Cataracts

What Causes Cataracts?

While cataracts can occur as a result of other eye diseases, they mostly develop naturally with age. In fact, by age 65, many of us will develop a cataract.
There are other, less common causes of cataracts as well, including heredity, birth defects, chronic diseases such as diabetes, excessive use of steroid medications, and certain eye injuries.

Symptoms of Cataracts

At first, symptoms may be undetectable or very slight. However, any noticeable change in vision may be cause for concern, and should be brought to the attention of an eye care professional. Common symptoms of cataracts include:

• Cloudy or blurred vision
• Sensitivity to light and glare
• Frequent prescription changes for glasses or Contact Lenses
• Poor night vision
• Color vision changes and dimming
• Double vision in a single eye

Treatment for Cataracts

While there is no way to prevent cataracts, there are things you can do to slow their formation. Modifiable factors that increase the risk of cataract include smoking, high blood pressure, obesity, and excessive alcohol intake. You may also slow the formation of cataracts by protecting your eyes from direct sunlight.
In the beginning stages of cataracts, vision may be slightly improved using forms of visual correction. However, in the later stages, surgery may be required. Fortunately, surgery has proven to be extremely successful in the removal of cataracts. During cataract surgery, your physician will replace your natural lens with an IOL.

Intraocular lenses (IOLs)

There are several choices of intraocular lenses used in cataract surgery – a standard monofocal intraocular lens (IOL), a toric IOL, a multifocal (IOL) or an accommodating lens:
A standard monofocal IOL is a fixed lens (it doesn't move) that is designed to deliver improved vision at one distance (usually far). The potential drawback is that after surgery, you may need to wear glasses for near and intermediate vision, even if you didn't wear glasses before surgery.
A toric IOL adjusts for individual astigmatisms and may minimize the need for distance vision glasses after surgery. The TRULIGN Toric IOL corrects your cataracts and your astigmatism. It also gives you a broader range of vision, from arm's length to distance.
A multifocal IOL is designed to deliver improved vision for distance and near. However, some patients may experience some halos and glare when driving at night, and some patients have difficulty adjusting to their new vision.
An accommodating IOL is designed to "flex" or "accommodate" using the eyes natural muscles to focus on subjects at various distances, delivering a fuller, more natural range of vision. Crystalens AO Lens was the first FDA-approved accommodating lens available in the United States. Crystalens is an artificial lens implant that, unlike a standard IOL, can treat both a person's cataracts and presbyopia—loss of near and intermediate vision. You probably noticed in your forties that you started to lose some of your up-close vision and had to start wearing reading glasses. Crystalens not only treats your cataracts but provides a more natural range of vision. It does so by recreating accommodation similar to your eye's natural lens. The unique Crystalens is designed to allow you to enjoy most activities, including: reading a book, working on the computer, and driving a car.

Talk to your doctor about which IOL may be right for you.

Photo courtesy of National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health.