One of the common misconceptions about LASIK is that the effects won’t last. Some people are apprehensive about choosing LASIK because they worry their vision will revert or the results will wear off.
LASIK is a safe and effective vision correction procedure that can allow you to experience greater visual freedom for many years. Keep reading to learn more about LASIK and to find out whether it is permanent!
How Does LASIK Work?
LASIK is a procedure that can correct refractive errors, which cause blurry vision due to the natural shape of your eye or cornea. The cornea is the clear structure at the front of the eye that acts as the window to the eye and helps focus light onto the retina.
When the cornea is irregularly shaped, or when the eye is too short or too long, it causes a refractive error like nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism. During a LASIK procedure, your eye doctor uses specialized lasers to reshape the cornea.
The reshaping is a permanent change to the structure of your cornea. After LASIK, the new shape of your cornea will help refract the light to land directly on the retina to produce clear vision and reduce your need for visual aids.
Can Your Vision Change After LASIK?
LASIK only corrects the refraction errors present in your eye at the time of the procedure. It cannot prevent any changes to your eyes or your vision that may occur due to the development of other eye conditions in the future.
Over time, you may develop vision changes unrelated to your LASIK procedure. One of the most common vision changes that occurs later in life is presbyopia.
Presbyopia is age-related and causes changes to the lens of the eye. The lens grows less flexible and starts to affect your close-up vision.
You may find that you need reading glasses for activities like reading or working on a computer. Another common issue that occurs with age is cataracts.
Like presbyopia, cataracts affect the lens of the eye. Cataracts cause clouding of the lens, which gradually spreads and affects vision.
Cataracts can lead to blurry or hazy vision, dulling of colors, and reduced night vision. Although LASIK can permamently correct your refractive error, it doesn’t mean you will not experience blurry vision later in life due to other eye conditions.
Additionally, you may need a LASIK touch-up at a later point to ensure your vision is at its best.
What If I Get LASIK Too Young?
One of the reasons that LASIK is so successful is that eye doctors work closely with patients to make sure LASIK is the right procedure for them. One of the criteria eye doctors look at is your age and how stable your vision is.
Your eyes continue to change into early adulthood. This is why your glasses prescription may change often during childhood and teenage years.
Most people’s vision becomes more stable after the age of twenty-one. Getting LASIK before your eyes have matured and your prescription has stabilized increases the risk of vision changing after the procedure.
Ensuring that you are a good candidate for LASIK will give you the best chance of seeing permanent results from the procedure.
Do you want to learn more about LASIK and find out if it’s the right laser vision correction procedure for you? Schedule a LASIK consultation at EyeHealth Northwest in Portland, OR, today!
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