If you think a cataract is a film that grows over your eyes, you are not alone! Many people think this is a cataract.
However, a cataract is something that grows IN your eyes!
Our eyes are nature’s camera, and they have a lens inside to focus on all the many things that we look at each day.
When we are young this lens is clear and springy and works just like a camera that zooms in and out.
Every year a new layer of cells is added onto the lens, just like a tree trunk gets a new ring added to it every year.
With these new layers added on every year, the lens gets thicker and thicker and then also less flexible. Just like a camera is unable to zoom in and out. This is called presbyopia.
With this, the lens also becomes less clear and more difficult to see. When your vision becomes so bad that you cannot do your daily tasks that is the time to think about getting your cataracts removed.
Why do people to get them?
Age!=>Most people get cataracts around the age of 65. At the Optometric Centre, we like to think about cataracts is as a celebration of age! You are fortunate to have lived a life to get to the age of having cataracts!
However, some people get them younger in life, these types are normally caused by.
-Trauma
-Certain medication
-Certain illnesses, for example, uncontrolled Diabetes
-Being out in the sun without UV protection
What happens when I get a cataract?
Most times cataracts start small and may only affect your vision slightly, possibly in poor light. However, when it gets to the stage where you can no longer function that is definitely the time to start thinking about having them removed by an operation.
Cataract surgery is one of the World’s most performed and successful operations in all areas of medicine. It is a much quicker operation than before, and the recovery is also much quicker. Like most eye problems, the sooner the cataract is picked up, the easier the operation.
Why can’t I just use eye drops to make it go away?
Currently, there are no eye drops that make a cataract go away. You may have heard of one but that was sometimes only successful on dogs!
Why can’t I just get new specs?
Because the haziness is caused by something in your eye, a new pair of spectacles will not help as much as you may expect! Another way to think about it is if the window in your house is cracked, nothing you do inside your house or outside the house will be effective, the window needs to be fixed! The same with a cataract.
We want you to enjoy your eyes as you get older! Remember, your eyes are precious, and understanding cataracts early can lead to swift and effective treatment. Don’t let haziness in your vision hold you back.
Schedule a regular eye exam today and embark on the journey to clearer, healthier eyes.
At The Optometric Centre you are the centre of our focus
