What are Cataracts, and Will I Get Them?
Cataracts are a very common eye condition that most often occurs as people age, although they can also develop due to other factors like genetics, trauma, or certain medical conditions. Everyone will develop cataracts in their lifetime if they are fortunate enough to have enough birthdays. It is like the way our hair will turn white and our skin will change, the natural crystalline lens inside the eye will start to become cloudy over time. To describe cataracts in simple terms:
What are Cataracts?
Imagine your eye as a camera with a lens that helps to focus light onto the back of your eye, allowing you to see clearly. This lens is normally clear, like a clean window, and helps to transmit light to the retina, which sends signals to the brain, enabling you to see.
Now, picture tiny changes happening to that lens over time, causing it to become cloudy or foggy, much like a dirty or smudged window. This cloudiness makes it harder for light to pass through the lens and reach the retina, resulting in blurry or hazy vision.
As the cataract continues to develop, it may cause other changes in your vision, such as difficulty seeing in low light, increased sensitivity to glare from lights, or seeing halos around lights, especially at night. Colors may also appear faded or less vibrant.
Do Cataracts Need to Be Treated?
Ultimately, if left untreated, cataracts can significantly impact your vision and quality of life, making it challenging to perform daily activities like reading, driving, typing, putting on make-up, using a computer, or recognizing faces.
Fortunately, cataract surgery is a highly effective treatment option. During surgery, the cloudy lens affected by the cataract is removed and replaced with a clear artificial lens called an intraocular lens (IOL). This replacement lens helps to restore clear vision, allowing you to see more clearly and enjoy a better quality of life.
In summary, cataracts are like having a cloudy window in your eye that obstructs your vision. However, with advancements in modern medicine, cataract surgery offers a solution to remove the cloudy lens and replace it with a clear artificial lens, helping you see clearly once again.
Do you need cataract surgery? Learn more about this procedure and if it could be time for cataract surgery by requesting an appointment at LA Sight in Los Angeles, CA, today! Why wait if you could experience better vision?