Cataracts And Cataract Surgery
More than 12 million Americans over 40 years of age have cataracts. Around the world 60 million peaple and the leading cause of blindness in poor countries where treatment is rare. More common with age and more likely to occur with people who smoked, or have diabetes, and/or have allowed their eyes to be exposed to too much sunlight.
What is Cataract?
Cataract is a clouding of the lens of the eye, and it uniquely affects color perception. About half of Americans over 75 will develop at least one cataract serious enough to affect vision.
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There are 3 different types of cataracts and each type affects a different part of the eye. At the center of the lens is the nucleus and the most common of the cataracts affects this region. Cortical cataract and subcapsular cataract are more common in individuals who have diabetes.
Symptoms of Cataract
Vision that is cloudy or blurred is the most obvious symptom of a cataract. Nearsightedness can increase and images that were once clear can appear distorted when cataract is present. Less noticeable symptoms include the need for more and brighter light when reading, sensitivity to light, trouble seeing at night, double vision and colors that fade or seem ‘yellow’. These symptoms develop because the cloudiness on the lens prevents it from refracting light properly.
Who is at risk?
Everyone is at risk of developing cataract and the likelihood that this type of eye problem will develop increases with each passing year. Simply stated, anyone fortunate to reach old age will likely develop cataract.
Risks increase if there is a family history of cataract. Steroids and some medications can also increase the chances of developing cataract as can eye injury or previous eye surgery. Those with diabetes also have an increased risk.
Early detection/treatment
A routine eye examination is the most effective way of detecting the presence or development of cataract. Because blurred vision can be caused by a number of factors, proper diagnosis is important.
Cataract surgery is a simple, non-invasive procedure now, employing ultrasound to reduce the old lens to smithereens that are easily removed. The old lens is then replaced with a new synthetic lens. There’s no reason to put this surgery off when it’s needed. Medicare pays for it, in fact, it’s the most expensive procedure paid for entirely by Medicare.
Prevention
High levels of antioxidants, especially C, E, and the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin, are naturally found within the lens, and studies show that
