An Eye Twitch or Other Tic

What’s happening? The term “tic” in medicine can mean any number of involuntary things your body does. In this case, we’re talking about those annoying little muscle twitches you get in your eye or other parts of your body, such as your knee, that bug you for a day or two for seemingly no reason.

“A muscle is firing under your skin, because you are in a state of excitement or stress,” explains Dr. Jeffrey Cain,  president-elect of the American Academy of Family Physicians and the chief of family medicine at Children’s Hospital Colorado in Denver.

Why is your body doing it? “Your body is telling you that it is stressed or tired,” says Cain. “In the case of eye twitches, they can happen from fatigue, such as staring at a computer screen all day.”

What should you do? “For most of us, these twitches are not a serious problem,” says Cain. Generally, the body is just saying that it needs a break (tics can also be caused by anxiety and worsened by caffeine or alcohol). Cain recommends that you take steps to decompress at the sign of one: “Play relaxing music, talk to a friend, or focus on something else”—away from your computer screen, for instance. If those tricks don’t help, or if the twitches continue to plague you, speak with your doctor. Tics can be symptoms of such conditions as Parkinson’s disease, autism, Bell’s palsy, or, in the case of eye twitches, an injury to the cornea.

 * information provided by www.foxnews.com *

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/04/24/why-does-my-eye-twitch-and-other-questions-about-body-odd/?intcmp=features#ixzz1t3mpNmYI

Sunglasses today are not just a fashion statement; they are your first line of defense to protect your eyes form the UV rays. Extended exposure to the sun’s UV rays has been linked to eye damage, including cataracts, macular degeneration, and many more. The best sunglasses for UV protection are the ones that have the most face coverage and block 100% of UV radiation; this is the recommendation by the FDA.  Look good while protecting your baby blues!

HEY Allergy sufferers! You are not alone about 30% to 50% of U.S. residents have allergy symptoms, and about 75% of those people have symptoms that affect their eyes.

Some common allergens are pollen, dander, and dust. All of which can be harmless but quite bothersome, causing red,swollen, itchy, irritated eyes.  Call RMO  today and set up an appointment…. relief  may be in your near future.

Happy first day of Spring everyone! Come in to Rocky Mountain Ophthalmology  for a Free  iLASIK consultation, and kiss those glasses and contacts goodbye this Spring!

Born and raised in Northern California, Dr. Kevin H. Cuevas earned his medical degree from the University of Southern California School of Medicine.  As a medical student at USC, Dr. Cuevas participated in research at the Doheney Eye Institute where he was involved in the emerging technology of excimer laser corneal refractive surgery.  He completed his ophthalmology residency at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas before attending a fellowship in Cornea and External Disease at the University of Iowa in 1997.

In 2002, Dr. Cuevas founded Rocky Mountain Ophthalmology and became a valued consultative resource for the ophthalmic community in Colorado.  His interests in cornea, external disease, and refractive surgery were complemented by his earlier research interests.  Dr. Cuevas is considered by his peers as a leader in cataract and refractive surgery.  He has embraced cutting-edge intraocular lens technologies and ranks among the top surgeons for implantation of presbyopia-correcting and toric intraocular lenses.  Dr. Cuevas has published peer reviewed articles and continues to lecture locally and nationally.  Dr. Cuevas is board certified by The American Academy of Ophthalmology, and is a member of numerous professional ophthalmology and medical societies contributing his time, expertise, perspective and support in a myriad of ways. 

As a surgeon, Dr. Cuevas enjoys working with his hands.  In his spare time, Dr. Cuevas uses those same skills to tie flies for his fly fishing adventures.  An avid fly fisher since his early teens in California, Dr. Cuevas has fly fished worldwide in search of various freshwater and saltwater species.  He is particularly passionate about fly fishing for steelhead in the Pacific Northwest, as well as chasing large roosterfish off the coast of Baja Mexico.

Happy Holidays from Rocky Mountain Ophthalmology

Other Vision Correction Options

Some people have prescriptions that are too large or eye conditions that prevent them from having LASIK. Depending on your individual visual situation, Rocky Mountain Ophthalmology will recommend other vision correction procedures.  One of these procedures is Refractive Lens Exchange. 

Refractive Lens Exchange

For patients with very high levels of nearsightedness (myopia) or farsightedness (hyperopia), and for people who have the early onset of cataracts, may appreciate the dual advantage of a refractive lens exchange: not only will it correct nearsightedness or farsightedness, but it also prevents any future need for cataract surgery.

Unlike laser vision correction, which alters the shape of the cornea, refractive lens exchange changes the focusing power of the lens within the eye. During refractive lens exchange, the eye’s natural lens is removed and replaced by a lens implant, which has been selected to compensate for the eye’s refractive problems. In effect, the lens implant acts like a permanent lens within the eye, with newer lens designs offering both distance and reading vision.

This procedure is ideal for patients in their 50s and above, and especially successful for patients who are struggling with their reading vision.

The Procedure

Refractive Lens Exchange is technically the same procedure as cataract surgery, where the natural lens of the eye is removed and replaced with an advanced artificial intraocular lens. Patients should take comfort in knowing that this is the most commonly performed, and successful, medical procedure in the U.S. It only takes about 15 minutes, and recovery only a couple of days!

Have you been interested in LASIK for quite some time, but never taken the first step in changing your lifestyle? Look no further than RMO for your custom iLASIK treatment!  Ski season is just a few months away, so now is the time to get rid of the pesky glasses and contacts and hit the slopes seeing better than ever before!

Why iLASIK you ask?

-iLASIK is the culmination of over a decade of surgical expertise that has resulted in a new procedure, which provides you with an exceptional safety profile and superior outcomes. 

 -The iLASIK Procedure combines all of the best, all-laser LASIK technology in one efficient LASIK procedure

The iLASIK Procedure uses the most advanced technology at every step, from your personal vision evaluation where we create an individualized 3-D map of your eyes; to a precise flap using a laser, not a blade; and finishing with one of the most customized forms of laser vision correction available today.

Come in for a free consultation today!

Oh and Happy Halloween from the ladies at RMO!

At Rocky Mountain Ophthalmology, LASIK is the most frequently used procedure for laser vision correction. LASIK stands for Laser Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis. A wide range of myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatismcan be corrected by the LASIK procedure. It is a delicate surgical procedure that allows for a very predictable healing response. Your vision stabilizes rapidly, and you can expect to have little or no discomfort following LASIK. Most patients have driving vision within 24 hours of treatment. See if you are a good candidate, Rocky Mountain Ophthalmology has a vision correction self-test , or call our office and set up a free consultation. 303-384-3700

Most cataracts begin to develop by age 55, but they occasionally occur in infants and children. Cataracts generally form very slowly and typically occur in both eyes, but sometimes at a different rate.

Symptoms of a cataract may include:

• Glare; particularly when driving at night
• Cloudy, fuzzy, or foggy vision
• Difficulty seeing at night or in dim light
• Loss of color intensity
• Halos around lights
• Frequent changes in eyeglass prescription

Call our office at 303.384.3700 for an appointment if you have any aforementioned symptoms.  Your eye doctor’s standard eye exam is all that’s necessary to diagnose cataracts.  Treatment may be a simple change to your glasses prescription or it may require surgery.  Surgery is usually done when you cannot perform normal activities such as working, driving, reading, or using a computer; even with glasses.  Advanced surgical techniques and lens replacement technologies are used in today’s cataract surgery.  Cataract surgery is one of the most common, safest, and most effective operations performed in the United States.