A Closer Look at Cataracts

Article submitted by William J. Rand, MD, Director of the Rand Eye Institute.
For more information he can be reached at 800-782-1711, or visit their website: www.randeye.com.

A cataract is a clouding of the eye's natural lens. Contrary to popular belief, a cataract is not a film that grows over the eye, but the lens itself becoming cloudy. This clouding occurs for a number of reasons, but the most common reason is it's simply part of the aging process.

Common symptoms of cataracts include blurred or distorted vision, increased glare and halos from bright light, loss of color perception, night blindness, double vision in one eye, or eye fatigue and headaches.

It is important to remember that a person may not realize he or she is developing a cataract in its earlier stages, and vision loss may be so gradual as to be imperceptible. This is why we should all have regular comprehensive eye exams with a qualified eye-care professional.

As vision is lost, so is the ability to do many of the things that we enjoy, such as reading, driving, playing golf, gardening, or even working. However, with the advent of twenty-first century cataract surgery, one can continue to enjoy all of these activities.

Prevention
Cataracts cannot be fully prevented. However, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology (www.aao.org), taking some precautions may slow the development of cataracts, such as wearing dark sunglasses to prevent ultraviolet (UV) light rays, especially UVB rays, from hitting the eye.

Heavy exposure to UV rays can hasten cataract development, and there is evidence that the effects may be cumulative over many years. This means that no one is too young to protect his or her eyes with sunglasses. No medications, nutritional supplements, or exercises have been shown to prevent, reverse, or cure cataracts.

Treatment
Many people consider poor vision an inevitable fact of aging, but it does not have to be that way. When the development of a cataract begins to affect a person's quality of life, that person should consider having cataract surgery to restore his or her vision.

Cataract surgery is one of the most frequently performed outpatient procedures in the United States-and also one of the most successful. When the patient's vision is affected primarily by the cataract, there is a very high probability that the patient will regain vision measurements comparable to childhood levels, usually within hours of surgery. During surgery, the ophthalmologist replaces the cloudy lens with a clear plastic lens, called an implant or intraocular lens (IOL). Without this permanent focusing device, a post-cataract patient would need to wear very strong glasses or thick contact lenses.

New IOLs are being developed all the time to make the lenses more helpful to patients. One example is a new IOL that lets patients see at all distances-near, far, and in between-and even treats presbyopia!

Your eyes deserve only the best that modern technology now offers. The Rand Eye Institute is one of the largest and most respected eye care facilities and surgery centers in the United States.