Alabama Sports Eye Safety Protection

“In each and every Alabama sports program we need to be sure our athletes are using the best eye protection and protective eyewear to avoid eye injury,” commented Birmingham Ophthalmologist Tyler Hall, M.D. “Sometimes in the pursuit of excellence in sports performance our athletes can be a little lax in taking the necessary steps to avoiding eye injury," expressed Dr. Hall of Alabama Eye & Cataract Center.

April is Sports Eye Safety Awareness Month and the American Academy of Ophthalmology asks eye doctors to remind our community that 40,000 people suffer from eye injuries related to sports every year. These eye injuries from sports can be devastating, and the only way to prevent them is by wearing protective eyewear. Many sports create risk for eye injuries which can include abrasions of the cornea and bruises of the lids, retinal detachments and internal bleeding. The most serious risks involve permanent vision loss along with infection. In addition, patients who have sustained eye injuries are at greater risk for developing glaucoma.

Athletes need to use the eye protection that is available for most sports, including basketball, baseball, hockey, football, lacrosse, fencing, paintball, water polo, golf and others. “I counsel and reassure my patients that wearing properly fitted protective eyewear will not harm your performance, and it may well save your eye health and vision,” said Dr. Hall. “Something to be aware of is that most sporting leagues and program don’t require children to wear eye protection, so parents should take special care to ensure their children wear eye protection.”

Tens of thousands of sports and recreation-related eye injuries occur each year. The good news is that 90 percent of serious eye injuries are preventable through use of appropriate protective eyewear. The risk of eye injury can vary depending on the activity. Make sure the level of eye protection you or others in your family use is appropriate for the type of activity. Regular eyeglasses do not offer proper eye protection. Athletes need to wear appropriate, sport-specific protective eyewear properly fitted by an eye care professional. Lenses made from polycarbonate materials provide the highest level of impact protection; they can withstand a ball or other projectile traveling at 90 miles per hour.

If you or someone you know has questions or would like help in selecting, fitting or choosing sports protective eyeglasses, please call Alabama Eye & Cataract Center in Birmingham at 205-930-0930, visiting Alabama Eye & Cataract Center or facebook.com/michelsonlaservision.

Michelson Laser Vision and Alabama Eye & Cataract Center are leading eye care centers in Birmingham staffed by a team of specialists including eye doctors who are fellowship trained cornea specialists and cataract and lens implant specialists-all board certified Ophthalmologists & Corneal Specialists-as well as Optometrists, Opticians, technical and administrative staff who provide eye examinations for adults and children, cataract surgery and intraocular lens implants (IOL), laser eye surgery such as LASIK for laser vision correction, diagnosis and treatment of cornea disease including cornea transplants, care for diseases of the retina including diabetes and age related macular degeneration and diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma and fitting of eyeglasses and eyewear.

Laser Cataract Surgery at Alabama Eye & Cataract Center

Alabama Eye & Cataract Center in Birmingham is pleased to announce that Corneal Specialists & Cataract Surgeons Marc Michelson, M.D. & Tyler Hall, M.D are now performing bladeless laser cataract surgery in Birmingham with the Alcon® LensSx® Femtosecond Laser to assist in the cataract surgery and lens implant procedure . “Manual cataract surgery is a technically complex and skill intensive eye surgery procedure,” shared Dr. Michelson.  “By integrating the laser to assist us in cataract surgery we are able consolidate and control  many of the skill intensive steps of cataract removal into a more predictable and more gentle cataract surgery procedure that benefits patients from laser created, surgeon controlled precision resulting in further improved clinical results,” explained Dr. Hall. “Even as a cataract surgeon with more than 30 years of experience, my ability to direct the controlled laser precision to further improve clinical results is amazing,” summarized Dr. Michelson.

You may schedule an appointment for cataracts, bladeless cataract surgery or lens implants by calling Alabama Eye & Cataract Center in Birmingham at 205-930-0930, visiting Alabama Eye & Cataract Center or facebook.com/michelsonlaservision.

