Hello everyone,
June
is Cataract Awareness Month. There are many different types of
cataracts, which can arise from many contributing factors: trauma,
long term steroid use, high-risk medications and health conditions,
such as diabetes. However, the most common cataracts are due to
increasing age.
Cataracts
are a very common eye condition that becomes even more likely to
occur as an individual gets older. People are living
longer lives these days, so cataracts are becoming more prevalent.
According
to the World Health Organization, cataracts are responsible for 51%
of world blindness, affecting about 20 million people. In 2008, the
National Eye Institute and Prevent Blindness America said in the
United States, nearly 22 million Americans age 40 and older have
cataracts. At age 80, more than half of those Americans have
cataracts.
Don't let cataracts get this bad. This is a fairly dense cataract.
A
cataract is a clouding of the eye’s natural lens. At birth, the lens is crystal clear. As one gets older,
the lens becomes cloudier, and visual complaints of decreased vision
and glare become more apparent.
Cataracts
can be prevented to some degree. The Mayo Clinic suggests having
regular eye exams, as directed by your eye doctor, which can help
detect cataracts and other eye diseases at their earliest stages.
Smoking has been linked to cataract progression. The cessation of
smoking, as well as maintaining a healthy weight and eating a healthy
diet, can help reduce the risk of cataract progression.
Probably
the easiest thing a person can do to help prevent cataracts is to
wear UV-blocking sunglasses. UV radiation has
been linked to the development of certain types of cataracts, as well
as macular degeneration. Wearing sunglasses should start at a young
age, because approximately 50% of our lifetime UV exposure will occur
before the age of 18.
The
progression of a cataract is typically a slow, gradual change. Some
patients are very susceptible to changes in their vision. However,
many patients don’t realize there is a vision problem until they
are evaluated at an eye exam. Most likely, this is because a patient
is always using both eyes together, and typically do not notice
vision changes if only one eye is getting worse. When the quality of
life is affected by poor vision, and that vision cannot be improved
by updating the patient’s eyeglasses prescription, then cataract
surgery is warranted.
No cataract on the left. Cataract on the right scattering light,
causing glare, light sensitivity and blurred vision.
I
have seen patients wait a bit too long for fear of cataract surgery. Their vision progressively gets worse despite
recommendations to have the surgery performed. There are risks to any
surgery, but the risks of major complications of cataract surgery in
the hands of a skilled surgeon are very low.
Some
of those risks include increased pressure in the eyes, inflammation,
and infection. However, any patient undergoing cataract surgery is
monitored closely in the post-operative period by the surgeon or
co-managing optometrist, and given anti-inflammatory and
anti-bacterial eye-drops to facilitate the healing process.
Usually
when a patient has surgery in one eye, their first question is, "How
soon can I get the other eye done?" When the
surgeon removes the cloudy cataract and replaces it with a clear
intra-ocular lens, the reported brightness of colors and image quality
by the patient is astounding.
In
individuals over the age of 60, the American Optometric Association
recommends an annual eye exam, including dilation of the eyes, to
evaluate the vision and to check for cataracts and other ocular
conditions. Since cataracts can occur at any age, it's important to
get regular eye exams for all individuals young and old, even if
one's vision seems adequate.
Sincerely,
Dr. Weaver
