Wondering About Cataract Surgery?

 

“Wonderful to be able to see again! Wonderful staff and doctors! Thank you Alabama Eye & Cataract Center and Dr. Jennifer Michelson.”-Laura 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 Alabama Eye & Cataract Center in Birmingham at 205-930-0930, visit Alabama Eye & Cataract Center or www.facebook.com/alabamaeyecataractcenter.

Alabama Eye & Cataract Center, P.C. leading eye care center in Birmingham located at UAB-Highlands, 1201 11th Avenue S, Suite 501, Birmingham, Alabama 35205 and staffed by UAB Medicine eye doctors and eye specialists.

Could Eye Drops Replace Reading Glasses?

Believe it or not, we may be able to use eye drops instead of reading glasses! More than one-third of Americans have presbyopia, a gradual loss of near vision with age. Most people reach for eyeglasses or bifocal contact lenses, but in the future there may be a promising non-surgical  eye drop treatment for presbyopia. There are two types of eye drops that may help patients with near vision age related focusing problems. One type-called a miotic-constricts the pupil and limits out of focus visual information. Another type-a lens softening eye drop-works by softening the crystalline lens which restores the flexibility of the crystalline lens making it able to change focus as it did when you were younger. Both types of drops are in clinical trials, where their safety and effectiveness are being tested in patients and experts predict that perhaps one drop may get the approval within the next two years. Every person’s eyes are unique and glasses, drops and surgery all have their pros and cons. In the meantime if you or someone you know needs help with presbyopia and near vision please call and schedule an eye exam at Alabama Eye & Cataract Center in Birmingham at 205-930-0930, visit Alabama Eye & Cataract Center or Facebook.

Fourth of July Fireworks Eye Safety

 

Every Fourth of July, families, friends, and communities come together throughout the country to view firework displays. And every year, we encourage the public to leave the fireworks to the professionals and go to a public display. We remind the patients that consumer fireworks are dangerous both to those who set them off and to bystanders. Here are the facts:

·        The US Consumer Product Safety Commission reported 10,000 injuries and 12 firework-related deaths in 2019.

·        A 2017 study showed that 65 percent of people injured by fireworks are bystanders.

·        An April 2020 study in JAMA Ophthalmology, showed that an estimated 34,548 firework-related eye injuries occurred between 1999 and 2017, with approximately 65 percent occurring in children. The most common injuries were ocular burns, ocular foreign body, and conjunctival irritation. Most injuries occurred at home (75 percent) with consumer use of fireworks during the 4th of July. Although all types of consumer fireworks are dangerous, bottle rockets caused the most severe injuries, such as ruptured globes.

There is significant variability among state and county laws regarding the use of consumer fireworks. Setting off fireworks at home is illegal in some states. For people in states in which it’s legal, here’s how to make sure your backyard celebration doesn’t end in the ER:

·        Don't pick up duds and misfires: Fireworks nearly cost an Ohio firefighter his sight. He took all the right precautions for his backyard Fourth of July fireworks celebration. But a split-second decision to inspect a "dud" was almost fatal.

·        Supervise children closely: Sparklers seem like harmless fun for the kids, but they are responsible for about 1,400 eye injuries each year. Even those tiny poppers or snappers can pose dangers.

·        Wear protective eyewear: Ophthalmologists recommend American National Standards Institute (ANSI)-approved protective eyewear. Stop by any hardware store and pick up some safety glasses for the entire family.

If you or someone you know experiences a fireworks injury please schedule an appointment at Alabama Eye & Cataract Center in Birmingham at 205-930-0930, visit Alabama Eye & Cataract Center or Facebook.

Alabama Eye & Cataract Center is a leading eye care center in Birmingham located at UAB-Highlands, 1201 11th Avenue S, Suite 501, Birmingham, Alabama 35205 and staffed by UAB Medicine eye doctors and eye specialists.

Durysta Implant for Glaucoma

 

In order to maintain the best control of glaucoma and prevent vision loss, many patients with glaucoma must be quite consistent in their use of eye drops to maintain the proper eye pressure or Intraocular Pressure (IOP). For many, glaucoma laser treatment is often helpful in reducing or eliminating glaucoma eye drops but for others eye drop use is part of their daily routine several times each day. Recently a microscopic implant containing a glaucoma eye pressure medication was FDA approved to help glaucoma patients improve their quality of life by reducing the need for eye drops as well as ensuring better consistency and compliance and thus an exciting option for lowering IOP in the treatment of glaucoma and a step in the right direction to reducing blindness related to this common disease.