Alabama Eye & Cataract Center is a leading eye care center in Birmingham staffed by a team of specialists including eye doctors who are fellowship trained cornea specialists and cataract and lens implant specialists-all board certified Ophthalmologists & Corneal Specialists-as well as Optometrists, Opticians, technical and administrative staff who provide eye examinations for adults and children, cataract surgery and intraocular lens implants (IOL), diagnosis and treatment of cornea disease including cornea transplants, care for diseases of the retina including diabetes and age related macular degeneration and diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma and fitting of eyeglasses and eyewear.

Birmingham Contact Lens Specialist: Healthy Vision Tips

Birmingham Contact Lens Specialist Dr. Catherine Murphy, an Optometrist at Alabama Eye & Cataract Center gave us some tips for wearing contact lenses and maintaining healthy vision. “With all the advertising and mail order contact lenses it’s pretty easy to forget that contact lenses are a medical device. Even contacts worn purely for cosmetic purposes, should be prescribed and properly fit by a licensed eye care professional," explained Dr. Murphy. "Too many patients forget this and end up buying and wearing contact lenses without proper medical guidance and a valid prescription. Then, often without even realizing it, they put themselves at risk for serious, even blinding eye infections," stressed Dr. Murphy. 

Following the instructions given to you by your eye doctor-carefully and completely can go a long way to help avoid contact lens problems and complications. "Our experience clearly shows that by not following instructions on proper wear and care, contact lens wearers are more likely to have discomfort and may actually put themselves at greater risk for infection or other serious complications, such as microbial keratitis," said Dr. Murphy. “We often find that improper storage, handling and disinfection of contact lenses really predispose patients to unnecessary risk.” 

Some good contact lens care, handling and disinfection tips to follow include: 

• Always wash your hands with soap before inserting or removing your contact lenses.
• Always empty the storage case of disinfection solution after removing your lenses, and fully refill with fresh solution before storing them. 
• NEVER clean your case with tap water. 
• REGULARLY-even daily- clean your case.
• REGULARLY-at least monthly- replace your case. 

If you or someone you know has questions about contact lens care, handling and disinfection please call Alabama Eye & Cataract Center in Birmingham at 205-930-0930, visiting Alabama Eye & Cataract Center or facebook.com/michelsonlaservision. 

Michelson Laser Vision and Alabama Eye & Cataract Center are leading eye care centers in Birmingham staffed by a team of specialists including eye doctors who are fellowship trained cornea specialists and cataract and lens implant specialists-all board certified Ophthalmologists & Corneal Specialists-as well as Optometrists, Opticians, technical and administrative staff who provide eye examinations for adults and children, cataract surgery and intraocular lens implants (IOL), laser eye surgery such as LASIK for laser vision correction, diagnosis and treatment of cornea disease including cornea transplants, care for diseases of the retina including diabetes and age related macular degeneration and diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma and fitting of eyeglasses and eyewear.

Alabama Surgeon on Being Too Old

Birmingham Alabama LASIK Surgeon Marc Michelson, M.D. offered thoughts on whether you could be too old for LASIK. “Over the years I have examined and provided LASIK consultations for many active and healthy 60-70 year old patients who were pretty nearsighted and just wanted more freedom to be able to see clearly at distance without having to wear glasses. If their general health, eye health, corneal health, shape and tears were healthy-we certainly would accept them as a LASIK candidate regardless of their age,’ commented Dr. Michelson. “In 2013 however, we also have excellent multifocal lens implants that we could also recommend to patients as they would correct both the far vision and the near vision at the same time-which might be important for some patients. If the patient presenting for a LASIK consultation has even a trace of cataracts at that age we would certainly counsel them to opt for the lens replacement surgery with the multifocal lens implant,” Dr. Michelson further explained. “As long as they have a tangible reason for wanting LASIK so that it will improve their lifestyle, people thinking about having Laser Eye Surgery can do so without worrying about being too old for LASIK as long as they have healthy eyes, a health cornea, sufficient tears and are free of cataracts or retinal diseases.”

