This Month is Cataracts Awareness Month: Book your Eye Examination in Northridge Today
Many people aren't aware that cataracts affect approximately 20.5 million Americans age 40 and older. In reality, more than 50% of individuals over sixty-five have some degree of cataract development.
What is a cataract?
Cataracts occur when the lens, the part of the eye that focuses light to produce images, becomes clouded. This inhibits the passage of light necessary for vision.
Signs of cataracts
Cataracts can often be brushed off as typical age-related sight loss, yet there are some signs to look for that set them apart. Depending on the type of cataract, symptoms include blurred vision, increased glare from light or a noticeable dullness of colors. Some cataracts are completely asymptomatic until they are more advanced while others may even result in a temporary improvement in near vision called ''second sight''.
Cataract comes from the Latin cataracta defined as ''waterfall''. This may be because the appearance of white opacities in the lens are similar to the white cloudy rapids seen in a waterfall. Cataracts that develop as a result of aging usually are characterized by an initial cloudiness in the lens, followed by swelling and shrinkage of the lens resulting in a total loss of transparency and blindness.
Cataract Prevention and Treatment
Researchers have not determined fail-safe ways to avoid the development of cataracts but some say that protecting your eyes from UV rays with sunglasses can reduce cataract development. Some research shows that taking antioxidants and limited consumption of salt can also prevent development.
While initial loss of sight can be helped with corrective devices such as eyeglasses or magnifying lenses, at some point eyesight may be impaired to a level to necessitate surgical treatment. Cataract surgery is in fact the most frequently performed surgery in the country and is generally quite successful. In the standard surgery, the surgeon takes out the lens and replaces it with an intraocular lens (IOL) made of plastic. For nine out of 10 patients, nearly perfect vision is achieved.
To ensure early diagnosis and treatment it is important to book an annual eye exam to check for symptoms of vision diseases such as cataracts. Call our Northridge, CA optometry practice today to book an appointment.
