What is a cataract?
A cataract is a clouding of the eye's natural lens. When the lens becomes cloudy, it interferes with the passage of light through the eye, resulting in a decrease in vision. The lens of the eye is similar to the lens of a camera. When the camera lens is not working properly you get a blurry photograph. When the lens of the eye becomes cloudy your vision decreases and things appear blurry.

What causes cataracts?
Most cataracts are related to the natural ageing of the eye. However, other factors can be involved. Some diseases, such as diabetes or glaucoma, or the use of certain medications, such as steroids, are thought to increase the chance of a cataract occurring. Often, a cataract only covers a small part of the lens; if sight is not greatly impaired there is no need to remove the cataract. However, if a large portion of the lens becomes cloudy, sight can be partially or completely lost until the cataract is removed.

Who can have a cataract?
Cataracts can occur at any age. Most cataracts occur in people who are 60 years of age or older, although a smaller number of people develop cataracts between the ages of 45 and 60. Some cataracts occur in children at birth due to genetic disorders or if the mother had rubella (German measles). Cataracts due to injury can occur at any age.

What are some cataract symptoms?
If you have cataracts you may not realize it right away. Vision loss may be gradual, painless and hard to detect until significant loss has occurred. Depending on the nature and cause, a cataract can develop rapidly over a few months or slowly over many years. In older people, it is not unusual for cataracts to develop in both eyes but most of the time the cataract develops in only one eye at a time.

Some of the more common symptoms
of cataracts include:

Blurred vision
Glare
Fading or yellowing of colours
Poor night vision
Double vision in one eye
Halos around lights
People with a cataract in only one eye may notice a loss of depth perception; this can cause problems in judging where stairs are and determining the distance of cars driving in front of them.

How can cataracts be treated?

Presently, there is no medication, eye drops, exercises or glasses to cure or prevent cataracts. Surgery is the only way to remove a cataract. Cataract surgery is one of the safest and most common types of surgery. Cataracts cannot be removed with a laser, only through surgical incision. In cataract surgery the cloudy lens is removed from the eye. The focusing power of the removed lens is achieved by replacing it with a permanent intraocular lens implant (IOL), which has been selected to suit the specific eye measurements of each patient.

Our surgeons are all highly trained and have had extensive experience with the most up-to-date techniques used for cataract surgery. Shortly after surgery is completed, the patient may go home and resume almost all routine activities.

It must be understood that complications may occur in all types of surgery. In cataract surgery, haemorrhage , infection, and swelling are all possible, but very uncommon. The chance of any significant complication is less than 1%. Cataract surgery is among the safest and most successful procedure in the medical field. However, if a problem does arise, prompt treatment may resolve it. About a year after surgery, approximately 20% of the patients who undergo cataract surgery develop a haze of the capsular membrane surrounding the lens implant. Should this occur, YAG laser treatment is recommended. The YAG laser is used to create an opening in the clouded membrane, which significantly improves the patient's vision. It is one of the safest treatments used in ophthalmology. It is painless, requires no anaesthesia or incision, and takes only minutes to complete.

When should the cataract be removed?

For the most part it is up to the patient to decide when they want to have their cataract removed. This is very much an individual decision because each patient has different vision requirements. We recommend that questions concerning cataracts and the need for cataract surgery are discussed with one of our accredited optometrists and/or an ophthalmologist at the clinics we represent.

Contact Past Patients

If you have been diagnosed at our clinic and you are considering cataract surgery you may find it helpful to talk to other patients who have had surgery at our clinic. Some of our patients have agreed to talk to patients who are considering cataract surgery at our clinic.

A cataract is a cloudy area in the lens of the eye. Normally, our lens are clear and able to focus light into the eye with no problems. When we develop cataracts, some of this light becomes blocked or scattered. As the cataracts develop, it becomes harder for us to see.

Most people with cataracts have them in both eyes. Frequently, though, one eye may be more advanced than the other because each cataract develops at a different pace.

Cataracts are a normal part of aging. About half of Americans between the ages of 65 and 75 have cataracts while those of us over 75 are almost 90 percent certain to develop the condition.

Along the coastal areas of Newport Beach, Corona del Mar, Huntington Beach - and other beach areas, the incidence of cataracts tends to run a bit above the national average due to the never ending effects of the Sun's UV rays and the reality that a larger percentage of the population is further along in years.

As a general rule, you may be developing cataracts if you have problems with glare from lamps, sun, or reflections of light. Also - you may notice changes in how colors appear - as well as foggy vision, fuzzy vision, or vision that has become cloudy and filmy. In some cases, cataract patients experience double vision and also find that their eye prescription is changing frequently.

Cataracts are usually spotted during routine eye exams by our eye care professionals. Your pupils are dilated and then a bright light is used to examine the lens. Other tests such as glare tests, contrast sensitivity test, and vision tests may be used to help confirm the diagnosis.

Cataracts are ultimately treated surgically - by removing the lens and replacing them with implant lens. Functionally, this is a lot like contact lens - except permanent. Surgery isn't always the first thing to do, however. Often a change in your glasses may be treatment enough.