In our first Know Your Eyes blog, we discussed what cataracts are and what happens to your eyes when cataracts develop. In this blog we’ll check out how cataracts are treated and what a cataracts patient can expect from their treatment.
Where does treatment start? – Your local optometrist.
So you are experiencing cloudy, double, or blurry vision. Or maybe, you are having trouble with light always being too bright or too dim. You go to see your local optometrist, and she tells you cataracts have developed in your eyes. So what’s next?
Cataracts come in few different types and can be located on any place on your lens. If the cataract is located on the edge of your lens, it might not impact your vision the way a cataract in the center of your lens would.
The most common treatment for cataracts is surgery. Your optometrist will be able to determine the severity of your cataracts and if surgery is needed. It is possible to boost your vision with stronger glasses, magnification, and other visuals aids when your cataracts are minor; however when cataracts significantly impact your ability to see – it’s time for surgery.
Cataract Surgery
Cataract surgery is known for being highly successful in resorting vision. Nine out of 10 people who have cataract surgery regain very good vision, somewhere between 20/20 and 20/40 (via allaboutvision.com).
To perform the surgery, your optometrist will likely refer you to an ophthalmologist, who is an eye doctor that specializes in diseases of the eye. If you are a good candidate for surgery, the most likely route will be to replace your cataracts lens with a clear plastic intraocular lens, also known as an IOL. IOLs are highly developed and can be implanted with minimal surgical impact. Newer IOLs can even help protect against UV rays and blue light.
For more information about cataract surgery check out Preventblindness.org.
Are you having trouble with your vision? Quickly schedule an eye exam online to see one of your local Milwaukee optometrists.