At What Age Should I Start Considering Cataract Surgery?
Do you suffer from cataracts? This eye condition can leave you visually impaired.
Cataracts are the leading cause of blindness in American adults over the age of 60. Anyone above the age of forty can have cataracts, even if they don’t know it.
Cataract surgery is the only way to remove cataracts. Other treatments that claim they can you shouldn’t listen to.
Surgeons recommend having cataract surgery when your cataracts impact your daily life. There is no set age limit for undergoing cataract surgery.
Keep reading to learn more about cataracts and cataract surgery!
Natural Lens Clouding
A cataract is clouding on the natural lens of your eye. This clouding grows over time.
As it develops, it impairs your vision. Most cataract patients see their condition progress gradually. For some patients, it is a rapid progression.
There are a few common ways that cataracts impair your vision. These include blurry vision, halos, and loss of clarity with your vision.
Blurry Vision
The most common symptom of cataracts is blurry vision. Some patients may also describe this as foggy vision.
It can appear as if you are trying to see through a foggy window pane. This foggy vision can impair your vision to the point that you can’t complete your daily routine.
You will need to think about undergoing cataract surgery when you reach this point.
Halos
Another symptom you may develop when you have cataracts is halos. Many patients will see halos around light sources.
Halos are most common at night. Seeing halos makes it difficult to get around safely, especially if you’re driving.
It’s important that you do not try to try to drive if you are seeing halos. You will need to undergo cataract surgery before you can safely drive again.
Loss of Sharp Vision
Beyond blurry vision and halos, cataracts can reduce how sharp your vision is. Colors and shapes become distorted.
This makes it difficult to read or watch TV. Cataract surgery is the only way to correct your cataracts. Undergoing the surgery will make your vision sharper and give you your clear vision back.
Cataract Surgery
Cataract surgery is the only way to correct your cataracts. It is a quick procedure that takes less than an hour to complete.
During your surgery, your surgeon will remove your cataracts by creating an incision on your natural lens. Once the lens has been completely removed, it’s then replaced with an artificial lens.
You must have some kind of lens to see clearly after cataract surgery.
IOLs
Your surgeon will replace your natural lens with an artificial lens. This artificial lens is called an IOL.
The IOL takes the place of your natural lens and restores your clear vision. Some IOLs also correct and provide you with better vision than you’ve ever experienced before, even before you had cataracts.
Since IOLs are artificial, they do not age. This means that your vision restoration is permanent, no matter how old you get.
Schedule a Consultation
Ready for a life without cataracts? The first step is a cataract screening! Schedule your cataract screening at the Pinke Eye Center in Shelton, CT, today!
