All about the falls

Inside everyone’s eye is a lens. Just like with a camera, the lens of your eye helps you focus on things, whether they are near or far. In order for it to work well, the lens must be transparent. As you age, the lens of your eye gradually becomes cloudy. An opaque lens is called a cataract. The word cataract comes from an old Latin word for waterfall. The waterfalls produce a dense mist that can cloud your vision. Cataracts have the same effect: blurred vision. Looking through a cloudy lens is like looking through a dirty window: everything is blurry. Everyone who lives to age 60 develops at least mild cataracts.

At first, the cataract process not only clouds the lens but also causes it to swell a bit. When your lens grows, you become a little more myopic. Therefore, in the early stages of cataracts, simply changing your eyeglass prescription will usually restore your sight. But as you get older, the cataract becomes more and more cloudy, and eventually, even a change in the prescription of your glasses won’t improve your vision. At that point, the only way to restore your vision is to remove the cataract.

Cataract surgery is the most common surgical procedure performed on adults in the United States. The procedure is performed on an outpatient basis, usually takes half an hour or less, and recovery time is usually a few days. Cataract surgery is a two-step procedure: first, the surgeon removes the cloudy lens, and second, a new lens implant is inserted into the eye. The cloudy lens is removed with a tiny instrument that is inserted into the eye through a small incision, usually one-eighth of an inch or less, and carefully breaks the cataract into tiny pieces that are then removed from the eye with a miniature vacuum cleaner Once the cataract has been removed, you will need a new lens to be able to focus after surgery. Artificial lens implants, made of plastic-like materials, are used to restore your ability to concentrate after surgery. These implants come in different powers, just like glasses, and prior to your cataract operation, your doctor will take several measurements to determine the proper lens implant power for your eye. Once your cataract is out and your implant is in, the operation is over. Most people see better within a day or two after cataract surgery, but it’s not abnormal or worrisome if your vision seems blurry for a few weeks after surgery while your eye heals. Your doctor will prescribe some eye drops during the healing period after surgery, and if you need new glasses after surgery, they will be prescribed once your eye is fully healed, usually about a month after surgery. .

Cataracts cannot grow back, but sometimes a thin, cloudy membrane grows behind the lens implant, making your vision blurry just like the cataract did. This is not uncommon: It happens to about 40 percent of patients who have cataract surgery. If it happens to you, a quick and simple laser treatment can be done in the office to cut a hole in the membrane so you can see through. Your doctor can help you learn more about cataracts.

For more information, visit http://www.hillcountryeyecenter.com or call 512.528.1144