What age do cataracts usually start?
Cataracts are a more common eye condition than you may realize. Cataracts and glaucoma both occur as we age as a degenerative issues with the eyes. Even your pets experience cataracts as they age, you might recognize the cataracts when their eyes start to turn a murky cloudy gray as they reach their golden years. Although some babies are born with cataracts, the condition is generally age related. The more trips around the sun you take, the more the likelihood of developing cataracts becomes.
By the age of 40, cataracts can begin to develop, although signs generally are not apparent. Most patients come in to us around the age of 60 realizing that their vision is not quite what it used to be. By the age of 80, most people will have some level of cataracts formed. There are a few different types of cataracts which can cause different experiences and require specific treatments. What may not be as surprising is that each eye can have a different progression of the cataracts, thus giving you different vision and/or symptoms per eye.
What are cataracts?
A natural place to start, let’s go over what cataracts actually are. Everyone’s eyes have a clear lens that is right behind the pupil. This lens filters the light that comes in. It is made up of proteins and over time that protein can have build up that starts to cloud the lens. When too much protein clumps together, your eyesight can become cloudy, blurry, or even cause double vision. Cataracts occur when this clear lens right behind the pupil starts to cloud up.
This is a slow process that reduces the amount of light coming in all together. Often you won’t notice it until you realize you are squinting more, having a hard time reading small text, or even noticing a glare in the sun or at nighttime when other peoples headlights start to bother you while driving. These are some of the signs and symptoms of cataracts.
What are early signs and symptoms of cataracts?
Frequent prescription changes: Each year when you have your exam your prescription typically should remain about the same. If you have started to notice over the years that things are getting worse each time you go, this can be a sign that the cataracts are forming.
Corrective lens just aren’t working like they used to: This is similar to the first point. When the lenses in your eye glasses or contacts seen to be less and less affective at getting that crisp clear vision, that protein may be building up causing cataracts. This is often experienced as blurry, foggy, cloudy, or even double vision.
Glare or halos from light: As mentioned above, if you are having problems with glare from the sun during the day or from headlights on cars at night this is a tell tale sign your lenses are getting cloudy behind your pupil. Bright light bulbs can also have a halo effect that just hurts to look at. Any light sensitivity should be mentioned to your Doctor.
Changes in Colors: Since this lens was once clear and is now forming a cloudiness, colors can appear to be more dim, yellow, or dull. The vibrancy can become diluted like constantly being in a cloudy day.
If left untreated, cataracts can lead to permanent vision loss. Yearly eye exams can help to track your eye health as you age to catch either problem in their early stages. This is why it is so important to have your yearly eye exam even when you don’t think anything has changed.
With early diagnosis, treatments can be very successful to manage the condition. A quick self test you can do is to cover one eye with you hand and then compare what you see with each eye. This often works best with your corrective lenses on to really see the difference. Cataracts have the option, should the condition become severe, to have a surgery that replaces the original clouded lens in your eye with a clear one to correct the issue, this is called cataract surgery.
What is cataract surgery?
When you decide it is time to have your cataract removed with cataract surgery, your Perich Eye surgeon will perform an operation to remove the lens of your eye that has become cloudy and replace it with a clear artificial lens. The new lens is called an intraocular lens. Before cataract surgery, your ophthalmologist will measure your eye to determine the correct focusing power for your new intraocular lens.
This is how cataract surgery works: Your surgeon will make tiny cuts with a laser or a blade near the edge of your cornea, which is the clear covering on the front of your eye. This will enable your surgeon to reach your lens with the cataract and remove it. Next, your surgeon will put a new lens in place.
In most cases, you will not need stitches to close the incisions. The so-called self-sealing incisions will close on their own in time. Your surgeon will place a shield over your eye to protect it during the healing process. Your eye doctor may ask you to stop taking some of your regular medications before surgery. Your doctor may also prescribe eye drops to take prior to your surgery to help prevent infection and reduce swelling caused by the procedure.
After the surgery you will want to follow all of your doctors instructions very carefully. Here are a list of general guidelines you should know:
Use eye drops exactly as prescribed
Avoid getting soap or water directly in the eye.
Do not rub your eye or press on it. Your doctor may require you to wear glasses to protect your eye.
Wear a protective shield during sleep
Refrain from exercise and other activities including driving until your doctor tells you it is safe to resume them.
Generally speaking, we see that most patients will start to see a reduction in side effects in the first few days after surgery. Complete recovery could take up to 4-6 weeks to see all results and healing occur.
At this point, you may need a new prescription for your glasses and/or contacts. We do need to wait at least this long to make sure your prescription stabilizes to be able to check and order you the correct lenses. We do not want to do this sooner and risk needing to order you something different, costing more money after you cataract surgery.
Like any other surgery, there can be complications that are not foreseeable. We will do everything in our power to ensure you are fully prepared, have a successful surgery, and post-op experience. Should you have any questions or concerns, it is always best to speak up and get your answers needed beforehand to ensure you are feeling confident and comfortable throughout the whole process.
