Cataracts: Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment

A cataract is a common condition characterized by a clouding of the eye’s natural lens, and affects millions of people each year, including more than half of all Americans over the age of 65. Cloudiness develops as a result of chemical changes to the structure of the proteins which make up the natural lens.

Cataracts cause a progressive, painless loss of vision. The lens clouds naturally as we age, causing people over the age of 65 to see a gradual reduction of vision.

Cataract Care – Old Bridge, NJ

Cataracts are considered part of the natural aging process and are a serious condition that requires prompt medical attention. At Atlantic Medical Eye Care in Old Bridge, NJ, Dr. Robert Scharfman specializes in diagnosing and treating cataracts, typically through minimally invasive cataract surgery.

The exact cause of cataracts remains unknown, although it may be a result of injury, certain medications, illnesses (such as diabetes), prolonged exposure to ultraviolet light and smoking.

What is a ripe cataract?

A cataract is ripe and should be removed and replaced when blurry or diminished vision interferes with activities of daily living or prevents them from leading active and productive lives.

If you’re having trouble reading street signs, driving at night, watching television, doing needlework, or other enjoyable activities, it’s time to consider cataract surgery and discuss your options with an experienced ophthalmologist.

Symptoms of Cataracts

Patients with cataracts often do not experience any symptoms when the condition first develops. Cataracts will continue to progress with no apparent pain, although patients may experience:

• Blurred or hazy vision
• Double vision
• Poor vision in bright light
• Seeing halos around lights
• Poor vision at night
• Yellowish tinged vision
• Frequent changes in eyeglasses or contact lens prescription

Diagnosing Cataracts

Your eye doctor may perform a series of tests in order to diagnose a cataract. A dilated eye exam will be performed to test the vision and to examine the condition of the lens and other parts of the eye.

Your doctor may also perform tonometry, a procedure that measures the pressure in the eye.

Treatment of Cataracts

If visual impairment begins to interfere with your ability to read, work or do the things you enjoy, you may want to consider cataract surgery to restore your vision.

Surgery to remove cataracts involves removing the cloudy lens and replacing it with a new artificial lens known as an intraocular lens (IOL). This lens can often be inserted through the same incision from which the old natural lens was removed.

Cataract surgery is the most commonly performed surgical procedure in the US, and can be performed quickly and easily with a success rate of over 90 percent and a minimal risk of complications.

---