5 Signs You Need Lasik Eye Surgery

LASIK is one of the most common types of laser surgery used to treat farsightedness, nearsightedness and astigmatism. It is a quick and painless procedure that can be performed in less than an hour and uses a laser to reshape your cornea. Reshaping your cornea works the same way that glasses do, changing the way that light travels to your retina, permanently improving your vision within a day of the surgery.

While the procedure is life changing, how do you know it’s time to consult a specialist about whether LASIK eye surgery is right for you? Here are 5 signs to look out for that indicate you might need LASIK eye surgery:

You are experiencing difficulty seeing at night

Difficulty seeing at night, or night blindness, is a common problem for people who are nearsighted. This might involve trouble walking through the house at night, difficulty seeing in a dimply lit garage or seeing what is happening around you without streetlamps. LASIK is a popular option for fixing nearsightedness and can reverse night blindness within days of the surgery.

You are forced to squint or are experiencing blurring and haloes

Squinting while at your computer, while watching a sporting match or simply reading a book might indicate that your eyes are trying to compensate for poor vision. Similarly, blurred vision or seeing haloes around objects at night means that light is not entering your eyes correctly and can be a symptom of near or farsightedness.

You are experiencing eye strain or frequent headaches

Eye strain or fatigue is when your eyes feel heavy, painful or tired from everyday activities. If you are experiencing frequent pain or difficulty it might mean that your eyes are constantly trying to adjust for poor vision. Similarly, frequent headaches might be a sign of farsightedness or astigmatism as the constant strain from adjustment causes pain.

You have difficulty with everyday activities like seeing road signs

One of the simplest ways to know that you should consider LASIK eye surgery is to pay attention to how easy it is to perform everyday activities. If you are finding it difficult to perform actions vital to driving such as read road signs, see smaller objects around you or even difficulty seeing the traffic lights then you might be experiencing the affects of compromised vision.

Your glasses are affecting your lifestyle

Finally, you might already know that you have a vision problem and have been using glasses for years, however, are sick of how they limit your everyday life. For active individuals such as runners, swimmers or climbers glasses can be a real drawback. LASIK eye surgery is a great option for getting rid of glasses altogether.

Before deciding whether LASIK is right for you there are other considerations to take into account, such as can your vision irregularity be treated with LASIK and are you a good candidate free of health complications and have generally stable vision. Consulting with an eye care professional can help answer these questions and get you on track for clear, healthy vision.