David Hunter

At your age, you should have a relatively stable “refractive error” ie farsightedness. However you may be noticing your vision struggling due to a more common problem which is the slow loss of accommodation. It helps to understand that there are two main parts of the eye that focus the outside world onto the back of the eye- the cornea (like the front windshield of the eye) and the lens inside the eye. For someone who has perfect distance vision, the lens is then able to change shape a certain amount to go from focusing at distance to up close. Over time that lens becomes stiff, can’t change shape as well and we start to lose our near vision(ie presbyopia when we start needing reading glasses between 35 to 45). For people who are farsighted, they are not focused at distance and the eye uses up all the ability of the lens to change shape so that they can bring the distance into focus. (Unfortunately when they use up all the shape change their lens is capable of, they can’t see at near - this is why “farsighted people can typically see ok at distance but not up close). In your case you might be experiencing the lens stiffening in your eye and slowly losing the ability to over come the fact that your refractive error at distance and feel like the farsighted vision is “getting worse”

Cataracts,when visually significant can be removed and replaced with a new lens inside the eye by surgery. It is one of the most common procedures performed in the US and also one of the safest.

Typically patients are comfortable and seeing very well the next morning and back to living life. There are some small precautions over the several days afterward and some drops to place in the eyes. Precautions and drops vary between surgeons. I tell all of my patients that I definitely want them to flood the eyes with artificial tears for at least a couple of months afterward no matter how good things feel.

Typically 21 is a good age but it is more dependent on the overall stability of his refractions and any other eye conditions

Sometimes scratches on the eye or corneal abrasions run the risk of becoming infected and need prophylactic antibiotics while other times we need them because the scratch is already infected.

If the cataracts are visually significant and limiting activities of daily life, they are typically removed surgically and replaced with a new clear lens.

Cataracts never come back and the lens placed in the eye does not deteriorate, therefore the surgical correction of the cataract lasts forever. However, there are other parts of the eye that play a role in vision and still need to be monitored over time like the cornea, retina and optic nerve

Yes you should get an eye exam. There are multiple things that cause blurry vision and many of them are treatable. However without a full eye exam you will never know what’s going on or if you need treatment to prevent permanent vision loss.

If you’re referring to LASIK or PRK, we typically wait until at least 21 years old. However every single patient is different. There is a lot of testing that needs to be done in order to make sure your refractive error, or basically the amount of treatment you would need in order to see well, is stable and that there are no other conditions in or on the surface of the eye that would put you at risk of having any problems during refractive surgery. The best answer to your question is that you need to get a full refractive evaluation with an ophthalmologist that does LASIK surgery.

No, LASIK cannot be used to intentionally change the color of your iris. If performed properly and without complications, LASIK would sharpen vision and decrease dependence on glasses but the cornea would remain clear.

I have some patients (albeit very rare) that are very symptomatic from floaters and we refer them to a retina specialist for either a possible laser treatment to breakup the floater or surgery to completely remove them.

Yes macular degeneration CAN but does not always lead to legal blindness.

I think the biggest part of that question is understanding that most people use the words pinkeye to describe a very specific condition that is often in kids and is caused actually by a virus, or more specifically the addenovirus. Many other conditions can cause the eyes to look pink, which is just a sign of inflammation. Other diagnoses can be allergic, systemic inflammatory conditions, bacterial infections, trauma or other viral infections . The viral infection that causes “ pinkeye “ in kids and can easily spread to the other eye or two other people they are around typically causes irritation increased tearing, and itchiness. If it is mild, common treatments include cool artificial tears, cool compresses, and good hygiene to try and prevent spread to the other Eye or to other people. Allergens can cause a similar pinkness of the white part of the eye due to causing increased inflammation and making the blood vessels dilate more. I believe it is important to have your son checked by an eye doctor because his various causes of pinkness in the eye may require different types of treatment Both in the short term and long term.

Laser refractive surgery is a great option for many patients to improve the quality of vision and decrease dependence on glasses or contacts. However just like any procedure there are risks and possible side effects. Some of the biggest things that are of concern when considering laser refractive surgery is the risk of dryness on the surface of the eye, the risk of glare or halos of lights, Possible infections or worsening of the vision. It is extremely important to have a full exam by and experienced refractive surgeon to determine if you are a good candidate, and to review all of the risks and possible outcomes when considering laser refractive surgery.