Cataracts

Cataracts are a very common eye condition and as we get older the lens inside our eyes gradually changes and becomes less transparent.

A lens that has turned misty, or cloudy, is said to have a cataract. Over time a cataract can get worse, gradually making your vision hazy and you may also find that you need more light to read small print, or that you are dazzled more by bright lights. You may also find your spectacle prescription changes more frequently.

A cataract is not a growth or a film growing over the eye, but simply patches in the lens becoming more hazy or opaque. The degree to which your vision is affected depends on the size and position of the opacity within the lens.

Causes

The condition can be caused by a number of things, but by far the most common reason is growing older.

Most people over the age of 65 have some changes in their lens and most of us will develop a cataract in time.

Apart from getting older, the other common causes of cataract include:

Diabetes
Trauma
Medications, such as steroids
Eye surgery for other eye conditions
Tobacco smoking
Lifelong exposure to sunlight

Treatment and Aftercare

The only effective treatment for cataracts is surgery, performed by an ophthalmologist.
This straightforward operation usually takes about 30 minutes as a day-case procedure and is done with a local anaesthetic. It will remove the misty lens and replace it with an artificial lens to enable you to see more clearly again.

Cataract surgery is available on the NHS when your standard of vision has fallen to below a certain level, or at an earlier time as a private patient. Your optometrist can advise you on the methods of referral.

It is normal for your spectacles to need changing following cataract surgery, so you will need an eye examination a few weeks after the operation.

Once a cataract has been removed it will not return. However, occasionally the sac the new lens is put into can become cloudy (capsular thickening). This is remedied easily by YAG laser treatment, which is quick and painless.

If you are concerned about your eyesight or experience any sudden changes in vision, then please phone to speak to one of our staff members for advice.