If you’ve been diagnosed with cataracts, or know someone who has, you may wonder what causes cataracts and is there anything that can be done to prevent them. Cataracts usually don’t develop until after the age of 40 and the most common age for cataract surgery is around 60 years old. By age 80, more than half of all Americans have cataracts. As Dr. Tyson says, “if you’re lucky, you’ll live long enough to get cataracts.”
Cataracts, which affect over 24.4 million people in the US, are a build-up of protein in the lens of the eye.
A cataract develops slowly over time, so you may not notice symptoms until you are unable to complete normal tasks. As the protein build-up occurs, it prevents sufficient light from getting through the lens of your eye. With cataracts, you may experience symptoms like blurry, cloudy or foggy vision, issues seeing color, problems driving at night, double vision, and trouble reading. A common response after cataract surgery is “the colors are so bright and vivid, I didn’t know what I was missing!”
There are no specific known cause of cataracts, but some risk factors including UV exposure, diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, smoking, previous eye injuries or surgeries, prolonged use of steroid medications, high alcohol consumption, and family history. It is believed that combining a healthy lifestyle and UV protection may help maintain the clarity of the natural lens but there are no proven steps to prevent the development of cataracts. While it may be scary to face a diagnosis of cataracts, cataract surgery is one of the safest and most common procedures in the United States.
Cataract surgery is considered necessary when your vision falls below 20/40 and normal activities are affected by your vision. If you think you may have cataracts, schedule an appointment to visit the expert eye doctors at Tyson Eye. We’ll perform a comprehensive eye exam, where your pupils are dilated to closely examine the lens as well as other parts of your eye. You can trust us with your vision!
Tyson Eye is regarded as one of the premier eye care centers in Southwest Florida. Our surgeons and doctors have helped thousands of people enjoy better vision and have consistently introduced break-through technology, such as our bladeless laser cataract surgery, to the area. We are committed to excellence by delivering modern technology with old fashioned concern.
We’re here to help you see better! Call us at 239-542-2020 today or request an appointment.
