The Cataract surgeon in Los Angeles and Orange County tells us that there is a natural lens inside our eyes. This lens bends (refracts) light rays that enter the eye to help us see. As any eye doctor can tell you, the lens should be clear.
What Are The Vision Problems You Can Experience With Cataracts
When there is a cataract in the eye, the lens becomes cloudy. The person affected by the cataract may describe how they see as if they are looking through a foggy or dusty car windshield. Objects appear blurry, hazy, or less colorful with a cataract.
What Are The Symptoms Of Cataracts?
Below are some vision changes you may observe if you have a cataract:
Blurry vision
You see a double or a ghosted image out of the eye with cataract
Feeling extra sensitive to light (particularly with oncoming headlights at night)
Having problems seeing well at night or requiring more light when you read
You see bright colors as faded or yellow instead
If you notice these cataract symptoms, talk to your cataract surgeon in Los Angeles or Orange County.
What Causes Cataracts?
The cataract surgeons in Los Angeles inform us that aging is the most common cause of cataracts. This is because of normal eye changes that start to occur after 40. Around this time, normal proteins in the lens begin to break down. This is what the best laser eye surgeon say causes the lens to get cloudy. People who are over the age of sixty usually begin to have some clouding of their lenses. Nevertheless, vision issues may not occur until years later.
Here are a few other reasons why you may get cataracts:
You have parents, brothers, sisters, or other family members who have cataracts.
You have particular medical problems, such as diabetes.
You smoke.
You have had an eye injury, eye surgery, or radiation treatments on your upper body.
You have spent a lot of time in the sun, especially without sunglasses that protect your eyes from damaging ultraviolet (UV) rays
You use certain medications, such as corticosteroids, which may cause the early formation of cataracts.
Most age-related cataracts develop slowly. Other types of cataracts can progress more quickly. For instance, those in younger people or those in people with diabetes. Doctors cannot foresee how quickly a person’s cataract will develop.
You Can Slow Down The Advancement Of Cataracts
You can probably decelerate the development of cataracts. Doctors recommend that you should protect your eyes from sunlight. The best method to do this is with sunglasses. Wear sunglasses that block out the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) light rays. Also, you can wear eyeglasses that have a clear, anti-UV coating. Discuss with your ophthalmologist to find out more.
Cataract Diagnosis
Typically, an eye doctor will examine and test your eyes to make a cataract diagnosis. This thorough eye exam includes dilation, which means the doctor will use eye drops to open up the pupils.
Slit-lamp exam
The ophthalmologist will examine the cornea, iris, lens, and the other areas located at the front of the eye. The special slit-lamp microscope makes it simpler to find abnormalities.
Retinal exam
When your eye is dilated, the pupil is widened, the doctor can see the back of the eye more clearly. The doctor uses a slit lamp, an ophthalmoscope or both to look for signs of cataract. Also, an ophthalmologist will check for glaucoma and take a look at the optic nerve and retina.
Refraction and visual acuity test
This test checks the sharpness and clarity of a person’s vision. Each eye is tested on its own for the ability to see letters of varying sizes.
What Do Cataracts Look Like?
Cataracts appear in many different forms and develop for many various reasons. Here are a few types of cataracts.
Mature Cataract (Nuclear)
A mature cataract is when the cataract has become large and dense. When there is a mature cataract, the eye’s lens is opaque, which means you can’t see through it, and there is severely limited vision. This type of cataract is a nuclear cataract, which means it begins deep in the center of the lens (nucleus).
Congenital Cataract
A congenital cataract is when it is found in a baby’s eye at birth. Children’s eyes and vision keep developing until they are about ten years old. If a congenital cataract is not treated early, a child’s vision can be affected for life.
Diabetic Snowflake Cataract
Individuals with diabetes mellitus are at a higher risk of developing cataracts. Uncontrolled levels of blood sugar cause changes in the eye’s lens. Normally, people with uncontrolled diabetes have a diabetic or “snowflake” cataract. The eye has a grayish-white starburst or snowflake appearance.
Traumatic Cataract
Also, a cataract can develop due to trauma to the eye, either by blunt force such as a blow to the eye or something that penetrates the eye. A cataract can be seen as the cloudy, white area in the middle of the eye, and part of the iris is separated (see the brownish-orange area on the right side). Thousands of eye injuries happen every day, yet nine out of ten of them are preventable by wearing proper safety eyewear.
After A Cataract Diagnosis, What Should I Do?
Have an eye exam every year if you’re older than 65, or every two years if younger.
Protect your eyes from UV light by wearing sunglasses that block at least 99 percent UV and a hat.
Quit smoking. Smoking is a main risk factor for cataracts.
When reading or doing other activities use brighter lights. If you want, you can also use a magnifying glass.
Do not drive at night when night vision, halos or glare become issues.
Take care of any other health issues, particularly diabetes.
Get suitable eyeglasses or contact lenses to correct your vision.
When it becomes difficult to complete your regular activities, think about cataract surgery.
Make an informed decision about cataract surgery. Have a discussion with your ophthalmologist about:
the surgery
preparation for and recovery after surgery
advantages and possible complications of cataract surgery
cataract surgery costs
other questions you have
How Can You Treat Cataracts?
You can only get rid of cataracts through surgery. If you can live with your cataract symptoms, you may need a new eyeglass prescription to help you see better. It would be best to think about surgery when cataracts hinder you from doing your daily routine or things you want to do.
