What is a Cataract?

The lens of our eye functions much like a camera lens. It is responsible for taking the light that enters our eye and focusing it on the back of our retina. The lens is also flexible, and tiny muscles in our eye bend the lens to focus on objects at all distances, up close and afar.

A cataract exists when the lens of our eye becomes cloudy, impairing our vision. Our lenses are made of protein and water, and as we age, the protein has a tendency to become clumped together and this causes cloudy patches in the lens, which in turn makes it harder to see.

Most people over the age of 65 have already developed some clouding of their lenses; it just hasn’t begun to affect their vision yet. A cataract can develop in each eye separately or simultaneously in both eyes.

Early-stage cataracts do not need surgery, as there are several visual aids that can be prescribed to provide you with perfectly sufficient sight. But eventually, the cataract will progress to the point you will need surgery.

If you or someone you love thinks they might be suffering from cataracts, have us take a look. Cataracts are easily diagnosed through a routine eye exam, and we can then work out a customized plan that might even leave you completely glasses free after treatment.