If you or someone you know is being treated for glaucoma with eye drops, please schedule a glaucoma eye exam and ask about options for glaucoma treatment to help reduce the need for daily eye drops. Please call us at Alabama Eye & Cataract Center in Birmingham at 205-930-0930, visit Alabama Eye & Cataract Center or Facebook.

Alabama Eye & Cataract Center is a leading eye care center in Birmingham located at UAB-Highlands, 1201 11th Avenue S, Suite 501, Birmingham, Alabama 35205 and staffed by UAB Medicine eye doctors and eye specialists.

The MLV LASIK Walk & Talk

 

“I did my research and made my decision to have my eye surgery done by the man who was the first to perform PRK and LASIK in Alabama. Honor and your word mean a lot to me and Michelson Laser Vision has honored everything they said they would do so far. Dr. Michelson exudes confidence because he can walk the walk of what I read up on him. He has also surrounded himself with an extremely professional staff that shares those same values. I am very thankful to be in the care of Dr. Michelson's knowledge, skill, experience, and staff.”-Joseph A.

If you or some you know is tired of the hassle of glasses or contact lenses for seeing at distance and would like to find out if LASIK might be a good vision correction option, please call Michelson Laser Vision, Inc. in Birmingham at 205-969-8100, visit Michelson Laser Vision, or www.facebook.com/michelsonlaservision.

Michelson Laser Vision, Inc. is a leading LASIK center in Birmingham located at UAB-Highlands, 1201 11th Avenue S, Suite 501, Birmingham, Alabama 35205 and staffed by UAB Medicine eye doctors and eye specialists.

Can Cataracts Regrow?

 

From time to time we hear patients ask about whether cataracts “regrow” after they have had cataract surgery. Sometimes patients will tell us that a friend, neighbor or relative had a cataract regrow. The fact is that cataracts do not come back after they are surgically removed!

When your cataract surgeon performs cataract & lens implant surgery, the cloudy natural lens of your eye is replaced with a clear artificial lens that is placed within a thin membrane-called the “lens capsule”-that is intentionally left in place to secure the new artificial lens. The new lens does not become cloudy again. However, some people do develop what is called a “secondary” cataract some time later after the initial surgery that occurs when the thin membrane that holds the lens becomes cloudy. With a quick painless procedure called a YAG Laser Capsulotomy, your eye surgeon can make an opening in the cloudy capsule, allowing light to pass through again for clear vision. This YAG procedure almost instantly restores clear vision with the entire procedure taking less than 5 minutes and requiring no downtime.

 
If you or someone you is experiencing cataract symptoms such as cloudy foggy vision, glare or difficult night driving and would like to learn more about cataracts, cataract surgery and lens implants please call and schedule an eye exam at Alabama Eye & Cataract Center in Birmingham at 205-930-0930, visit Alabama Eye & Cataract Center or Facebook.

Alabama Eye & Cataract Center is a leading eye care center in Birmingham located at UAB-Highlands, 1201 11th Avenue S, Suite 501, Birmingham, Alabama 35205 and staffed by UAB Medicine eye doctors and eye specialists.

Herpes Zoster Vaccine: Should You Have It?

Herpes Zoster Ophthalmicus (HZO) is a type of eye infection caused by the Herpes Zoster virus. While most people know of different types of Herpes virus, most are not familiar with the devastating consequences including vision loss of HZO. In addition, recent studies reported in Ophthalmology, showed that the incidence of HZO has increased 3.6% per year from 1994 to 2018 in the United States. Yet, the vaccination rate for Herpes Zoster remains low. The American Academy of Ophthalmology Public Health Committee suggests that greater efforts should be made to vaccinate eligible adults 50 years of age and older according to recommended schedules. If you are over 50 and have not had a Herpes Zoster vaccination ask your primary care doctor if you are eligible and whether it is important for you to consider. Call us at Alabama Eye & Cataract Center in Birmingham at 205-930-0930, visit Alabama Eye & Cataract Center or Facebook.

Alabama Eye & Cataract Center is a leading eye care center in Birmingham located at UAB-Highlands, 1201 11th Avenue S, Suite 501, Birmingham, Alabama 35205 and staffed by UAB Medicine eye doctors and eye specialists