WHAT IS A CATARACT?
A cataract is a typically age-related clouding of the natural lens within the eye.
As one gets older the lens inside the eye thickens. Generally when a person reaches their mid-40s they are aware of the effects of this as their eyes are unable to focus as close as they’d like. This results in the need for reading glasses, varifocals or removal of specs (if short-sighted) to see closer up things.
Over time the structures within the lens become less transparent and that’s when it’ll be referred to as a cataract.
Symptoms of a cataract include:
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Blurry vision.
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Increase glare, especially from lights in a darker environment.
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Reduced contrast or difficulties seeing dimmer colours.
WHO IS AFFECTED?
Whilst cataracts are very common in the ageing population (more than half of people aged over 65 have some degree of cataracts in one or both eyes) there are other factors that can contribute towards the progression of this, such as:
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Smoking
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Diabetes
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Trauma or eye injury
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Long-term use of steroids
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Drinking too much alcohol
TREATING CATARACTS
Cataract surgery is a low-risk, quick operation in which the lens of the eye is softened and removed from the eye, and replaced with an artificial plastic implant. Like any surgery there is always a risk involved and our expert team of optometrists at Maskell + Josephson will be able to guide you as to when it’s the right time to have the surgery.
ALTERNATIVES TO SURGERY
There is no substitute for surgery in terms of achieving the same results. However there are lots of things can be done to reduce the effects of a cataract such as making sure your glasses are up to date and offer the most comprehensive coatings and lens designs, with the intention to reduce the light-scatter through the lens. Our DNEye device will allow us to tailor make the lens designs to assist with this in the best way possible.
In addition things like making sure your windscreen is clean when driving and managing any dry eye disease is critical in reducing the symptoms that are often thought of to be linked with cataracts. Moderate dry eye disease presents itself with symptoms very similar to those of cataracts and our dry eye assessments will allow us to determine the different causes of these symptoms and manage them in our dry eye clinics appropriately.