For some professionals, it’s not a big deal if their vision is not as flawless as those with 20/20 vision. Wearing contacts and eyeglasses for vision correction is often enough.
However, there are certain professions that call for sharp eyesight. Curious if your job made the list? Find out which professionals need LASIK the most!
LASIK Eye Surgery Candidates
1. Parents
As an often overlooked profession, being a parent means never losing sight of what your children are doing throughout the day. And though it may be easy to dismiss, having good vision can be extremely beneficial for parents:
Read your child’s favorite bedtime story
Keep an eye on them while they play in the park
Drive safely to and from school
Read fine print for food allergies
Imagine going to your child’s graduation, unable to see their faces beaming with pride. Don’t let poor vision prevent you from enjoying memorable experiences!
2. Astronauts
This may seem obvious to some, but astronauts need impeccable eyesight to carry out their mission’s in space.
NASA requires distant visual acuity of 20/100 or better uncorrected, and correctable to 20/20 for each eye. Although glasses are allowed, vision correction surgery such as LASIK and PRK have been recommended since 2007, given that at least 1 year has passed since the date of the LASIK operation.
Contacts are discouraged because the eyes change shape in space. In fact, astronauts may require vision correction after returning home from orbit. According to The Washington Post, 80% of astronauts who come back from long missions in space have shown similar symptoms of an eye condition that causes nearsightedness.
3. Construction Workers
People who work in construction are required to wear safety eyewear on the job. However, wearing eyeglasses with safety eyewear may be uncomfortable and extremely aggravating.
Contacts may not be a good option for construction work environments that are filled with dust and debris. For this reason, LASIK can help construction professionals improve their vision and remain safe while on the job.
4. Firefighters and Law Enforcement
LASIK is highly recommended for firefighters and law enforcement teams when responding to emergencies. Because LASIK surgery drastically improves vision, law enforcement and firefighters benefit from the procedures in many ways:
Driving to emergencies
Pursuing suspects in vehicles or on foot
Observing crime/disaster scenes
Weapon/tool accuracy
Locating fire hot-spots
Recognizing key details
Although the vision requirements vary state-to-state, it’s easy to see why firefighters and law enforcement officers make excellent candidates for LASIK surgery.
5. Surgeons and First Aid Responders
Surgeons can significantly benefit from LASIK. For surgeons performing micro-surgery or vascular surgery, a special pair of glasses (called Loupes) is often required. Because LASIK eliminates the need for glasses and contact lenses, these professionals can comfortably wear Loupes without complications during procedures.
First Aid Responders, EMT’s or other emergency professionals are typically in a race against time to save lives. The need to promptly respond to emergencies and/or search missions should not be hindered with lost contacts or broken glasses. They navigate through heavy traffic or clogged intersections with pinpoint accuracy to get to the scene. LASIK surgery is a popular option in this profession because road hazards can be difficult to spot, and attention to detail is critical.
6. Lifeguards
While lifeguard vision requirements vary from state-to-state, lifeguards and members of the water rescue team need to have hawk-like vision so they can spot people who are in danger and react quickly.
During what’s known as the “Brick Test“, lifeguards in training must locate a brick at the bottom of the pool while swimming on the water’s surface. This brick is typically black, and hard to see for swimmers with nearsightedness or poor vision. This test is used to prepare lifeguards for hard-to-spot swimmers in need, and practice endurance during rescue.
Because Lifeguards typically wear goggles or sunglasses while on the job, LASIK surgery would eliminate the need for contact lenses or eyeglasses.
7. Photographers
A keen eyesight is extremely important in photography.
Wearing glasses may prevent a photographer from looking at the full image in the viewfinder, while using contacts may be an issue for outdoor shoots with harsh environmental conditions such as dust and glare.
Additionally, photographers with poor vision may not be able to differentiate colors or depth as easily as those with 20/20 vision.
With LASIK, amateur and professional photographers don’t have to worry about these issues.
Improve your Career with LASIK
You don’t have to give up pursuing your dream career or leave your current job because of poor eyesight. To find out if LASIK can help you, schedule a consultation with one of our LASIK specialists or take a Vision Correction Self-Evaluation test today!
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