Eye Nutrition

A well balanced diet is essential to keep our bodies healthy and energetic. A diet containing the correct balance of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients gives us the energy we need throughout the day while maintaining a healthy weight and beautiful skin. A well balanced diet also benefits the health of our eyes.

Dallas eye surgeon, Dr. Carter offers the following valuable information to help you maintain the health of your eyes and reduce your risk of developing several eye diseases including age-related macular degeneration and cataracts.

Antioxidants

Antioxidants are an essential part of a healthy diet. Your body houses many harmful free radicals that can cause harm to your vision. Free radicals are toxic molecules of oxygen that can destroy your cells’ membranes and create mutant cells. Antioxidants work to eliminate these radicals and protect your vision.

Antioxidants can be found in many fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Eating raw fruits and vegetables will give your body more of the needed antioxidants than eating frozen, canned, or cooked foods. Try to choose foods that are rich in vitamins A, C, and E because they contain an abundant amount of antioxidants and promote eye health.

Maintaining a balanced diet complete with the proper vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants will keep your entire body healthy. For additional information about the proper nutrition for healthy eyes, please contact eye surgeon Dr. Carter at the Carter Eye Center serving patients in and around the Dallas, Texas area.

Contact Lenses after LASIK

LASIK eye surgery is used to correct and improve your vision by removing tiny amounts of tissue from your corneas. In rare cases, LASIK can change the shape of the cornea in a way that disrupts vision. In these rare cases, Dallas LASIK surgeon, Dr. Carter may prescribe contact lenses to further improve disrupted vision in a way that glasses cannot.

Gas permeable contact lenses are a great choice to improve your vision following LASIK eye surgery. These contact lenses form to the shape of your eye and allow for maximum comfort. It is extremely important that the contact lenses you use following your LASIK eye surgery do not harm your eyes. Gas permeable lenses are gentle on your eyes. They are rigid with a smooth surface and they allow for more oxygen to get to the eye.

Gas permeable contact lenses are more durable, provide better vision correction, and last longer than compared to other contact lenses. The other benefits of gas permeable contact lenses are:

• They are not made of materials that contain water
• They cannot be torn as soft lenses can
• They retain their shape when you blink giving you crisper vision

For more information about LASIK eye surgery and to schedule a LASIK appointment with Dr. Carter, please contact the Carter Eye Center in Dallas, Texas. Improving your vision is just a phone call away.

The 411 on LASIK

If you are thinking of having LASIK surgery, than we're sure that you have tons of questions. And we'd love to answer them!

Laser Assisted In-Situ Keratomileusis is the acronym or scientific name for LASIK or laser eye operation. It is the popular surgical procedure used by eye doctors, which reshapes the eye’s cornea in order to improve vision in the patient.

Once upon a time, that procedure involved surgeons cutting the eye, using a scalpel, but thankfully, as technology advanced, so has that technique and now that surgery is performed more efficiently using a laser.

Surgery Origins
The history of corrective eye surgeries can be traced as far back as the late 1800s. In the 1930s, Japanese doctors attempted to perform refractive surgery in military pilots. But it wasn’t until several decades later that physicians in the (former) Soviet Union became the first to bring about practical application of refractive surgery through radial keratotomy.

In 1978 American ophthalmologists became interested in the Soviets procedure and after visiting the country, brought the technology back to the United States.

Introduction of the Laser
While thousands of people had already had the procedure done, it was still not very precise and had a long recovery time. This lead researchers to look for a more efficient way to perform the procedure, so in comes the Excimer laser.

First used by IBM to etch silicone microchips, three doctors working with the company’s research laboratories saw the potential of the ultraviolet laser for use with biological tissue. The group realized the laser could be used to remove tissue without causing heat damage to the neighboring material.

A few years later, New York City ophthalmologist, Steven Trokel made the connection to the cornea and performed the first laser surgery on a patient's eyes in 1987. Trokel would go on to patent the device for vision correction.

LASIK Today
The procedure is safer, more precise quicker while recovery time is reduced significantly. Since the introduction of the laser, millions of people around the world have taken advantage of the corrective procedure. As with anything, there are risks, but the benefits of the surgery far outweigh potential risks.

Since 1990, about 20 million people worldwide have had the procedure, while over one million Americans per year go to have it done. If you’re interested in learning more about this procedure you should consult your physician.

If you live in the Dallas, Texas and are interested in learning more about the benefits of LASIK please contact the Carter Eye Center to schedule a consultation.

How LASIK Works & What to Expect

LASIK is a laser vision correction procedure used to correct many eye conditions by reshaping the cornea to help improve your vision. LASIK is an acronym that stands for Laser Assisted In-situ Keratomileusis.

LASIK can be used to correct the following eye conditions:

• Astigmatism
• Myopia
• Hyperopia
  

How LASIK Works

LASIK works by reshaping the cornea of the eye. A laser is used to safely remodel the corneal stroma and remove tissue to improve vision. Using a laser to perform vision correction allows Dallas LASIK surgeon, Dr. Carter to more accurately reshape the cornea with little to no discomfort and a rapid recovery time.

What to Expect with LASIK

Before the LASIK procedure, Dr. Carter will perform an eye exam in a consultation to determine if you are a candidate for LASIK and how much laser vision correction you will need. Dr. Carter will ask you questions about your health history and what medications you are taking. This is important in determining if you are a candidate for LASIK.

