CATARACTS
- What Is a Cataract?
- Misconceptions About Cataracts
- Symptoms of Cataracts
- When cataract could be treated?
- How Can a Cataract be Treated?
CATARACTS
· What Is a Cataract?
Cataracts are a common cause of poor vision among adults, particularly for the elderly. A cataract is a clouding of the clear lens of the eye. When the lens becomes cloudy, it interferes with the passage of light through the eye, resulting in a decrease in vision. The lens is contained in a sealed capsular bag. As old cells die, they become trapped inside the capsule. The accumulation of these cells causes the lens to cloud, resulting in blurred vision. Most cataracts are related to the natural aging process of the eye. Other causes include radiation, diabetes, systemic diseases, ocular injury or certain medications. Often, a cataract covers only a small part of the lens. If sight is not greatly impaired, there is not need to remove the cataract. However, if a large portion of the lens becomes cloudy, sight can be partially or completely lost until the cataract is removed.
· Misconceptions About Cataracts
There are many misconceptions about cataracts. For instance, a cataract is not a tumor or new growth of skin or tissue over the eye. Cataracts do not spread from eye to eye, though they may develop in both eyes at the same time. A cataract is not a film visible on the outside of the eye. It is not caused from overuse of the eyes, and using the eye does not make the cataract worse. Cataracts are not related to cancer, and having a cataract does not mean you will be permanently blind
· Symptoms of Cataracts
If you have cataracts you may not realize it right away. Your vision loss may be gradual, painless and hard to detect until significant loss has occurred. Your vision may become blurry or hazy, and you may have difficulty reading fine print or threading needles. Some people report the feeling of a film covering their eye. Others experience vision problems at night. There is no complete medical or nutritional method of clearing up the cataract. A complete examination in our clinic will indicate whether a cataract is your problem and if a simple change in your glasses will suffice to permit you to do the things important to you. If nothing else can be done to improve your vision, we will discuss with you your options -- including cataract surgery. Your well-being is our primary concern -- we are willing to do whatever we can to keep you seeing as well as you need to.
You have probably experienced a few symptoms of having a cataract. Some of the more common symptoms:
- Blurred Vision
- Glare
- Fading or Yellowing of Colors
- Frequent Eyeglass Prescription Changes
- Poor Night Vision
- Halos Around Lights
- Double Vision in One Eye
When cataract could be treated?
The rate at which a cataract progresses varies with the individual. Surgical removal of the cataract is recommended when vision problems due to cataract formation sufficiently interferes with your daily activities.
How Can a Cataract be Treated?
The cataract may need no treatment at all if the vision is only a little blurry. A change in your eyeglass prescription may improve vision for a while.
There are no medications, eye drops, exercises or glasses that will cause cataracts to disappear once they have formed. When you are not able to see well enough to do the things you like to do, cataract surgery should be considered. Surgery is the only way to remove a cataract.
Cataracts cannot be removed with a laser, only through a surgical incision. In cataract surgery, the cloudy lens is removed from the eye. In most cases, the focusing power of the natural lens is restored by replacing it with a permanent intraocular lens implant.
