Cataracts are a natural part of the aging process and the older we get the greater the likelihood of developing cataracts becomes. In fact, more than 50 percent of people over the age of 80 have had cataracts. Cataracts start slowly, usually around 40 years of age, but may not be noticeable until the age of 60. While cataracts are most common in older people, a rare genetic birth defect can affect newborn babies. Cataracts are natural and normal, but there’s no reason why you should have to live with them.
What Are Cataracts?
Cataracts are the discoloration and clouding of the eye’s normally clear lens. As you age, the proteins that make up your lens break down and don’t have anywhere to go. As the broken-down proteins collect in your lens they begin to obscure the light coming in through your iris and prevent the lens from properly focusing light to your optic nerve. The optic nerve is a bundle of nerve cells that transmits sensory information for vision in the form of electrical impulses from the eye to the brain. Blocked light from cataracts is what leads to vision loss.
Developing cataracts in both eyes simultaneously is very common but not always the case. Some people develop a more severe cataract in only one eye. There are many environmental reasons for why this could occur, such as the left eye’s cataract worsening because of excessive exposure to the sun when driving a vehicle.
Removing Cataracts
After your eyes are examined for cataracts by one of our world-class ophthalmologists, you’ll be presented with treatment options. The only treatment for advanced cataracts is surgery, but if your cataracts are still mild, prescription lenses may help control blurry vision symptoms.
Cataract surgery is completely painless, usually takes less than an hour, and the results are instantaneous. Most people go back about their normal lives, unimpeded, the very next day. Cataract surgery is one of the most regularly performed surgeries in the U.S., and the chances of complications are extremely low. Our team of highly trained ophthalmologists has performed thousands of these procedures and is expertly qualified to ensure the best results for your eyes.
What is Involved in Cataract Surgery?
There are two types of surgery for cataracts: phacoemulsification and extracapsular. Depending on the density of your cataracts, your ophthalmologist will make the appropriate recommendation.
Phacoemulsification surgery is the more common cataract-removal surgery procedure. Your ophthalmologist will create a small opening in your eye and then use either ultrasound or a laser to break apart the lens. Once it has been broken up, the doctor will suction out the pieces and insert a new artificial lens.
If your lens is too dense to be broken apart, the doctor will opt for extracapsular surgery. The procedure is very similar to phacoemulsification surgery, but instead of breaking the cataract and lens into pieces, the doctor will make a slightly larger opening and remove the lens before replacing it with an artificial one.
Both surgeries have the same recovery time and will have you seeing better the next day. Full recovery takes about eight weeks, but you will likely not notice anything different after the first couple of days.
Speak with One of Our Cataract Specialists
If you or a loved one are experiencing the onset of cataracts, our highly trained specialists are waiting to help you get back to your best self. Call one of our convenient locations at 844-485-3202 or click here to make an appointment online.
