Cataract Awareness Month
| Cataract Awareness Month | |
| Date: August 13, 2006 | |
What Are Cataracts? When the crystalline lens of the eye loses its transparent condition is called a cataract. Light readily passes through a normally clear lens, producting a sharp image on the retina. When the lens becomes cloudy, light can't pass through as easily and vision is impaired. Having a cataract is like trying to look through a foggy window. Cataracts occur most commonly among people over the age of 55. Cataracts will affect almost everyone at some point in their life if they live long enough. On a global basis, cataracts account for over 1/2 of all cases of impaired vision and affect over 20 million people. In the U.S., cataract surgery is the most common outpatient procedure performed annually. What Causes The Development Of Cataracts? Chemical changes within the protein of the lens cause clouding and yellowish or brown discoloration. While chemical changes seem to be a part of the natural aging process they may also be caused by injury, inherited tendencies, diseases, birth defects, poor nutrition and certain drugs. There is no known prevention for cataracts that result as a natural process of aging. It is a fact that exposure to UV light (sunlight) and cigarette smoking speed the development of cataracts. How Do Cataracts Effect Sight? The cataract-clouded lens blocks light, casting a blurred image on the retina. This cloudiness may affect a part or all of the lens. The degree to which a person's vision is affected by cataract formation depends on the location and degree of clouding. For instance, if the clouding starts on the side of the lens, vision may not be drastically affected for years, because peripheral vision is not used as much as central vision. Treatment Of Cataracts Over the years cataract surgery has evolved into a highly technical microsurgical procedure. It has been perfected to give the patient rapid visual improvement and little if any discomfort. The procedure itself can take as little as 10-15 minutes to perform. Many people refer to having their cataracts "taken off". However, the fact is cataracts are "taken out.". Because cataracts are a cloudiness in the natural crystalline lens of the eye, they must be removed and replaced with an artificial lens implant. One myth is that cataracts are removed with a laser. Nowhere in the world today is this true. Cataracts are removed by a process called phacoemulsification. Lasers are used after cataract surgery in some patients to remove a cloudiness behind the lens implant. Not all patients need the laser procedure. Cataract surgery is performed as an outpatient procedure. Most times you will be at the hospital for about 2-3 hours. The procedure has been perfected such that there are no stitches, no shots, and no patches following surgery. You are not put to sleep and there is no pain during the procedure. One of the biggest advantages to modern day cataract surgery is that the power of your glasses can be put in the power of the lens implant. Therefore, after surgery you are much less dependent on glasses for distance vision. Most still need glasses to fine tune their vision and definitely for reading. Recovery is very quick compared to cataract surgery even 5-7 years ago. Most are back to normal activity in 24-48 hours. Drops are used for 2-4 weeks following surgery and glasses can then be prescribed around 4-6 weeks. Follow-up includes visits at 1 day, 1 week and 4 weeks after the treatment. If you have cataracts in both eyes, surgery is usually performed 2-4 weeks apart. Please contact our office with questions concerning these topics at 405-372-1517 in Stillwater or 918-762-2573 in Pawnee. |
|