Cataracts: Seeing Through A Different Lens
Have you, or someone you’ve known, been diagnosed with cataracts and gotten anxious when the doctor mentioned cataract surgery? Rest assured as I break down the fairly common eye condition.
Inside of our eyes we have a natural lens that bends, or refracts, incoming light onto our retina to help us see. The lens is typically clear at birth and will slowly go through changes in color and opacity with time. Cataracts refers to a cloudy, or opaque lens. This cloudiness occurs as the lens proteins break down. We like to give the analogy of cataracts being similar to a dirty windshield. Therefore, common symptoms of cataracts include blurry vision, light sensitivity, glare/halos, difficulty with night vision, and seeing double, or ghosting, images. Symptoms can vary depending on the type of cataract and its severity.
The most common type of cataracts are age-related. I like to explain to my patients that we will all eventually develop cataracts if we live long enough. Clinically, we start to observe cataract formation around the ages of 55-60 but it’s common for patients to not exhibit visual symptoms until years later. Other types of cataracts include congenital cataracts, trauma-induced cataracts, and radiation-induced cataracts. Some risk factors include smoking, corticosteroid use, long-term UV exposure from the sun, diabetes, glaucoma, and genetics.
Cataracts are diagnosed during a comprehensive eye exam. During the eye exam we will check visual acuities and perform a dilated fundus exam to thoroughly assess the health of the inside of the eyes. If the cataracts are mild and do not visually impact the patient then we will monitor it annually and advise patients to use sun protection (sunglasses and hats) and advise against smoking if applicable. If the cataracts are more advanced and start to affect the patient’s ability to perform daily activities then we would have the discussion of cataract surgery. Cataract surgery is one of the most common surgeries performed in the United States and has a very high success rate. During cataract surgery, an ophthalmologist will remove the natural, cloudy lens in the eye and replace it with an intraocular lens to help restore clear vision. There are many different types of intraocular lenses and our doctors will help patients decide on which type would work best for them and their visual needs. The procedure itself is fairly quick and patients report improved vision within those first few days post-surgery. The recovery period includes use of scheduled eye drops to help fend off infection and inflammation. Although rare, cataract surgery does have potential risks of ocular complications including, but not limited too, retinal detachment, swelling, bleeding, and dry eyes. Our doctors will work closely alongside the ophthalmologist to minimize and manage any post-surgical complications. Patients can expect a full recovery after four to six weeks; and from there we’ll continue to see them for annual comprehensive eye exams.