If you or someone you know would like to learn more about LASIK or any Laser Eye Surgery for vision correction or Lens Replacement Surgery please schedule a Free Consultation in Birmingham by calling 205-930-0930, visiting Michelson Laser Vision or facebook.com/michelsonlaservision.

Michelson Laser Vision and Alabama Eye & Cataract Center are leading eye care centers in Birmingham staffed by a team of specialists including eye doctors who are fellowship trained cornea specialists and cataract and lens implant specialists-all board certified Ophthalmologists & Corneal Specialists-as well as Optometrists, Opticians, technical and administrative staff who provide eye examinations for adults and children, cataract surgery and intraocular lens implants (IOL), laser eye surgery such as LASIK for laser vision correction, diagnosis and treatment of cornea disease including cornea transplants, care for diseases of the retina including diabetes and age related macular degeneration and diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma and fitting of eyeglasses and eyewear.

LASIK for Alabama Motorcycle Riders

With some caveats, LASIK is a good potential choice of vision correction for motorcycle riders in Alabama who wear glasses or contact lens wearers. “Contact lenses and eyeglasses can be a real challenge for motorcycle riders-so more and more ask about LASIK,” stated Marc Michelson, M.D., a Birmingham LASIK Surgeon & Corneal Specialist at Michelson Laser Vision. “I do take the opportunity to discuss with motorcycle riders who want LASIK that they should always use proper eye protection from the sun, bugs, small rocks and pebbles and especially the wind, which can really contribute to dry eye symptoms,” he explained. “Further I always remind bike enthusiasts about the potential for eye irritation and motorcycle dry eye caused by the wind, exhaust fumes, pollen and pollution-as well as the Alabama sun and heat.”

At your LASIK consultation the staff will be exploring your lifestyle needs and activities. As a potential LASIK patient we want to take the time necessary so that we can carefully counsel you in order to get the best results and help meet your expectations. Please take the time to tell us about your motorcycle riding interest as well as all of the ways in which you are hoping to benefit from LASIK.

If you or someone you know would like to learn more about LASIK or any Laser Eye Surgery for vision correction please schedule a Free LASIK Consultation in Birmingham by calling 205-930-0930, visiting Michelson Laser Vision or facebook.com/michelsonlaservision.

Michelson Laser Vision and Alabama Eye & Cataract Center are leading eye care centers in Birmingham staffed by a team of specialists including eye doctors who are fellowship trained cornea specialists and cataract and lens implant specialists-all board certified Ophthalmologists & Corneal Specialists-as well as Optometrists, Opticians, technical and administrative staff who provide eye examinations for adults and children, cataract surgery and intraocular lens implants (IOL), laser eye surgery such as LASIK for laser vision correction, diagnosis and treatment of cornea disease including cornea transplants, care for diseases of the retina including diabetes and age related macular degeneration and diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma and fitting of eyeglasses and eyewear.

Why Women Need Bifocals Sooner than Men

Women often need bifocals sooner than men of approximately the same age. “While it may come as a surprise and may not be obvious, we actually see this pretty often during regular eye exams,” noted Tyler Hall, M.D., Ophthalmologist & Corneal Specialist at Alabama Eye & Cataract Center in Birmingham, AL. Researchers reporting the journal Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science (IOVS) found that women tend to need bifocals sooner to correct their near vision and the onset of presbyopia-the age related near vision focusing problem. The studies show that presbyopia, the inability to see at a close distance that occurs with age, is more common in women. While men and women need bifocals as they age, the need is more common among women and tends to hit them at younger ages than men. “It is believed that while men and women appeared to actually have the same focusing ability when looking at nearby objects, because women are generally shorter than the men, with proportionally shorter arm lengths, they needed to hold objects closer to their faces when reading and thus required the near vision presbyopia correction of bifocals, reading glasses or even bifocal contact lenses sooner,” explained Dr. Hall.

