What is a Cataract?
A cataract is the clouding of the normally clear lens of the eye. Looking through a cloudy lens can be like looking through a fogged-up or frosted window. At various stages of cataract development, patients may find that it is becoming more difficult to read, drive a car (especially at night) or watch television. Cataracts commonly affect distance vision and can cause problems with glare. |
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What causes a cataract?
The most common type of cataract is related to aging of the eye. Most people develop cataracts simply as a result of aging, with the majority of cases occurring in people over the age of 55. As you age, the lenses in your eyes become less flexible, less transparent and thicker. The clouding of the eye’s lens is a normal part of getting older. Most cataracts develop slowly, causing very little disturbance in vision during the early stages. As the cataract progresses, so does the clouding of the vision, which eventually interferes with your ability to continue your daily activities of life.
Other causes of cataracts include medical problems such as diabetes, use of medications such as steroids, radiation treatment, eye injury, previous eye surgery, long-term, unprotected exposure to sunlight and smoking. You should let your eye doctor know if you have a history of any of these during your eye exam. Some people are born with cataracts (congenital) due to the mother’s exposure to German measles during pregnancy. Congenital cataracts don’t always affect vision, but are usually removed if they do.
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Symptoms
Common symptoms of cataracts include but are not limited to:
- Painless blurring of vision
- Glare, or light sensitivity
- Poor night vision
- Double vision in one eye
- Needing brighter light to read
- Fading or yellowing of colors
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Types of Cataracts
Nuclear: Cataract occurs in the center of the lens. In the early stages, you may become more nearsighted or experience a temporary improvement in reading vision. As the cataract progresses, the lens may turn brown, creating difficulty seeing in dim light and driving at night. Advanced cataract development can lead to difficulty distinguishing between shades of blue and purple.
Cortical: Starts as whitish, wedge-shaped streaks on the outer edge of the lens. When it progresses, the streaks extend to the center of the lens. This interferes with the light passing through the center of the lens. Difficulty with focusing and distortion, problems with glare and loss of contrast can occur with this type of cataract. Both the distance and near vision can be affected as well.
Subcapsular: Starts just under the capsule of the lens, usually forming near the back of the lens. This type of cataract occurs in both eyes but may be more advanced in one eye than the other. Usually interferes with reading vision, causes glare or halos around lights at night and reduces vision in bright light.
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Treatment
Treatment depends on how advanced the cataract is and how it impacts the patient’s vision. How quickly cataracts develop varies among individuals, and may even be different between the two eyes. Most age-related cataracts tend to progress gradually over a period of years. Other cataracts, especially in younger people and people with diabetes, may progress rapidly over a short time. It is not possible to predict exactly how fast cataracts will develop in any person.
During the early stages of cataracts, vision can be enhanced by a stronger prescription for glasses. A good understanding of the condition and a willingness to make a few adjustments, such as using a magnifying glass to read or improving lighting in the home, may help with vision problems caused by cataracts. When a cataract advances and glasses can no longer help correct vision well enough for you to continue daily and evening activities such as driving, watching television, participating in hobbies and sports, surgery is indicated.
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Surgery
Surgery is the only way a cataract can be removed. No medications, dietary supplements or exercises have been shown to cure cataracts.
Cataract surgery is performed to remove the old clouded lens and implant a permanent artificial lens. Dr. McGuinness performs a surgical procedure called phacoemulsification. He makes a tiny incision, inserts an ultrasonic probe about the size of a pen into the eye, which gently breaks the cloudy lens into pieces while simultaneously vacuuming the old lens from the eye. Once the old lens is completely removed, a new lens is replaced through the same incision. This surgery is often called “bloodless” and “no stitch” cataract surgery.
Dr. McGuinness performs cataract surgery as an outpatient procedure at Suffolk Surgery Center in Shirley, New York. Patients usually spend just a few hours at the surgical center. This includes pre operative, surgical and immediate post operative care. Most patients return home after surgery, spend the day at rest and return for a follow-up visit at the doctor's office early the next morning.
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Lens Options
At Brookhaven Eye Surgery, we offer a variety of state-of-the-art lens replacement options during cataract surgery.
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