Cataract Awareness Month

Did you know that June is designated Cataract Awareness Month by Prevent Blindness America?  Do you even know what a cataract is?  A cataract is a cloudy or opaque area in the normally clear lens of the eye.  The lens is located directly behind the iris, or colored part of the eye, and is responsible for most of our focusing power.   Depending on the size, location, type, and density of the cataract, it can interfere with your vision considerably.   This is because the cataract will cause light entering the eye to scatter leading to blurred or hazy vision.

Cataracts are most common in people over the age of 55 with 70% of people aged 75 or older having them.  With the aging population, it is expected that there will be more than 30 million Americans with cataracts by the year 2020.  Cataracts form as a result of protein rearrangement within the lens.   This is most often due to the normal aging process of the lens but can also result from UV exposure, steroid use, or trauma.  Other risk factors include smoking, diabetes, and possibly low levels of antioxidants.  While these factors will increase your chances of cataract or speed up their development, everyone will eventually get cataracts if they live long enough.

Clear Lens                                                          Cataract          
         

Cataracts usually develop slowly and often go unnoticed.  That is why it is important to have regular comprehensive eye exams to find them before they are causing impaired vision.  Currently, the only treatment for cataracts is to surgically remove them.  Cataract surgery is the most frequently performed surgery in the US and has a very high success rate with more than 90 percent of patients reporting improved vision (usually without the need for glasses).

If you are noticing blurry/hazy vision, difficulty seeing at night or increased glare, then you should schedule a comprehensive eye exam today.