Understanding LASIK and How the Eyes Function

Knowing how the eyes work and the functions of the parts of the eye will help us understand the importance of taking care of our eyes. Have an ophthalmologist or LASIK doctor evaluate your eye condition.

How the Eyes Work

Our eyes are like a perfect kind of camera. They send the pictures we take about the world to the brain. This means, our brains work out what our eyes see around us. This would start from the very moment you open your eyes every morning to the time you close your eyes every night.

It is very similar to how a camera works. When light rays from each object that passes through the lens get recorded on a computer chip or film, the light passes through our eyes and it gets recorded at the back of our eyes or the retina.

Although the picture recorded by the camera as well as our eyes are both inverted or upside down, once the data is sent to the brain, it turns it right way up and informs you what kind of object you are looking at.

Parts of the Eye

The eye is made up of different parts that work together for vision to happen. First is the sclera, a tough skin covering of the outer part of the eyeball. This is the white part of the eye. Then there is the cornea, a see-through skin covering the front portion of the eye. It is as clear as glass with no blood vessels inside.

The iris controls the amount of light entering the eye. It is the colored part of the eye. And then the lens is responsible for focusing the light onto the retina. It can change its shape to ensure that the picture inside the retina is clearly showcased.

A pupil is the hole inside the colored Iris. It lets the light in to your eye. In bright light, it becomes very small and becomes bigger in dark places.

Another part of the eye is the retina. This is similar to a “movie screen” that showcases the picture you see but upside down. It is composed of many two-typed cells, the “cones” and the “rods.” The rods are the ones who see black and white while the cones are the ones who see the colors. They are the ones who transform the picture into an “electrical message” for the brain.

The optic nerve is another important part. Once the Retina sends out the electrical messages, it travels to the optic nerve and to the brain.

Eyelashes and eyelids protect the eyes. The eyelids shut out the light to help you sleep. They will even shut very fast once they sense something trying to get inside the eyes. Eyelashes are also very sensitive. As the eyelids close, they trap the dust that tries to penetrate the eyes.

Tear glands are small glands inside the upper eye lid that produces tears to keep the eyes moist and clean. They protect the eye from damage. As we blink, the eyelids spread tears over the surface. Small things like specks of dust get washed into the corner of the eye near the nose.

Eyebrows keep the sweat and dust out of the eyes. The conjunctiva is the lining on your inner eyelid and the front of the eyes' outer section. There are tiny blood vessels here. These blood vessels become bigger when the eyes are sore, making them look reddish in color.

Finding the Right LASIK Doctor

If you are experiencing eye problems, it is best to see a LASIK doctor right away. Do not wait until it gets worse or until the time that surgery is the only solution. In order to find the perfect LASIK doctor for your condition, here are some things to consider:

Although having a medical license is your best bet, it is even better if you can find a doctor that practiced specialized refractive eye surgery education. AS a note, Ophthalmologists are not qualified to do refractive surgery.

You can start by checking o the number of successful surgeries the doctor has completed. Even if technology continues to evolve and make it easier for doctors to obtain satisfactory results, experience is still a very important factor.

Look for the best price deal. There are also those that rely on word-of-mouth but are fairly competent in their field. However, take note that large companies who can afford expensive advertisements are also the ones who can afford the latest technology for LASIK and the ones who can hire the best doctors in the field. The best doctors would mean the ones with ample experience on refractive surgery.