Cataracts affect the eye’s lens, which plays a critical role in focusing light onto the retina. Light passes through the lens on its way to the retina at the back of the eye; the retina then converts the light into nerve signals and sends them to the brain for processing. In order for light to pass through the lens, the lens must be clear.
Over time, the proteins that make up the lens start to clump together, creating cloudy areas called cataracts that can spread over time. This prevents light from passing through the lens and onto the retina in a normal fashion; as a result, blurry, cloudy or dull vision can occur.
Most cataracts are due to the effects of the aging process; other factors that can contribute to early cataracts include health problems like diabetes, prolonged exposure to UV light, hereditary factors, eye injury and eye surgery.
At first, the visual changes caused by cataracts may be quite minor. But as cataracts mature, they cause continual loss of vision, which can make it more difficult to read and drive. Eventually, someone with cataracts can become legally blind or completely blind.
Vision Lost to Cataracts Can Be Restored
Fortunately, vision loss and blindness due to cataracts can be restored with cataract surgery. During cataract surgery, the cloudy lens is extracted from the eye and an artificial lens is implanted in its place. Depending on the lens that is selected, it may restore clear vision at a single distance or multiple distances. There are a variety of intraocular lenses on the market today, each with unique features to suit a diverse range of visual needs and goals.
Cataract surgery is one of the safest and most common procedures performed today, and it has a very high success rate. Most cataract surgeons agree that early detection and treatment of cataracts leads to better surgical outcomes. Also, it can save someone years of struggling to read, drive and perform other everyday activities because of cloudy or blurry vision.
Contact Bochner Eye Institute
If you are experiencing cloudy, blurry or otherwise distorted vision, you should be screened by an eye doctor to determine the cause of the problem and discuss treatment options. For questions about cataracts or cataract surgery, please contact Bochner Eye Institute today.