerner.

Discount LASIK centers that offer the lure of the best price for LASIK often quote a price for LASIK that is right on the edge of being deceptive in that it uses the lowest price to draw you in for an evaluation and get you excited about the possibility of having LASIK but then presenting you with hidden costs and fees. These hidden costs and fees can include an additional fee for your prescription that was not within the advertised range, it can include an extra hidden cost of LASIK for astigmatism, it can include an additional hidden cost for follow up care, it may include an extra hidden cost for custom wavefront LASIK or an add on hidden cost for enhancements-and on and on. Hidden costs and fees for LASIK are somewhat typical of the sales and marketing practices of certain discount centers. LASIK is surgery. “You should choose a LASIK surgeon based on their reputation as recommended by friends and relatives and NOT based on the best price. Choosing a LASIK surgeon based on the best price alone could set you up for a number of hidden costs you can’t even understand and end up costing you more in the long run,” summarized Ms. Lerner.

If you or someone you know has a question about LASIK or would like to schedule a Free LASIK Consultation please call The Eye Care & Surgery Center at 908-789-8999, visit The Eye Care & Surgery Center or facebook.com/eyecareandsurgerycenter to schedule an appointment.

The Eye Care & Surgery Center is staffed by a team of Board Certified NJ Ophthalmologists who are subspecialty Fellowship trained New Jersey eye surgeons, Opticians, technical and administrative staff who provide eye examinations for adults and children, surgery for cataracts, intraocular lens implants (IOL), laser vision correction such as LASIK, diagnosis and treatment of cornea disease including cornea transplants, diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the retina including diabetes and age related macular degeneration (AMD) and diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma, reconstructive and cosmetic facial surgery including eyelid surgery and facial and skin rejuvenation as well as contact lenses, eyeglasses, eyewear  and optical services.

The Eye Care & Surgery Center is a leading New Jersey eye care practice with offices 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.