Cataract Center

Cataracts

Cataracts are the result of the eye’s lens becoming tinted and cloudy. Cataracts account for over 48% of the world’s correctible blindness and sooner or later cataracts affect just about everyone. 

Studies show that cataracts effect:

• 42% of those between the ages of 52 to 64,
• 60% of those between the ages 65 and 74, and
• 91% of those between the ages of 75 and 85

Cataracts are commonly associated with age; however, you don’t have to be a senior citizen to have cataracts. They can start developing after 40, although usually at this stage they are not serious enough to have a significant effect on your vision.

The term comes from a Latin word meaning ‘waterfall’ and describes the whitening or cloudy effect of rushing water. The eye’s lens is made mostly of water and protein. In a healthy lens the protein is normally clear and permits light to pass through. As we age, the protein can clump and begin to cloud a small section of the lens. This is a cataract.

Over time, the cataract may grow larger and cloud more of the lens, making it harder and harder to see.

What are the symptoms of a cataract?

• Blurred or cloudy vision
• Colors appear faded or dull
• Lamps such as headlights or streetlights have glare or halos; sunlight may appear too bright
• Poor night vision
• Double or multiple vision in one eye; this effect may disappear as the cataract grows
• Frequent prescription changes in your eyeglasses or contact lenses

Important Note: These symptoms can indicate other eye problems that may also result in blindness if untreated. If you have any of these symptoms, make an appointment with Charleston Cornea and Refractive Surgery immediately for a complete eye examination.

What Causes Cataracts?

Researchers believe that there are several causes:

• Aging
• Diabetes
• Long-term exposure to ultraviolet light
• Exposure to radiation
• Hypertension
• Smoking
• Alcohol abuse
• Eye injuries
• Genetic factors (a parent or grandparent who had cataracts)

In the early stages of cataracts one sees colors less vibrantly and in the later stages the lens becomes almost opaque and has to be replaced with a clear, artificial lens. This procedure is called Refractive Lens Exchange.

Presbyopia (The Need for Reading Glasses)

The direct translation of Presbyopia is “elder eye,” and the condition is due to the loss of flexibility of the natural lens of the eye.

As a person ages -- usually beginning in the mid-forties -- the lens gradually becomes more rigid, and the eye muscles can no longer flex enough to focus for close-up vision. In the past Presbyopia was usually addressed with bifocal lenses, reading glasses, or monovision contact lenses.

Common symptoms of presbyopia are:

• Difficulty reading fine print, particularly in low light conditions
• Eyestrain when reading for long periods
• Blurred near vision
• Difficulty transitioning between viewing distances from close to far
• The feeling that your arms have become “too short” to hold reading material at a comfortable distance