Unfortunately, far too many people take their eyesight for granted and just assume that they will always have it. That is until something happens to change it and then everything changes in an instant. Whether it is a gradual, instant, partial or complete loss, having to deal with the loss of sight is truly a life-changing event. Unless you have experienced some degree of temporary blindness or loss of sight, you have no idea what it is like to live with cataracts.
What are Cataracts? What causes them?
The lens of the eye plays an extremely important function and as long as it is working correctly your vision will be unaffected. Unfortunately, at some point, the natural lens starts to get cloudy and no longer allows for optimum focusing capability. According to vision specialist, the cloudiness of the natural lens is caused by the buildup of proteins that gather together on the surface of the lens which gives it the cloudy appearance.
This cloudiness causes the light that is able to pass through the eye to be unfocused and images appear blurry. Once your vision becomes hazy and blurry it normally means that your vision is at risk and that you will need to talk to an ophthalmologist to determine what is the next the step that you will need to in order to be able to restore your vision.
What treatments are options available to correct the condition?
There is only one real treatment to correct cataracts in one or both eyes and that is surgery. The surgical procedure involves removing the clouded lens and replace it with an Intraocular (IOL) implant lens. Once the surgery is complete and the cataract removed your vision will once again return to normal. There are two different types of IOL lens; monofocal and multifocal
Cataract surgery
If you are like millions of people who have cataracts, you will eventually have to opt to go through the surgery to have the affected lens in your eye or eyes. Unfortunately, as of now, this is absolutely the only way to treat Cataracts and have any chance of being able to see normally again. The skilled surgeon will remove the cloudy lens and replace it with an implant lens and you will be able to see normal again.
Cataract laser surgery
As with many eye procedures, the laser has made performing the delicate task of cutting in and around the eye much safer. This is definitely true in the case of the Cataract surgery. Now there is a second type of surgery that can be performed on your Cataract and it involves using a laser instead of the blade of a knife.
Common risks associated with cataract surgery
As with any surgery, you should always take into consideration the risks that are involved before you go under the knife. While you are obviously at a point in your life that you are in danger of totally losing your vision due to the severity of your cataracts in your eyes, however, you still need to be sure that you understand all of the risks from having the cataract removal surgery. We put together a list of some of the more common risks associated with the cataract surgery procedure:
Risks associated with Cataract Surgery using multifocal IOL
- Loss of sharpness in vision
- Halo effect in low light or fog
- Excessive glare
If you are looking to reduce or even get rid of your eye glasses and/or contacts let us at Rohr Eye & Laser Center help you! We offer several types of LASIK eye surgery including PRK, AK, CK, Cataracts surgery and more. We perform all these eye laser treatments with state of the art equipment. We are a leader in laser vision correction, and our goal is to help you achieve superior vision. Contact us today or view our website http://www.michiganlasik.com/ to schedule an appointment.