June is Cataract Awareness Month
June is Cataract Awareness Month, designated by Prevent Blindness to help raise awareness about cataracts.
In honor of Cataract Awareness Month, we’re sharing some basic information about cataracts: what they are, reasons they develop, risk factors, symptoms, and treatment options for cataracts. If you’re noticing signs of cataracts, schedule a comprehensive eye exam at Vision Salon Eye Care Associates to explore your options.
What are cataracts?
The eyes have a lens located behind the iris. This lens focuses light passing through the eye to create clear images on the retina, the light-sensitive membrane in the back of the eye. Over time, proteins can build up on this normally clear lens, causing it to become cloudy. When this happens, less light reaches the retina, leading to vision changes.
The cloudy lens is called a cataract. Cataracts can form in just one eye or in both eyes, but they can’t “spread” from one eye to the other.
What causes cataracts?
Age-related cataract
The most common reason cataracts develop is due to the aging process. Cataracts are common as people age; over half of all Americans will have cataracts by the time they are 80 years old.¹
When people are young, the lens in their eyes is usually clear. Over time, the proteins in the eye start to break down and clump together, forming a cataract.
Congenital cataract
Cataracts aren’t always caused by aging, though. Sometimes babies are born with cataracts, or cataracts develop in the child’s first year. This type of cataract is called a congenital cataract.
Secondary cataract
People who have diabetes, particularly when it’s not well-controlled, can develop cataracts because of the disease. When cataracts develop because of a disease or other underlying conditions, they are known as secondary cataracts.
At Vision Salon Eye Care Associates, our eye doctors are passionate about helping diabetic patients in the Chicago area maintain healthy eyes and vision. One of the things we monitor in diabetic patients is signs of cataract development, which can happen at a much earlier age in diabetics than in non-diabetics.
Traumatic cataract
People can develop cataracts after sustaining an ocular injury, sometimes right after the accident, and sometimes years later. When cataracts develop as a result of injury, they are called traumatic cataracts.
What are risk factors for cataracts?
Since the most common cause of cataracts is aging, the risk for cataracts increases as we age. Other risk factors for cataracts include the following:
- Smoking
- Diabetes
- Drinking too much alcohol
- A family history of cataracts
- Eye injury or radiation treatment to the upper half of the body
- Eye surgery
- Prolonged UV exposure, especially if the eyes have not been protected by quality sunglasses
- Long-term use of steroids and certain medications
What are the symptoms of cataracts?
When cataracts are mild, you may not notice any symptoms. As they progress and grow, they will cause vision changes. Some of the symptoms of cataracts include:
- Cloudy, blurry vision, like looking through a dirty window
- Colors seem faded
- Reduced, poor night vision
- Light sensitivity and increased glare
- Halo effect around lights
- Frequent prescription changes for eyeglasses
- Double vision in one eye
What is the treatment for cataracts?
Age-related cataracts can start developing in people as young as forty, but they develop slowly, over time. In the beginning, you may not need cataract surgery. To manage the effects of cataracts, you can visit us for an updated contact lens or eyeglasses prescription and use brighter lights in your home. You should also be cautious about driving at night, especially if the glare from streetlights or headlights affects your vision.
It is important for people to get regular eye exams, particularly over the age of 60, so that cataracts can be diagnosed and monitored. At Vision Salon Eye Care Associates, our eye doctors use their expertise and advanced technology to accurately diagnose and keep track of cataracts.
When is cataract surgery necessary?
Eventually, cataract surgery will be required to restore clear vision. Cataract surgery is one of the most common procedures in the United States, and it is a safe, effective surgery.
During cataract surgery, the cloudy lens is removed and replaced with a clear, intraocular lens (IOL). The doctors at Vision Salon Eye Care Associates will refer you to a qualified, expert surgeon for the removal of the cataract, and will co-manage your care before and after the cataract surgery.
Concerned about cataracts?
If you are concerned about cataracts, please schedule an appointment with our optometrists. They have the experience and advanced technology to diagnose and help you manage cataracts. If cataracts have developed to the point that surgery is needed, we will refer you to a qualified, expert surgeon to remove the cataracts.
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