"Many people don't realize that 100% of the population will experience loss of their reading vision, called presbyopia, and a cataract as they grow older," says Dr. Sheldon Herzig, medical director of the Herzig Eye Institute in Toronto.
A cataract is the clouding of the natural clear lens (located behind the iris and the pupil) inside the eye. Blurred vision, difficulty with glare and visual changes are symptoms which could be described as looking through a greasy windshield or a veil.
The natural lens is mostly made of water and protein arranged in a way that keeps the lens clear and lets light pass through it so that we can see clearly. As we age, some of the protein can clump together and start to cloud the lens. This is a cataract, and as it expands in size, it makes it harder to see.
Early-stage cataracts are treated with new glasses, but when cataracts fully cloud the lens - this is known as becoming "ripe" - surgery is usually required. A common misconception about cataract surgery is that it's done by laser, in fact: "We use ultrasound energy," says Dr. Herzig. "That's modern technology - beautiful and very safe." The new lens that replaces the clouded lens sits right in where the old one was. "We determine what lens power to put in based on mathematical formulas, and there are subtle variations patient to patient."
Fact and Fiction about Cataracts:
Cataracts can be treated with eye drops or vitamins. Surgery is the only cure.
Recovery is long. It's an out-patient procedure; most people have good vision within two days.
Lasers are used. Ultrasound energy is used to remove cataracts.
Suturing is required. No sutures - the lens is just placed in the capsule of a person's natural lens.
Cataracts are for old people. They can form at any age.
You still need glasses. If you choose a multifocal intraocular lens, you may not.
