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CATARACT OVERVIEW

Cataract Quiz:


If you answer YES to 2 or more of these questions, you may have cataracts, and its time to see an ophthalmologist (cataract eye surgeon).

 

  1. Have you changed your glasses prescription in the last few years, and it didn't help much?

  2. Do you have GLARE from driving towards headlights at night, or driving into the sun?

  3. Do you have trouble seeing at night or driving in the rain?

  4. Do you see halos or rings around lights?

  5. Are you having trouble seeing clearly outdoors?

  6. Are you having trouble seeing in darkened rooms?

What are cataracts?

 

Cataracts are a natural part of the aging process where the lens of our eye becomes cloudy over time.  When the cloudiness develops to the point where it interferes with our vision that is when we call it a cataract.  We all will eventually develop cataracts if we live long enough.  Some medical conditions and medicines may cause cataracts to develop at an earlier age. 

More than 2 million people have cataract surgery each year in the United States, making it one of the most common and safest surgeries done.  Cataract surgery is usually only indicated when you are having problems with your vision and seeing to do your activities you enjoy.

 

 
How vision works: 
 
  1. Light passes through the cornea
  2. The Iris constricts or dilates the pupil to control the amount of light that enters.
  3. Light reaches the lens, which the ciliary body adjusts to focus the light on the retina. A catarcat clouds the natural lens of the eye, scattering light and blurring vision.
  4. The retina sends the visual image to the brain.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Although cataracts usually develop on their own as part of the natural aging process, there are other factors that can contribute to cataract developing earlier or at an accelerated rate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Detection: 

The first step is to come in for a complete eye exam.  (This may be one of the most thorough eye exams you have ever had!)  During the cataract evaluation you can expect:

 

  • A visual acuity test, how well you see at various distances

  • A dilated eye exam-examination of the lens, retina and optic nerve for signs of cataract or other eye problems

  • Tonometry- measures the pressure inside the eye and performed by a certified technician

  • Topography- for corneal astigmatism measurements

Risk Factors for Cataracts:

  1. Aging and genetic inheritance

  2. Diabetes

  3. Sun Exposure

  4. Smoking

  5. The use of certain medications, such as steroids

  6. Eye injury or diseases (such as Glaucoma)

Call Stahl Vision 937-427-2020

When is it time to have cataract surgery?

 

When cataracts are causing vision difficulties that affects your ability to perform daily activities including driving at night, reading and when headlights and sunlight are causing glare it may be time for cataract surgery. You should not have to adjust your lifestyle due to fading vision when you have such an advanced procedure available performed by the some of Dayton's most well-trained and experienced surgeons.

 

 

 

 

 

Types of Cataracts:

 

All cataracts are fundamentally a change in the clarity of the overall lens structure; however, cataracts may result either early in life or as a result of aging, and different portions of the lens may be more affected than others

 

  • Cataracts that occur at birth or present very early in life (during the first year of life) are termed congenital or infantile cataracts. These cataracts require prompt surgical correction or they may prevent the vision in the affected eye from developing normally.

  • When the central portion of the lens is most affected, which is the most common situation, these are termed nuclear cataracts.

  • The outside of the lens is called the lens cortex, and when opacities are most visible in this region, the cataracts are called cortical cataracts.

  • There is an even more specific change that occasionally happens, when the opacity develops immediately next to the lens capsule, either by the anterior, or more commonly the posterior, portion of the capsule; these are called subcapsular cataracts. Unlike most cataracts, posterior subcapsular cataracts can develop rather quickly and affect vision more suddenly than either nuclear or cortical cataracts.

When you can see better you can do everything else better!

Random Facts about Cataracts:

 

  • Usually people begin to develop cataracts at age 55 and older.  20 million Americans are affected by cataracts.  That means by age 80 more than half have cataracts, visually in both eyes. 

  • Cataract surgery is the most successful surgery worldwide.

  • More than 2 million people have cataract surgery each year, making it one of the most commonly performed surgeries in the US.

  • Many people are unaware they have cataracts or how bad their cataracts are because they develop so gradually. When people develop cataracts they have trouble doing activities of daily living or enjoyment.

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