| Cataracts are a leading cause of blindness among older adults in the United States. More than 20 million Americans age 40 and older have cataracts. More than half of all Americans have cataracts by the time they are 80 years old. Cataracts can also sometimes be found in young people or even newborn babies.* Are You at Risk?* The exact cause of a cataract is unknown. Most often, a cataract is part of getting older. As you age, you are at greater risk of developing a cataract. There are also several possible risk factors for cataracts, such as:  Intense heat or long-term exposure to UV rays from the sun- Certain diseases, such as diabetes
- Inflammation in the eye
- Hereditary influences
- Events before birth, such as German measles in the mother
- Long-term steroid use
- Eye injuries
- Eye diseases
- Smoking
Symptoms of Cataracts* Generally, a cataract does not cause pain, redness or tears. The following problems may indicate that you have a cataract: - You have blurred vision, double vision, ghost images, or the sense of a "film" over your eyes.
- Lights seem too dim for reading or close-up work, or you are "dazzled" by strong light.
- You change eyeglass prescriptions often and the change does not seem to help your vision.
You may also be able to see the cataract in your eye. It may look like a milky or yellowish spot in your pupil. Treatment Options When symptoms begin to appear, you may be able to improve your vision for a while using new glasses, strong bifocals, magnification, appropriate lighting or other visual aids. Think about surgery when your cataracts have progressed enough to seriously impair your vision and affect your daily life. Many people consider poor vision an inevitable fact of aging, but cataract eye surgery is a simple, relatively painless procedure to regain vision. Cataract eye surgery is very successful in restoring vision. In fact, it is the most frequently performed surgery in the United States, with over 1.5 million cataract eye surgeries done each year. Nine out of 10 people who have cataract eye surgery regain very good vision, somewhere between 20/20 and 20/40. During surgery, the surgeon will remove your clouded lens, and in most cases replace it with a clear, plastic intraocular lens (IOL). A New IOL Option - ACRYSOF® ReSTOR® IOL A new FDA-approved artificial lens (intraocular lens) can allow cataract patients the ability to see at near and distant ranges. The ACRYSOF® ReSTOR® IOL uses a revolutionary apodized diffractive technology to give patients a full range of quality vision that greatly increases their independence from glasses after surgery. Clinical studies showed that 80 percent of patients who received the ACRYSOF® ReSTOR® lens did not use glasses for any activities including reading after cataract eye surgery. Most current intraocular lenses used for cataract eye surgery are able to restore vision only in limited distance ranges, which means patients often must use eyeglasses or other corrective lenses following the surgery. For more information on this revolutionary new IOL, visit www.acrysofrestor.com.
*Information supplied by Prevent Blindness America. |