Cataract
What is a Cataract?
A cataract is a loss of transparency, or clouding, of the normally clear lens of the eye. As one ages, chemical changes occur in the lens that make it less transparent. The loss of transparency may be so mild vision is hardly affected or so severe that no shapes or movements are seen, only light and dark. When the lens gets cloudy enough to obstruct vision to any significant degree, it is called a cataract. Glasses or contact lenses cannot sharpen your vision if a cataract is present.
The most common cause of cataract is aging. Other causes include trauma, medications such as steroids, systemic diseases such as diabetes and prolonged exposure to ultraviolet light. Occasionally, babies are born with a cataract.
Reducing the amount of ultraviolet light exposure by wearing a wide-brim hat and sunglasses may reduce your risk for developing a cataract but once developed there is no cure except to have the cataract surgically removed. Outpatient surgical procedures can remove the cataract through an incision of about 1/10th of an inch.
How do you know when it is time to have a cataract removed? The answer is quite simple. The time to have your cataract removed is when you believe your quality of life would be better if you could see well.
Cataract surgery is a very successful operation. One and a half million people have this procedure every year and according to a survey conducted by the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, more than 98% have a successful result. More than 99% of Dr. Singer's cataract patients have had their vision successfully improved after surgery. As with any surgical procedure, complications can occur during or after surgery and some are severe enough to limit vision. But in most cases, vision, as well as quality of life, improves.
Cataract Symptoms
Your eye works a lot like a camera. Light rays focus through your lens on the retina, a layer of light sensitive cells at the back of the eye. Similar to film, the retina allows the image to be "seen" by the brain. But over time the lens can become cloudy and prevent light rays from passing clearly through the lens. This cloudy lens is called a cataract.
The typical symptom of cataract formation is a slow, progressive, and painless decrease in vision. Other changes include: blurring of vision; glare, particularly at night; frequent eyeglass prescription change; a decrease in color intensity; a yellowing of images; and in rare cases, double vision.
The most common cause of cataract is aging. Other causes include trauma, medications such as steroids, systemic diseases such as diabetes and prolonged exposure to ultraviolet light. Occasionally, babies are born with a cataract.
Reducing the amount of ultraviolet light exposure by wearing a wide-brim hat and sunglasses may reduce your risk for developing a cataract but once developed there is no cure except to have the cataract surgically removed. Outpatient surgical procedures can remove the cataract through an incision of about 1/10th of an inch.
How do you know when it is time to have a cataract removed? The answer is quite simple. The time to have your cataract removed is when you believe your quality of life would be better if you could see well.
Cataract surgery is a very successful operation. One and a half million people have this procedure every year and according to a survey conducted by the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, more than 98% have a successful result. More than 99% of Dr. Singer's cataract patients have had their vision successfully improved after surgery. As with any surgical procedure, complications can occur during or after surgery and some are severe enough to limit vision. But in most cases, vision, as well as quality of life, improves.
Glaucoma
Glaucoma is a condition that results in slow progressive damage to the optic nerve, which sends information from the eye to the brain. Damage to the optic nerve leads to a slow loss of vision. As a result, glaucoma is often referred to as The Silent Thief of Sight. Rick factors for glaucoma include elevated eye pressure, increased age, African-American heritage, and previous ocular injury. The most important and most treatable risk factor for glaucoma is elevated eye pressure. Inside the eye, there is a constant production of fluid that normally flows out of the eye through a very small drain. In certain individuals, this drain can become blocked for various reasons. The result is an increase in eye pressure, therefore increasing your risk of glaucoma. Glaucoma affects an estimated 3 million Americans and is the second-leading cause of blindness in the United States.
Macular Degeneration
Age-related Macular degeneration (AMD) is a disease associated with aging that gradually destroys sharp, central vision. The disease attacks the macula, the central area of the retina that allows a person to see fine detail. Individuals can lose all but the outermost peripheral vision, leaving dim images or black holes at the center of vision. Central vision is needed is needed for seeing objects clearly and for common daily tasks such as reading, driving, identifying faces and watching television. AMD is a leading cause of vision loss and legal blindness in adults over 60 in the United States.
Diabetic Eye Disease
With diabetes, the body can’t use or store sugar properly. Diabetes damages the blood vessels in the eye. The damage of the blood vessels causes diabetic retinopathy. In later stages, the disease may lead to new blood vessel growth over the retina. The new blood vessels can cause scar tissue to develop, which can pull the retina away from the back of the eye. This is known as retinal detachment, and it can lead to blindness if untreated. The presence and severity of diabetic retinopathy is related to the duration of diabetes. However, severe and significant diabetic retinopathy can be present at the time of diagnosis especially with adult onset diabetes.