Lakeside Eye Associates

What are UV rays?
UV stands for ultraviolet, a band of spectrum invisible to the eye. Ultraviolet light consists of UVA, UVB, and UVC rays. UVC rays are stopped in Earth's atmosphere before they reach the eye, but UVA and UVB can both reach the eye and potentially damage it.
How does UV radiation affect unprotected eyes?
UV rays can cause proteins inside the lens to become opaque or cloudy, a condition known as cataracts. Cataracts can interfere with night vision, reduce your ability to see colors, and make reading difficult; they cannot be reversed, only removed. UV exposure can also cause retinal damage, changes in the eye tissues, and a temporary but irritating "sunburn" of the cornea called photokeratitis.
How do I know my glasses will protect my eyes?
Choose glasses that claim to block at least 99 percent of UV rays -- UVA as well as UVB. Look for label reading "UV 400," since this designation means that the glasses block UV rays as small as 400 nanometers, providing 100 percent eye protection. Of course you need to protect your eyes from the glare caused by the visible spectrum as well. To accomplish this, select products that block 75 to 90 percent of visible light.
What are polarized lenses?
Polarized lenses are specially designed to filter out certain types of glare that tend to radiate upward from horizontal surfaces when sunlight bounces off of these surfaces. They are recommended for tasks such as boating, fishing, skiing, golfing, jogging, and driving. Most polarized lenses will bear a label identifying them as such.
What types of glasses can I choose from?
We are able to provide you with a wide range of sunglasses options. If you normally wear glasses to correct your eyesight, you may be happy with a non-prescription pair of clip-ons or wraparound glasses that simply fit over your lenses. If you'd rather not wear that much equipment on your head all at once, you can order a pair of prescription "shades," or you can order glasses that darken when exposed to bright light.
What additional types of protection should I consider?
If you worry about light, including harmful UV, leaking in through sides or top of your sunglasses, wear a broad-brimmed hat to reduce some of this exposure. If you use prescription eyewear to correct your eyesight, you may also want to think about getting a pair of UV-blocking contact lenses in your prescription. These lenses may be worn alongside a non-prescription pair of sunglasses for optimum eye protection.

16525 Birkdale Commons PkwyHuntersville, NC 28078

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Phone: 704-896-3311Fax: (704) 896-5514

Office Hours

Monday 8:00 AM - 5:00 PMTuesday 9:00 AM - 6:00 PMWednesday 8:00 AM - 5:00 PMThursday 9:00 AM - 6:00 PMFriday 8:00 AM - 5:00 PMSaturday & Sunday CLOSED

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Created by DearDoc

16525 Birkdale Commons PkwyHuntersville, NC 28078

Contact

Phone: 704-896-3311Fax: (704) 896-5514

Office Hours

Monday 8:00 AM - 5:00 PMTuesday 9:00 AM - 6:00 PMWednesday 8:00 AM - 5:00 PMThursday 9:00 AM - 6:00 PMFriday 8:00 AM - 5:00 PMSaturday & Sunday CLOSED

Quick Links

About UsServicesPatient CenterPatient FormsPayment OptionsContact Us

Created by DearDoc

The cornea is imperative to our vision. This thin, transparent dome covers the front of our eyes to protect them. It is also responsible for refracting the light that enters our eyes, focusing it onto the retina where it is transmitted to the brain, which then tells us what we can see. If there are problems with the cornea, it can significantly affect our vision. One corneal problem that is fairly common is known as keratoconus.
Fortunately, our professional eye care team has extensive experience in the diagnosis and treatment of keratoconus, meaning that we can offer you the help that you need to see clearly again.

Exactly what treatment you will be offered for keratoconus will depend on the severity of the condition. Some of the treatments that our team may recommend may include the following:

Soft Contact Lenses. Normally used in the earliest stages of keratoconus, bespoke-created soft contact lenses are used to help reshape the cornea and correct vision. These are available in a wide range of fitting parameters and are normally larger in diameter than regular lenses. This helps to provide greater stability to the cornea.

Gas-Permeable Contact Lenses. Similar to soft lenses, these contact lenses are made from a gas permeable material which enables plenty of oxygen to circulate beneath the eye, keeping it healthy and moist. Gas permeable lenses make contact on either side of the natural cornea, vaulting over the top and providing a perfectly contoured dome through which the light entering the eye can be refracted.

Scleral And Semi-Scleral Lenses. Another form of contact lens, scleral and semi-scleral lenses are much larger in diameter than standard contacts. Their edges rest on the white part of the eye, known as the sclera. As you might expect, semi-scleral lenses are a little smaller in size. However, like gas-permeable lenses, both vault over the bulging cornea. This ensures that they are comfortable to wear since they don’t place pressure onto the bulge. However, they both offer greater stability than gas-permeable lenses because their larger diameter means that they don’t move around when you blink and move your eyes.

Keratoplasty. This is a minimally invasive surgical procedure that may be recommended if contact lenses aren’t giving you sufficient relief from your symptoms. This procedure uses a hand-held device that delivers high energy radio waves with the goal of reshaping the cornea so that the bulge is reduced. The treatment is planned using topography – an advanced technological system that takes images of your cornea and turns them into a map of the surface, telling our team what areas need to be targeted by the keratoplasty treatment.

Corneal Transplant. If your keratoconus has advanced and other treatment options are no longer working for you, you may be advised to have a corneal transplant. As its name suggests, this involves removing the existing cornea and replacing it with an artificial lens. Recovery from a corneal transplant can take a number of months, with many patients still reliant on prescriptive eyewear after.

Sunglasses

What are UV rays?

UV stands for ultraviolet, a band of spectrum invisible to the eye. Ultraviolet light consists of UVA, UVB, and UVC rays. UVC rays are stopped in Earth's atmosphere before they reach the eye, but UVA and UVB can both reach the eye and potentially damage it.

How does UV radiation affect unprotected eyes?

How do I know my glasses will protect my eyes?

What are polarized lenses?

What types of glasses can I choose from?

What additional types of protection should I consider?

Keratoconus Treatment

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