Kids Need School Eye Exams in Central & Western Massachusetts

Childrens’ vision and eye exams are an important item on the back to school “readiness” checklist and D’Ambrosio Eye Care recommends that kids have an eye exam to start the school year right! While most parents can easily observe that children today operate in a very intense and demanding visual environment as they read, write, play sports, use computers and tablets-but the eye doctors at D’Ambrosio Eye Care want to be sure to remind parents that children use their eyes and vision as critical tools in the learning process.  

The most frequent eye problems we find in school age kids are the common vision problems of nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism. Sometimes, not having clear vision in the classroom can lead to the undeserved perception of a behavioral problem or attention problem. What we know is that kids are often unable to verbalize that they have a vision problem as they just don’t recognize it. The earlier a vision problem is detected and treated, the more likely treatment will be successful.

If you or someone you know needs a Back to School eye exam for children please come in and see us at D’Ambrosio Eye Care by calling 800-325-3937, visiting D’Ambrosio Eye Care or facebook.com/dambrosioeyecare so that we can help schedule an appointment.

D'Ambrosio Eye Care is a leading eye care practice with office locations at 479 Old Union Turnpike, Lancaster, Massachusetts 01523, 100 Powder Mill Road, Acton, Massachusetts 01720, 413 Main Street, Athol, Massachusetts 01331 and 74 Main Street, Gardner, Massachusetts 01440 that serve the greater Boston, central and western Massachusetts. 

Cataracts Affect More than Just Vision

“When patients think about how cataracts affect them they typically relate their symptoms to complaints like blurry vision, cloudy vision, glare, difficulty night driving and other vision symptoms,” shared Francis D’Ambrosio Jr., M.D. “But, what we consider for each and every patient with cataracts is that poor vision in seniors is often associated with premature or accelerated mental decline. Further, the challenges reduced vision creates in terms of mobility and safety can also put patients at increased risk for orthopedic injury-especially hip fracture. So, helping seniors restore vision with cataract surgery and lens implants has an important place in securing senior health, well being, mobility, safety and mental state,” Dr. D’Ambrosio explained.

August is noted as Cataract Awareness Month. Today there are some 20 million Americans age 40 and older have cataracts and more than half of all Americans over 65 have some degree of cataract development. In fact cataracts are a leading cause of vision loss among seniors.

What is a Cataract?

A cataract is a clouding of the crystalline lens of the eye preventing light rays from passing through it easily. This results in a clouding and blurring of vision. Cataracts are not a growth or a film over the eye. Initially, a cataract may start out slowly and have little effect on vision. Over time as the cataract becomes denser, so does its effect on vision.

Symptoms of Cataracts

The most common symptoms that bother patients with cataracts can include blurring of vision, sensitivity to light and glare, double vision in one eye, poor night vision, fading or yellowing of colors and frequent changes in glasses or contact lens prescriptions.

When cataracts begin to interfere with daily activities or with your comfort, mobility and safety, they can be treated surgically. Cataract surgery is one of the safest and most frequently performed surgeries in the United States. Today, we have a full range of lens implants available that allow us to correct nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism and even near vision focusing problems after cataract surgery, as well as distance vision, without requiring bifocals or reading glasses for the vast majority of patients.

If you or someone you know has questions about cataracts, cataract surgery, laser cataract surgery or lens implants please schedule an eye examination at D’Ambrosio Eye Care by calling us at 800-325-3937, visiting D’Ambrosio Eye Care or facebook.com/dambrosioeyecare so that we can help recommend an appropriate treatment plan.

D'Ambrosio Eye Care is a leading eye care practice with office locations at 479 Old Union Turnpike, Lancaster, Massachusetts 01523, 100 Powder Mill Road, Acton, Massachusetts 01720, 413 Main Street, Athol, Massachusetts 01331 and 74 Main Street, Gardner, Massachusetts 01440 that serve the greater Boston, central and western Massachusetts.

Multifocal Lens Implants: The Patient View

Through the years, my vision was gradually getting worse. Cataracts were beginning to affect my quality of life. I chose to have the multifocal lens implants to treat cataracts in both eyes.

