Seniors' Health
Cataracts are a leading cause of vision problems in adults in the United States. You may know at least one person who is troubled by a cataract. If you’d like to keep your vision sharp and your eyes as healthy as possible, here’s information from the National Eye Institute to help you take good care of your eyes.
Cataracts Explained
A cataract is clouding of the eye lens—the part of your eye that allows you to focus on light—on your retina (the back wall of the inside of your eye). The lens, which is made of mostly water and protein, needs to be clear for the retina to receive a sharp image. Over time the lens may gradually become clouded by clumps of protein. This blocks light from the back of the eye and causes vision to blur.
Not Just Age-Related
By age 80, more than half of all Americans either have a cataract or have had cataract surgery to correct the problem. Although most cataracts are related to aging, there are different causes, as well.
- Secondary cataracts can form after glaucoma surgery, can develop in people who have diabetes, or are sometimes related to steroid use.
- Traumatic cataracts can develop after an eye injury, sometimes years later.
- Radiation cataracts can develop after exposure to some types of radiation.
Protecting Your Eyes
The risk of developing a cataract increases as you get older. Other risk factors include diseases, lifestyle habits, and your environment. Here are a few ways to help keep your eyes out of harm’s way:
- Block ultraviolet sunlight by wearing sunglasses and a hat with a brim.
- Eat nutritious foods such as green, leafy vegetables; fruit; and other foods rich in vitamins A, C, and E.
- Have your eyes examined at least every two years if you are age 60 or older.
- If you smoke, stop.
The symptoms of an early cataract may be alleviated with new eyeglasses, brighter lighting, anti-glare sunglasses, or magnifying lenses.
If these measures don’t help, surgery is an effective treatment. Surgery involves removing the cloudy lens and replacing it with an artificial lens.
| A Safe and Effective Option
Cataract removal is one of the most common operations performed in the United States. It’s also one of the safest and most effective types of surgery. According to the National Eye Institute and the American Academy of Ophthalmology, approximately 90 percent of people who have cataract surgery have better vision afterwards. During surgery, the surgeon makes a small incision at the top of the eye. Then, the natural lens is removed and replaced with an artificial one. The procedure is usually performed on an outpatient basis, and no scars or stitches will be noticeable after the surgery. As with any surgery, cataract surgery poses risks such as infection and bleeding. Talk to your eye care professional about risks to make sure cataract surgery is right for you. |
Sources: aao.org, nei.nih.gov
DID YOU KNOW?
Cloudy or blurred vision, increasing sensitivity to light and glare, double vision in one eye, or trouble distinguishing certain colors can indicate cataracts.
The same lens that becomes cloudy and makes your vision blurry may also become yellowish or brownish. The tint might make it difficult for you to tell the difference between certain colors, such as black, blue, and purple.
There are a few misconceptions about cataracts. Cataracts are NOT: a film over the eye, caused by overusing the eyes, spread from one eye to the other, a cause of irreversible blindness.
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