In an effort to bring more awareness to an issue that affects over 50% of Americans over their lifetime, Prevent Blindness America declared June as Cataract Awareness Month. Since cataracts are the leading cause of loss of vision in the United States, as well as the leading cause of blindness throughout the world, cataracts are important for all of us to know about and understand. In honor of Cataract Awareness Month, here are some facts about cataracts you need to know.
What are the symptoms of cataracts?
It is important you pay attention to possible symptoms of cataracts, so you can see a doctor right away and have them treated. Signs of cataracts include:
- A need for better lighting
- Blurred vision
- Changes to your color perception
- Double vision
- Getting progressively more near-sighted
- Light halos
- Light sensitivity
- Needing new prescriptions often
- Night vision loss
- Not being able to see details, such as someone’s eye color
Are cataracts preventable?
Unfortunately, there is no way to prevent cataracts. They happen as you age. Nonetheless, there are ways to slow their progression. You can eat healthy, not smoke, reduce UV ray exposure, and be sure to wear protective lenses when appropriate.
How are cataracts treated?
Cataracts are typically easy to treat. Cataract surgery is performed by removing your deteriorating lens and placing an intraocular lens, or artificial lens, in your eyes. This is a very common surgery, with over 3 million people undergoing it every year. The surgery itself is only about 20 minutes, and it is easy to resume normal activity fairly quickly.
Is cataract surgery safe?
The success rate of cataract surgery is around 95 percent, and it is one of the safest surgeries performed.
Suffering from cataracts? Turn to our skilled eye surgeon for
Here at South Palm Eye Associates, experienced cataract surgeon, Dr. Kenneth Kasten restores vision with cataract surgery near West Palm Beach. Call us today at 561-737-4040 to schedule a consultation to see which lenses are right for you.