Eye Health

Undergoing cataract surgery gave me the opportunity to look back at how eye health has changed local history over time. In the 1800s the town doctor took care of conducting eye exams, only if he found something odd was the patient referred to a specialist in the nearest major city. Even then, the specialist may not be able to do anything. It would take decades before there was a fix for some common eye problems. In my lifetime I have seen progression in correcting eyesight, but have yet to anyone have a fix for sight, besides an eye transplant, similar to the Cochlear device to fix hearing.

Soft contacts that we know today came out in the early 1970s. At this time the lens was only to replace the eyeglasses.  Over the next two decades, they progressed to where one could change the color of the iris. http://www.contactlenses.org/timeline.htm

Lasik was a new procedure which came into popularity during the late 1990s. It was a risky surgery which patients were not guaranteed to have perfect eyesight. A few co-workers and friends had their sight 'fixed' at this time.  When questioned on will it last their lifetime, they replied there was no guarantee they would not need glasses in their later years. The technology for Lasik has changed over the last ten years, making it more affordable. http://visianinfo.com/about-visian-icl/history-of-eye-correction/

 Modern cataract surgery has changed since my grandmother had it done on her eyes. The surgery was done in a hospital with more after care and followup appointments. The technology has advanced since my parents had the procedure completed in the 1990s and 2000s. For them, not only did they have medicinal drops to take, they had to use an ointment before putting the eye patch on for the overnight. http://www.rila.co.uk/issues/free/001/2001/v4n2/p61_65/p61_65.html

What does this have to do with local history? The more advancement in eye health and corrections will have a domino effect.  The less people will need to wear glasses or contacts, the less need there will be for frames, and lenses.  How long will it be before the demise of the eyeglass and contact lens?