Cataracts are common eye issues that tend to affect people as they age. Use this guide to learn more about cataracts and the problems they cause so you know when it is time to see an eye doctor in Chicago to help correct your vision issues:

A Cataract

A cataract occurs when the lens of the eye gets cloudy. Most of the time, cataracts develop in older people, but they can happen to anyone of any age. By the age of 80, more than 50 percent of Americans have cataracts or have had custom cataract surgery to correct cataracts. Although this condition can happen in one or both eyes, it cannot spread from one eye to the other eye.

The Causes of Cataracts

The lens of the eye is comprised of mostly water and protein. In a healthy eye, the protein allows the light to travel clearly through it and to the retina. As the body ages, the protein might group together and create a cloud.

The Cataract and the Lens

Cataracts are a big deal because they make the lens cloudy . The lens is the part of the eye that focuses light on the retina, which allows you to see. If the lens is cloudy, the light cannot travel to the retina as well and it can severely hinder one’s ability to see. If you have blurry vision, you should schedule an appointment with an eye doctor in Chicago to see if you have cataracts.

The Kinds of Cataracts

In addition to a regular aging cataract, there are a few other kinds that could affect someone’s vision. A secondary cataract can develop after another kind of eye surgery. They can also be a side effect of health issues like diabetes or from steroid use. Traumatic cataracts might occur after an eye injury. Congenital cataracts can occur in babies or in young children. If your child has congenital cataracts, the eye doctor might need to completely remove the lens. Radiation cataracts might develop after exposure to radiation.

Cataracts develop with age and create cloudiness over the lens of the eye. Before you can get custom cataract surgery to improve your vision, you have to have a better understanding of the different kinds of cataracts. Keep reading to learn more about cataracts:

A Subcapsular Cataract

This kind of cataract develops at the back of the lens. Subcapsular cataracts usually start off as a small dot and gets in the way of light as it travels toward the retina. Because of its location, a subcapsular cataract typically affects one’s ability to read. It can also make it more difficult to see in bright lights. People with these kinds of cataracts might also start to see halos around lights at night. If you have any of these issues, you should schedule an appointment with your eye doctor in Chicago to see if you need cataract surgery.

A Nuclear Cataract

This kind of cataract develops in the center of the eye. Nuclear cataracts are usually a result of the natural aging process. When this kind of cataract first develops, it might make a person more nearsighted, but some people actually experience an improvement in their reading vision. A nuclear cataract can eventually turn the lens yellow or brown. Once it advances, it might make it more difficult to differentiate between shades of color.

A Cortical Cataract

Cortical cataracts start at the outer edge of the lens and move toward the center. Cortical cataracts worsen slowly, but when they finally reach the center, they can hinder the way light hits the lens. People who have this kind of cataract usually have difficulty seeing when there is a glare.

A Congenital Cataract

Although it is very rare, some people are born with congenital cataracts. They develop when a mother has an infection while pregnant or as a result of other conditions like myotonic dystrophy, galactosemia, Lowe’s syndrome, or rubella. If you suspect that you have any kind of cataract, it is important to visit your eye doctor to get the treatment you need.

How often do you visit a vision center ? Scheduling regular appointments with your ophthalmologist can help you protect your vision and eye health. These appointments can also help you learn how to spot the signs of cataracts as early as possible. Read this guide to understand the basics of cataracts:

What are Cataracts?

Cataracts vision flaws that can develop naturally as people get older. Each eye features a lens that focuses what we see to give us clear vision. A cataract causes cloudiness in the lens, obstructing the clarity needed to accurately focus from the lens back to the retina. This results in blurry vison that cannot be corrected or improved without surgical intervention.

What Causes Cataracts?

The most common type of cataract is believed to be primarily caused by aging. The lens consists of protein and water. As we get older, the protein may shift and bunch together, resulting in cloudiness that affects vision quality. These clouds are small at first but grow over time, gradually making vision worse. Other habits and conditions can also put people at a higher risk for developing cataracts. The list includes smoking, medical conditions, eye health issues, and diabetes.

What are the Symptoms of Cataracts?

Because cataracts cause cloudiness over the lens, blurry vision is one of the most common and noticeable signs of their development. Cataracts can also cause colors to start fading and interfere with your night vision. Other common symptoms associated with cataracts include glare from natural and indoor lighting, double vision, and frequent changes in your eye prescription to adjust to constantly changing vision. If you experience any of these symptoms, you might want to schedule an appointment with your Chicago ophthalmologist.

