Treatment for Cataracts
Most people who are diagnosed with cataracts live completely normal lives for a long time, never even noticing any difference in their eyes. In fact, you may be surprised at the diagnosis of cataracts because your eyesight hasn’t changed at all. Cataracts are a slow, progressive disease that affects people at different rates. Having the condition doesn’t mean you need treatment immediately, but it does mean you should be monitored and watch for the day when it becomes time to get something done.
Eye Doctor Explains Cataracts
Our eye doctor team consists of optometrist in Raleigh and Rocky Mount. They explain that your eye has a crystalline lens through which light passes and focuses to create vision. Sometimes protein deposits begin to stick to the surface of the lens. This can be seen during normal eye care exams, which is one reason why it’s important that you get your eyes examined on a regular basis. As long as you can see normally, a cataract won’t bother you. But in most cases the deposits build up, creating a yellowed or cloudy haze over everything you see. Once this covering prevents you from doing ordinary things such as driving or reading, it’s time to see about getting cataract treatment.
Cataracts are so common in people over the age of 80 that they’re sometimes considered just another sign of aging. But you don’t have to be a senior citizen to develop cataracts. Some of the other contributing factors are:
- Eye injury
- Eye infection
- Diabetes
- Obesity
- Long-term steroid medication usage
Cataract Treatment
Some over the counter medications claim to prevent cataracts from deteriorating, but there is no proven medication that can do this. Avoiding prolonged exposure to bright sunlight can help, and magnifying lenses can extend the time you can go without cataract treatment, but the only real treatment is cataract surgery.
While it may be frightening to consider, cataract surgery is almost always regarded as one of the most simple medical procedures one can experience. Once you and our eye doctor have decided that surgery is right for you, you’ll receive a prescription for eye drops designed to sterilize your eyes and prepare them for surgery. On the day of your surgery you’ll receive other drops to numb your eyes, which can take an hour or so, done in a series.
It’s important to note that most patients don’t report any problems at all post-surgery except some minor itching while the eye heals. Patients will be able to see clearly immediately after surgery in most cases. You’ll be given a series of eye drops to keep your eye free of infection and to promote healing, but it’s possible for most people to go on with their normal lives the next day. There are some small restrictions, such as refraining from heavy lifting for a few weeks, but other than that you’ll go back to living life as it was before your cataracts.