Your LASIK consultation is the perfect time to ask Dr. Carter all of your questions about LASIK. He will explain the procedure and what you can expect during and after.

It is important to have someone drive you to and from your LASIK appointment. You will not be able to drive following the procedure. Dr. Carter will give you medications to aid in your recovery and will instruct you to get plenty of rest. Other instructions for recovery include:

• Avoiding strenuous activities for about a week
• Staying home from work the day after the procedure
• Avoiding rubbing your eyes
  

If you live in the Dallas, Texas area and are interested in learning more about the LASIK procedure, please contact the eye surgery office of the Carter Eye Center today to schedule a consultation about LASIK.

How To Choose Eyeglasses That Suit Your Personality and Lifestyle

The eyeglasses we wear depict multiple statements about our personalities. Just like the clothes we wear, eyeglasses are a personal statement we make about who we are and what interests we have. The eyeglasses we choose may say we are a businessperson, are creative, or are athletic. Because there are so many facets to our lives, we may choose several pairs of eyeglasses for different activities or events. There are many styles of eyeglasses to choose from.

What Do You Want These Eyeglasses For?

Dallas eye doctor, Dr. Carter suggests that the first step in choosing the best eyeglasses for you is to answer the question, "What do you want these eyeglasses for?" Think about the different events you attend, what activities you enjoy participating in, and what type of job you perform. Think about your eyeglasses like you think about your shoes. Your shoes say a lot about your personality, they are comfortable, and each pair of shoes is used for different activities.

There are many different aspects about eyeglasses to think about for every personality and lifestyle. When choosing eyeglasses, you will want to consider:

• The shape of the frames and lenses
• The color of the frames
• The material of the frames
• The size of the frames and lenses
  

Eyeglasses for Different Styles

Oval and rectangular shapes are great for anyone who wants their eyeglasses for a professional or business look. Try to avoid unusual shaped frames and lenses and stick with classic shapes. The color of the frames will complete the professional look. Think about choosing frames that are silver or gold.

Thicker frames with modern shapes and unusual colors make the statement of creativity. Artists, writers, and many college students tend to choose eyeglasses that do not follow the classic look.

Cat-eye, upswept rectangles, and oval shaped eyeglasses are great for busy parents and seniors who don’t necessarily think about modern trends, but want to look stylish. Burgundy, deep reds and browns, and shiny colors add to the stylish look.

If you would like professional help choosing the eyeglasses that are best for your personality and lifestyle, please contact our eye doctor today at the Carter Eye Center to schedule an appointment. We help patients in and around the Dallas, Texas area find the perfect eyeglasses for their everyday lives.

Benefits of Dermabrasion

Our skin always renews itself by shedding the dry, dull skin and replacing it with smooth, soft, vibrant skin. As we get older, our skin renews itself less and less causing our appearance to be dull and show skin damage. There are many causes of damaged skin, such as:

• Environment
• Long Exposure to the Sun
• Smoking
• Stress
• Aging
  

After just one treatment with dermabrasion, you will notice healthier, younger looking skin. Dallas eye surgeon, Dr. Carter uses the Derma Genesis system to effectively and quickly rejuvenate your skin.

Dermabrasion can treat the following skin conditions:

• Fine Lines and Wrinkles
• Freckles
• Hyperpigmentation
• Scar Tissue
• Acne Scarring
• Rosacea
• Tattoos
• Chicken Pox
• Scars
• Skin Growths
• Multiple Pigmented Birthmarks
• Liver Spots
• Keloids
• Sun Damaged Skin

Rejuvenating your appearance with dermabrasion treatments offer many benefits over other facial rejuvenating treatments like laser skin resurfacing treatments and chemical peels. One of the main benefits is that dermabrasion can be performed in conjunction with other cosmetic procedures such as BOTOX® and Restylane.

Other benefits of dermabrasion include:

• Anesthesia is not required
• There is no pain with the treatment
• There is minimal risk
• All skin types can have the treatment
• No hazardous chemicals are used
• There is no down time following treatment
  

If you are interested in learning more about how dermabrasion can rejuvenate your skin in Dallas, Texas, please contact the Carter Eye Center today.

Derma Peel

Derma peel is a skin rejuvenation procedure that enhances the appearance of the skin. This procedure uses tiny abrasive crystals that are moved across the surface of your skin to exfoliate and remove any dead skin from the skin’s surface. A vacuum is used to remove the dead skin after exfoliation. In addition to removing dead skin, derma peel also promotes collagen production leading to healthy, youthful looking skin.

Derma peel can successfully treat many skin conditions such as:

• Fine lines
• Sun damage
• Acne
• Scars
• Enlarged pores
• Blackheads
• Whiteheads
• Age spots

One of the best benefits of derma peel is the quickness of the procedure. Many patients choose to have derma peel on their lunch breaks because they can immediately return to work without skin redness or irritation that other skin rejuvenation procedures like chemical peels may cause.

Other benefits to derma peel include:

• Is painless
• Does not require harsh chemicals
• Is quick to perform
• Does not have side effects
• Promotes collagen production

If you live in the Dallas, Texas area and are interested in the derma peel procedure, please contact the Carter Eye Center to schedule an appointment. You can have healthier-looking skin with one treatment.