Cataracts

Name: Family Eye Care of O'Fallon
Price range: $$

What is a cataract?

A cataract is one of the top three eye diseases developing primarily with age. The other two are glaucoma and macular degeneration.

Cataracts are a clouding or darkening that develops in the normally clear lens of the eye. This prevents the lens from properly focusing light on the retina, at the back of the eye, resulting in the loss of vision. It is not a film that grows over the surface of the eye.

No one is exactly sure what causes a cataract, but it is known that chemical changes within the lens cause it to become cloudy. This is often thought of as a part of the natural aging process, but it may also result from heredity, an injury or disease.

Cataracts are most often found in persons over age 55 but are also occasionally found in younger persons, even newborns. Cataracts usually develop in both eyes, but often at different rates. Some cataracts develop slowly over a period of years and others form rapidly within a few months.

Through a comprehensive eye exam, your Family Eye Care doctor can determine whether or not you have cataracts.

What are the symptoms of cataracts?

Cataracts vary in their development from person to person, so the symptoms may also vary. Some of the most common symptoms experienced include:

Increasing haziness causing blurred or distorted vision, sometimes described as a film over the vision
Increased sensitivity to glare from lights, particularly when driving at night
An increasing need for more light to see clearly
A tendency to become more nearsighted because of increasing density of the lens
Double vision
A gradual loss of intensity of color vision
Changes in eyeglass prescriptions, and a stage for some people where it is easier to see without glasses – second sight

How are cataracts treated?

Currently, there is no proven method to prevent cataracts from forming, or to make the cloudy lens clear after the cataract has developed. Your Family Eye Care doctor can prescribe changes in your glasses or contact lenses to help you see more clearly as your cataract develops.

Ultimately, if your cataract impairs your daily activities, your Family Eye Care doctor can refer you to an eye surgeon for surgical removal of the cataract. The surgery is relatively uncomplicated and has a 95% success rate.

When your eye’s natural lens is removed during cataract surgery, some type of treatment is usually needed to achieve clear comfortable vision. Typically, an intraocular lens implant (IOL) is inserted in the eye during surgery. In cases where IOL cannot be used, contact lenses or glasses may provide post-cataract vision correction.

Whatever the treatment, regular optometric follow-up care is important in making sure you maintain good vision and eye health.