Cataracts

What are Cataracts?

The lens within the eye helps us to focus on objects in our distance and close up by constantly changing shape and accommodating.  As we get older, the muscles in our eyes become weaker and the lens gradually thicken, making it more difficult to focus on near objects in particular.  This is usually when the help of reading spectacles are required.

Over time and with age this lens gradually becomes cloudy/misty and patients will find that the vision is not as clear and sharp as it once was.  The formation of cataracts are fairly slow and the gradually will progress over time and patients will often notice subtle changes to their vision in both distance and near tasks, such as reading or night driving.  The cataracts may scatter the light that enters the eye and therefore also causing light sensitivity in certain environments. 

Cataracts are a very common eye condition, which is experienced by most people at some point in their lives.  Suffers of cataracts may find that night driving can be difficult due to the glare

Cataracts are usually formed as we get older and are a process where the clear lens within the eye gradually turns cloudy over time.  There are many contributing causes of Cataracts such as, age, smoking and sunlight exposure.  Wearing good quality sunglasses such as Maui Jim's can help protect your eyes and reduce the risk of Cataracts.    

Cataracts can be surgically removed in most cases and replaced with an artificial lens to enhance vision.  Cataracts can take many years to develop and patients may notice that their vision is gradually getting worse, but all the while this can be managed and improved with spectacles, we will not recommend surgery.  It is only once the cataracts begin to effect patients and spectacles are not improving vision that surgery to remove the cataracts will be suggested.  There is no telling on how rapidly or slowly the cataracts will develop and each individual case the time scale will vary.