How to Treat an Inflamed Eye at Home

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Inflammation can strike an eye at any time, whether from irritation, dry eye, or allergies. Thankfully, because it’s so common, it typically doesn’t require professional intervention. If you’d prefer to treat the condition at home, we’ll look at tips that bring immediate relief.

Simple Steps

Here are a few tips to treat an inflamed eye in Champaign, IL:

  • Washcloths: Soaking a compress in cool water and applying it for 15 minutes at a time can immediately bring relief from the irritation and potentially reduce swelling. Try a washcloth or compress two to three times a day and monitor your results.
  • Eye drops: Artificial tears can treat dry eye while antihistamines can treat allergies. For the most part, you can pick up these products at your local drugstore. However, if your symptoms persist, you may need extra-strength prescription drops to make an impact.
  • Saline rinse: Standard saline solution (the kind used to store contacts) can help rinse out any irritants from your eye, which you can then follow-up with a cold compress to help the eye recover.

When to See an Eye Doctor in Champaign

Experts typically recommend seeing an eye doctor in Champaign when the symptoms are either severe or they don’t abate after a few days. You may have an infection that needs to be treated with antibiotics or you may have a chronic condition that requires diagnosis and a professional treatment plan.

While most inflammation is safe to treat at home, you can always call the staff at Champaign Eye Professionals if you have questions or concerns. Whether it’s you or someone you love, we’re here to help you see clearly again!

How to Handle Sudden Blindness

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Sudden blindness can strike at any time, though it’s not always a sign of immediate danger. Here, we’ll look at what to know about this condition, what you can do to (potentially) avoid it, and how the right eye doctor in Champaign can make a difference.

The Nature of Sudden Blindness

If you’ve ever stood up too fast and lost your sight for an instant or two, this isn’t necessarily cause for concern. Also known as a fairly normal bodily reaction, you should regain your sight as quickly as you lost it. However, if you experience sudden blindness (or even a drastic loss of vision) that doesn’t clear up, it likely signifies a serious medical emergency.

Timing Is Everything

Sudden blindness may mean anything from retinal detachment to stroke, but no matter what’s causing it, you can maximize your odds of recovery if you visit a professional as quickly as possible. Ideally, you or someone you love will call 911 and describe your symptoms. This can help the operator determine who to call and where you should head for treatment.

Earlier Intervention

Sudden blindness may be terrifying but, thankfully, it’s not all that common. What’s far more common is that you’ll lose your vision gradually over time from conditions like glaucoma or macular degeneration in Champaign, IL. If you’re concerned about how your eyes have changed over the years or if you have a family history of visual disorders, seeing the right eye doctor can make all the difference.

At Champaign Eye Professionals, we treat visual disorders of every variety. Our goal is to establish long-term relationships with patients, so we can track how your vision changes from one appointment to the next, so you’re less likely to miss an important detail in your visual health.

Will Insurance Cover Contact Lenses?

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Your vision insurance policy is likely to be long, confusing, and full of seeming contradictions. To a certain extent, this is a conscious choice by insurance companies that can ultimately be profitable for them. If you’re wondering if your contact lenses in Champaign, IL are covered, we’ll look at what you should know before you schedule an appointment.

The First Rule: Never Assume

Most people make assumptions about their insurance, and whether it covers certain standard services and products. While the federal government guarantees certain services the general healthcare world, there’s much more wiggle room when it comes to visual health insurance plans. This means that your contact lenses may or may not be covered by your insurance. Additionally, even if they are covered, you may still need to cover a portion of the tab.

Check Your Policy

It may not always help to read your policy or call your insurance company, though these are certainly smart places to start. There are likely more exceptions to the rules than you think, which is another smart reason to avoid assumptions. For example, you may not be able to order certain types of contact lenses based on your visual disorder. If you really want to know the financial score before you settle on your contact lenses, it helps to find an eye doctor in Champaign who can work with you and your provider to find the answers.

At Champaign Eye Professionals, we’ve worked with patients with an array of insurance plans, and our staff can help you work out solutions that work for both your visual health and your budget. If you have questions about your plan (and what your out-of-pocket costs will be), contact us today to learn more.

 

How to Know if You’re a Good Candidate for LASIK

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Have you grown tired of depending on eyeglasses or contacts for clear vision? LASIK eye surgery may be an option for you to consider. Our optometrists in Champaign, IL, at Champaign Eye Professionals offer co-management for this procedure. We can help you determine if LASIK is the best choice for you, considering various factors.

Severity of Refractive Errors

How nearsighted or farsighted are you? Or how bad is your astigmatism? LASIK can help if you have moderate or mild refractive errors. It’s not designed for those with more severe astigmatism, nearsightedness, or farsightedness.

Eye Conditions

Do you have any eye diseases or problems? Some of these, such as retinal diseases or keratoconus, may make LASIK unsuitable for you. If this is the case, we’ll discuss other options for correcting your vision.

Age

Are you at least 18? LASIK is meant for those whose eyes and vision are fully developed. For those who are younger, our eye doctors will need to discuss other vision correction options, such as a different type of lens for glasses or contacts.

Medical Conditions

Do you have any underlying health issues that may affect your ability to heal or put you at greater risk of complications, such as diabetes? You’ll need to manage these conditions to be considered a good candidate for LASIK.

Cost

Note that LASIK isn’t usually covered under vision insurance so we’ll need to make sure it’s an affordable option for you.

Set Up a LASIK Consultation Today!

Are you considering this procedure so you can see better? At Champaign Eye Professionals, we offer co-management for LASIK in Champaign, IL, including consultations and follow-up appointments. Let’s discuss whether this surgery is right for your eyes!