If you have questions or concerns near vision focusing problems such as presbyopia or questions about bifocals and reading glasses please schedule an eye exam by calling Alabama Eye & Cataract Center in Birmingham at 205-930-0930, visiting Alabama Eye & Cataract Center or facebook.com/michelsonlaservision.

Michelson Laser Vision and Alabama Eye & Cataract Center are leading eye care centers in Birmingham staffed by a team of specialists including eye doctors who are fellowship trained cornea specialists and cataract and lens implant specialists-all board certified Ophthalmologists & Corneal Specialists-as well as Optometrists, Opticians, technical and administrative staff who provide eye examinations for adults and children, cataract surgery and intraocular lens implants (IOL), laser eye surgery such as LASIK for laser vision correction, diagnosis and treatment of cornea disease including cornea transplants, care for diseases of the retina including diabetes and age related macular degeneration and diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma and fitting of eyeglasses and eyewear.

Eye Drops for Dry AMD Treatment

In the not too distant future it may be possible to offer patients eye drops for treatment of Dry Age Related Macular Degeneration. Birmingham Ophthalmologist Marc Michelson, M.D. of Alabama Eye & Cataract Center shared some thoughts and information about some possible eye drop treatments for dry macular degeneration. “With the advent of Lucentis® injections for Wet macular degeneration we have been able to make a huge impact on so many people and their quality of life,” commented Dr. Michelson. “In reality though, 85% or so of the cases of macular degeneration that we diagnose are “Dry” macular degeneration and thus it would be significant if we could find some form of treatment for this type as well,” he further noted.

Although we don’t fully understand the exact cause of “Dry” AMD, we know that it tends to progress more slowly than the “Wet” AMD. It is characterized by the appearance of small white or yellowish deposits, called drusen which form on the retina, beneath the macula, causing it to deteriorate or degenerate over time. “The most likely cause is a diminished blood flow in the blood vessels of choroid-a tissue beneath the retina that supplies it with oxygen and nutrients,” Dr. Michelson explained.

The FDA has facilitated a “fast track” approach and testing of an experimental eye drop that has an active ingredient that has been approved and used in an oral formulation to treat hypertension. It is thought that these new eye drops may act to increase choroidal blood flow and circulation and thus slow or stop the progression of AMD from the early stage (Dry AMD) to the later stage (Wet AMD) by increasing the blood flow in the eye's choroidal vessels. Thus far the early clinical studies show that the drug is safe for use in human subjects and is now being tested to determine if it can be an effective treatment for dry AMD by increasing choroidal blood flow.

“We are continually reviewing the research, the publications and the FDA clinical trials to find better ways to take care of our patients-it’s just part of being a good physician and our patients depend on us. More to come regarding “Dry” macular eye drop treatment as soon as we have the data and information,” said Dr. Michelson.

If you have questions or concerns about macular degeneration or about potential new eye drop treatments for Dry macular degeneration schedule an eye exam by calling Alabama Eye & Cataract Center in Birmingham at 205-930-0930, visiting Alabama Eye & Cataract Center or facebook.com/michelsonlaservision.

Michelson Laser Vision and Alabama Eye & Cataract Center are leading eye care centers in Birmingham staffed by a team of specialists including eye doctors who are fellowship trained cornea specialists and cataract and lens implant specialists-all board certified Ophthalmologists & Corneal Specialists-as well as Optometrists, Opticians, technical and administrative staff who provide eye examinations for adults and children, cataract surgery and intraocular lens implants (IOL), laser eye surgery such as LASIK for laser vision correction, diagnosis and treatment of cornea disease including cornea transplants, care for diseases of the retina including diabetes and age related macular degeneration and diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma and fitting of eyeglasses and eyewear.