Your vision is one of your most vital senses. Issues with your eyesight can be scary and make even common tasks difficult. Cataracts are a common eye ailment and one a skilled surgeon can help you address. A Cataract Surgeon finder can assist in locating a doctor in your area to provide you with the care you need. If you think you may be suffering from cataracts the following information will provide a broad overview of the condition and what to expect during treatment and recovery.
What Are Cataracts?
Cataracts are a gradual clouding of the lens of the eye. This is a process that occurs due to aging and affects nearly everyone over the age of 60. As this process is gradual the impact it has on your vision is also gradual. The early stages of cataracts is a stiffing of the eye lens which reduces your natural range of sight.
This reduction in sight range is the reason bifocals and reading glasses are more common in older people. The next stage is a slow clouding of the lens itself. At first, this only reduces your vision clarity in low light or nighttime situations. However, over time this clouding becomes more severe clouding your vision at all times. This reduction in vision can make even simple tasks difficult luckily there exists medical treatments to fix this problem and restore your sight.
Treating Cataracts
When you have cataracts, the only viable medical treatment is surgery to fully correct the issue. In cataract surgery, the clouded lens is removed and replaced with a lens implant. This process can be completed in 10 to 15 minutes and offers many advantages. Having a lens implant can do more than just clear your vision. As many vision-related issues are related to cataracts, when your lens is replaced corrective issues such as glasses can become unneeded. When you get your cataracts treated, your vision not only clears, it can be improved to where you no longer need glasses at all.
Preparing For Surgery
Before getting cataract surgery, an eye exam is a must. If your vision is blurred, there could be a variety of causes. While cataracts are certainly a possible cause of blurry vision, health concerns such as glaucoma can also cause blurry vision. An eye test will tell you the exact cause of your vision issues. Once glaucoma is confirmed as the cause of your vision issues, you will then move on to a proper diagnosis for your surgery. Measurements will be taken with specialized cameras to confirm what type of lens implant is best for your eyes. The next step is figuring out what your goal is for your vision and what you’re looking to accomplish. There are many options and choices for a lens replacement your doctor will review with you.
Vision Changes
When getting your cataracts addressed by a surgeon, many results can be achieved.
- The first option is having the best distance vision in both eyes, which means you won’t need glasses for common activities such as driving or anything that requires you to look far away. However, you may need simple over-the-counter reading glasses for computer use or reading books.
- Option two is the reverse of that, where your near sight is drastically improved. This is not a common option as it requires distance glasses for outdoor and driving activities. However, some people do choose it as it removes the need for glasses for very common activities such as using a computer.
- Option three is blended vision. This surgery corrects one of your eyes for distant sight and the other for a closer field of vision. This results in a blended field of vision allowing you to see things up close and far away. This is similar to LASIK surgery and can remove the need for glasses entirely.
- The final lens option is multifocal vision. These lenses act as bifocal lenses, giving accurate near and far sight in each eye. However, these types of lenses are not suitable for every condition and do require a doctor skilled with this type of lens implant. Your doctor will advise if this is a suitable option for your needs.
No matter which option you choose, your doctor will go over all viable options and advise you on the best solution for your eye condition and desired results.
What Happens During and After Surgery
After proper examination and selecting your lens type, the next step is to schedule surgery. While both eyes are often corrected during the same period, they are rarely done on the same day often one to two weeks apart. Working on each eye separately allows you time to recover while also still having vision in one eye. The surgery itself is brief. However, preparation can take several hours at the doctor’s office. After a follow-up examination, you will move on to recovery. Swelling and inflammation often lessened within 48 hours and most of your vision improves relatively quickly. Full healing takes about a month.
Cataract surgery can be life-improving removing the need for glasses and improving your vision for the rest of your life. If your vision is starting to cloud, you should contact a doctor to see what solutions will work best for you.
The Editorial Team at Healthcare Business Today is made up of skilled healthcare writers and experts, led by our managing editor, Daniel Casciato, who has over 25 years of experience in healthcare writing. Since 1998, we have produced compelling and informative content for numerous publications, establishing ourselves as a trusted resource for health and wellness information. We offer readers access to fresh health, medicine, science, and technology developments and the latest in patient news, emphasizing how these developments affect our lives.