Now, I can see things near, far, and everything in between. I no longer need those reading glasses!  I haven’t seen this well in years. This was the best thing I could have done. I’d recommend this course of treatment to anyone looking to break free from the hassle of glasses. The service that I received at D’Ambrosio Eye Care was exceptional!

Bob G.

D'Ambrosio Eye Care is a leading eye care practice with office locations at 479 Old Union Turnpike, Lancaster, Massachusetts 01523, 100 Powder Mill Road, Acton, Massachusetts 01720, 413 Main Street, Athol, Massachusetts 01331 and 74 Main Street, Gardner, Massachusetts 01440 that serve the greater Boston and central Massachusetts area. 

Dry Eye Common after Cataract Surgery

Developing a dry eye after cataract surgery is actually pretty common. Moreover, the incidence of mild to moderate dry eye in a cataract aged population prior to cataract surgery-and exacerbated by cataract surgery makes dry eye a rather common complaint among this group. Patients of cataract age and having cataract surgery should know a little bit about dry eye as this is a somewhat temporary condition they may encounter. Fortunately, dry eye after cataract surgery are a number of helpful solutions.

Dry Eye Incidence

According to the Prospective Health Assessment of Cataract Patients Ocular Surface (PHACO) Study some 60-75% of a cataract aged population has a meaningful deficiency in their tear film testing. Further, although cataract surgery is quite friendly to the cornea, it does require an incision which has the potential to temporarily interrupt corneal nerves responsible for reflex tearing and tear film integrity as well. This along with some of the solutions used during the cataract procedure can indeed result in a dry eye.

Dry Eye Symptoms

The symptoms one might experience could include fluctuations of vision, dryness, grittiness, tearing, burning and a general tiredness as well as an overall sandy feeling. The good news is that for the vast majority of patients with dry eye there are potentially helpful treatment options that include specialized artificial tear lubricants and solutions, tiny punctal plugs to help you retain tears and prescription medication that stimulates production of your own tears. In addition there are more technological approaches such as lasers and other methods to treating underlying blepharitis, eyelid gland problems or eyelid inflammation that can contribute to dry eye as well.

If you or someone you know is concerned about dry eye after cataract surgery or wishes to learn more about cataracts, cataract surgery and lens implants, they are encouraged to schedule an eye examination at D’Ambrosio Eye Care by calling us at 800-325-3937, visiting D’Ambrosio Eye Care or facebook.com/dambrosioeyecare so that we can help recommend an appropriate treatment plan.

D'Ambrosio Eye Care is a leading eye and LASIK care practice with office locations at 479 Old Union Turnpike, Lancaster, Massachusetts 01523, 100 Powder Mill Road, Acton, Massachusetts 01720, 413 Main Street, Athol, Massachusetts 01331 and 74 Main Street, Gardner, Massachusetts 01440 that serve the greater Boston and central Massachusetts area. 

Laser Cataract Surgery for Massachusetts Patients

Cataract surgeons at D’Ambrosio Eye Care will now be using the CATALYS® Precision Laser System to perform laser cataract surgery and lens implants for patients from throughout central and western Massachusetts. This is the 30th anniversary of our practice and in fact I have been performing cataract surgery for over 30 years. During these years I have been actively involved in the clinical research to develop new advanced lens implants as well as to help refine techniques of modern cataract surgery. 

Incorporating advances in eye surgery into our practice and bringing them to western and central Massachusetts is just part of the DNA of our practice. Even after the years of experience and teaching of cataract surgery techniques, I am amazed at how the laser for cataract surgery gives me the ability to deliver a more precise, reproducible and gentler cataract surgery for my patients. The laser gives me exquisite control over the very complex steps of making a microscopic incision, creating a perfectly centered opening in the crystalline lens to remove the cloudy cataract and even softening  the lens material-all of which makes more consistent and gentler while adding accuracy when I am inserting and positioning the lens implant. This is really helpful for optical performance and vision correction for patients,” explained Dr. D’Ambrosio Jr. Throughout my career in eye surgery I have always tried to exemplify the philosophy of “see one-do one-teach one”, so I am looking forward to teaching other cataract surgeons at our eye surgery center in Gardner and from throughout western and central Massachusetts this technique of laser cataract surge.