How are Cataracts Treated?

New eyeglasses or contact lenses might help improve vision during the earliest stages of cataracts. Unfortunately, these options do not always work when cataracts become larger and have a greater impact on vision. If cataracts start affecting your ability to complete daily activities, you should meet with an ophthalmologist to discuss surgical treatment. During surgery, the lens is replaced with an artificial one that is not affected by cataracts.

Although there is no way to treat a cataract, custom cataract surgery is an effective way to eliminate the cloudy lens and replace it with an intraocular lens. If cataracts are making it difficult to see, your ophthalmologist might suggest this kind of eye surgery to rectify your problem. Keep reading to learn more about the procedure and how it works:

The procedure only takes about ten minutes. After a thorough eye exam that allows the ophthalmologist to get a better understanding of the size and shape of your eye, you are ready for the surgery. The eye doctor makes a small incision and removes the damaged lens. He or she then replaces it with an intraocular lens. The incision will not require a suture, which significantly decreases your healing time after the surgery.

Custom cataract surgery in Chicago helps you get rid of the cloudy lens that is negatively affecting your vision. If you think this procedure can help you restore your vision, you should schedule a consultation at an eye surgery center.

Many people develop cataracts at some stage of their life. Cataracts cause lenses to get cloudy, which makes it more difficult to see. Most people with cataracts are older, but even younger patients can deal with this condition. If you and your ophthalmologist have decided that custom cataract surgery is the best option to get rid of your cataracts, use the following tips to prepare for your surgery:

Visit the Eye Doctor for Tests

About a week before your actual surgery, you will have to visit the ophthalmologist to get a series of tests that help the doctor learn more about your eyes. These tests will give an exact measurement of the size and shape of your eye and your lens to help the eye doctor perform the most precise surgery.

Pay Attention to Your Medications

During your consultation, the doctor will also collect a list of the medications that you take. If there are any prescriptions that might increase your change of bleeding during the procedure, the doctor might ask you to temporarily stop taking them. The ophthalmologist might also give you a prescription for some antibiotic eye drops that you should start using a day or two before your procedure.

Do Not Eat or Drink

Many eye doctors ask their patients to fast for twelve hours before the custom cataract surgery. Ask your doctor for specific instructions about what to do in the hours leading up to the surgery and follow them closely.

Arrange for a Ride Home

Most patients can go home right after the procedure, but they cannot see well enough to drive. Ask a friend or family member to go with you to the surgery center so you can safely get home once your procedure is complete.

With new advancements in the field, custom cataract surgery is now more effective than ever. Schedule an appointment at an eye surgery center in Chicago to learn more about the procedure and to see if it can help you improve your vision.

Thanks to new advancements in ocular technology, a cataract diagnosis does not have to be bad news. If your eye doctor has told you that you have cataracts, keep reading to learn more about the condition and your treatment options.

The Trouble with Cataracts

Before you can understand the various treatment options, it is important to learn what a cataract actually is. Some people think a cataract is a growth on the eye, but that is not true. It is actually a lens that has become cloudy, which disrupts one’s vision. Typically, cataracts develop with age, but they can also occur in younger patients or as a result of another issue like diabetes. If cataracts are negatively affecting the way you see, it might be time to look into eye surgery options.

Traditional Cataract Surgery

In this form of cataract surgery, the eye doctor removes the cloudy lens and replaces it with a monofocal IOL (intraocular lens). After the traditional surgery, most patients regain their ability to see distances. Some people still need glasses or other surgery procedures to restore their ability to see objects that are close or to get rid of astigmatism. Since this is a common treatment for cataracts, most insurance plans cover this kind of intraocular lens.

Custom Cataract Surgery

Scientists have made many improvements to intraocular lenses in the last few decades, which means that patients now have the option of getting custom cataract surgery with a multifocal IOL or an astigmatic correcting IOL. A multifocal IOL prevents presbyopia, or trouble seeing up close after the surgery. Astigmatic correcting IOLs corrects both the cloudy lens and astigmatism to leave a patient with the best vision possible.

If you have cataracts, you should visit an ophthalmologist serving Chicago for a thorough eye exam that can help you choose the right surgery option for your needs. The eye doctor will ask you about your vision troubles and your expectations from the cataract surgery to direct you toward the best treatment option possible.