Cataracts

Cataracts are a sign of growing older, but they do not have to cramp your lifestyle. A cataract is a cloudiness of the crystalline lens inside your eye. As your lens gets cloudier, your vision will gradually become more blurred. The human eye may best be compared to a camera. When you take a picture, the lens in the front of the camera allows light through and focuses that light on the film. When the light hits the film, a picture is taken. The eye works in much the same way. The lens of your eye is clear and allows light to pass through. Light is focused by your cornea and lens onto a thin layer of tissue called the retina. Your retina works like the film in a camera. When the focused light hits the retina, a picture is taken, and sent to your brain. While a dirty camera lens blurs a picture, any significant cataract in your lens will blur what you see. If the cataract blurs your vision severely enough to interfere with your daily routine, it is crucial that you speak with your eye care professional immediately.

As cataracts grow larger and cloud more of your lens, more noticeable symptoms will develop. These symptoms include cloudy or blurred vision, colors that seem faded, poor night vision, and double or multiple visions. These symptoms can also be a sign of other eye problems. If you have any of these symptoms, check with your eye care professional to find out whether or not you have a cataract.

In the early stages of cataract development, all that is needed to correct your vision may be glasses or a change in prescription. As the cataract develops and begins to affect your lifestyle, removal may be required. Cataract surgery, the most commonly performed operation in the united states, is safe and effective, with 95% of patients gaining enhanced vision. During this procedure your surgeon will first create a small incision with an advanced diamond-cutting tool. Your surgeon then will then peel off the front layer of your lenses capsule. Using ultrasounds from a small sophisticated instrument, your surgeon will break up your cataract into minute fragments. These fragments are then gently suctioned out of the eye through the instruments tube. An intra-ocular lens is then implanted to replace your natural lens. For more information ask about cataract treatment.

After cataract surgery, your vision can become cloudy, like it was when you had a cataract. But it isn't a new cataract. Instead, the posterior capsule, which holds the lens in place becomes cloudy and may blur your vision. This is called the after-cataract. An after-cataract can develop months or even years later. Unlike a cataract, an after-cataract is treated with a laser. In a technique called YAG Laser Capsulotomy, your doctor uses a laser beam to make a tiny hole in the posterior capsule to let light pass through. This is a painless outpatient procedure. For more information ask your doctor about the yag procedure.