Cataracts

Cataracts occur commonly in elderly people, resulting in blurred and distorted vision.

The crystalline lens inside the eye loses its transparency becoming cloudy and opaque. If left untreated then vision will be lost and blindness can possibly occur.

They can develop in just one or both eyes., With time the size of the cloudiness in the lens inside the eye can enlarge causing a complete loss of clear vision.

To see clearly it is important that there is no loss of transparency in the crystalline lens .Light travels through this lens to form an image at the back of the eye. If there is any cloudiness or opacity in the lens inside the eye the image on the retina and consequently the vision will be blurred.

They can occur through trauma but are more commonly associated with aging .It is important over the age of 55years to have a regular eye examination by an optometrist or eye doctor who can detect if there is any sign of changes in the lens inside the eye.

If any opacity or loss of transparency in the lens is discovered its presence can be monitored, as it will continue to grow with time. Ultimately when the vision is seriously affected it will be necessary to remove the lens and replace with an artificial one to restore clear vision.

Surgery to remove a cloudy lens is normally performed under local anaesthetic and results are generally very successful. Most patients can resume normal activities within a few days.

Return to eye problems from cataracts.

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