A Fairly Common Eye Surgery
Eye cataracts are fairly common in adults over the age of 40. Cataracts affect more than 22 million Americans 40 and older, and are the main cause of blindness throughout the world unless corrected by an eye surgeon, ophthalmologist or cataract specialist.
What is an Eye Cataract
An eye cataract is a clouding of the eye’s natural lens. The lens is located behind the iris and pupil. An eye cataract typically starts out small and has little effect on your vision. You may notice some cataract symptoms such as slight blurring of your vision, like you are looking through a cloudy piece of glass. Your blurred vision may mean you have an eye cataract. An eye cataract may make the sun or a nearby light seem too bright. You may notice that the oncoming headlights cause more glare than before when you drive at night. Colors may appear washed out or less bright than they once did.
What Causes Eye Cataracts
Eye cataracts occur when the proteins contained in the eye lens change. These proteins cloud the lens and prevent light from passing through, which leads to vision loss. Although younger people get eye cataracts, the condition mostly affect older adults. Many people don’t notice they have cataracts, but they might notice cataract symptoms such as:
- Blurred vision
- Light sensitivity
- Poor night vision
- Excess glare from lights
- Halos around lights
What to Expect With Cataract Eye Surgery
During a cataract eye surgery procedure, you will be lightly sedated and might sleep through the cataract eye surgery. We will numb your eye to keep it from moving during surgery. Ophthalmologist and eye surgeon Dr. Hester will go in and remove the cloudy lens and leave what looks like a cellophane pouch in its place. That pouch will soon house one of several types of artificial intraocular lenses. This procedure generally takes less than 15 minutes.
Most patients feel no pain during a cataract eye surgery procedure or afterward. You might feel some itching or mild discomfort and a slight degree of tearing is common and no cause for concern. Eye surgeon and ophthalmologist Dr. Hester will teach you how to best care for your eyes after the eye cataract surgery procedure.
What Are the Benefits of Cataract Eye Surgery
Cataract eye surgery has many benefits, not the least of which is clearing up your cloudy vision. People who have cataracts often make adaptations for their condition. They may stop driving at night because they cannot see clearly. Or they may need much brighter light in order to read comfortably. They may suffer anxiety over their condition and even experience depression because they cannot do their favorite things. Having cataract eye surgery changes all that by eliminating your cataract symptoms. You will notice a dramatic improvement not only in your vision, but also in your quality of life .
You will also reduce your risk of falling and fracturing bones. Better vision will help you walk and move better. Studies also show that people who undergo cataract eye surgery live longer. Cataract surgery reduces your risk of premature mortality by 40 percent. When performed by an experienced cataract specialist and eye surgeon, cataract surgery can improve your life in ways you never imagined.
Learn more about eye cataract care you can trust from a compassionate eye surgeon. Call ophthalmologist and cataract specialist Ralph Hester, MD, Ophthalmology at 405.271.9500. For your convenience, use our Request an Appointment form. Our cataract eye surgery patients come to us from El Reno, Mustang, Norman, Yukon, Piedmont, Bethany and Edmond.
