A cataract is a clouding of the eye’s lens.  By age 80, more than half of all Americans either have a cataract or have had cataract surgery.  Over time, the cataract may grow larger and cloud more of the lens, worsening vision.  In addition, cataracts can result from exposure to toxic substances, disease such as diabetes, or arise after an eye injury.

Inside our eyes, we have a natural lens.  The lens bends refracting light rays that come into the eye to help us see.  The lens naturally starts off clear but as we age the lens can become foggy and cloudy.  As cataracts develop vision becomes blurry, hazy and less colorful.

What Are the Symptoms of Cataracts?

Here are some common symptoms of cataracts:

• Having blurry vision
• Seeing double (when you see two images instead of one)
• Being extra sensitive to light
• Having trouble seeing well at night, or needing more light when you read
• Seeing bright colors as faded or yellow instead

What Causes Cataracts?

Cataracts are most commonly caused by aging, the cataract forms as our eyes begin to age starting around the age of 40.  As we age the proteins in our eyes lens starts to break down and we begin to notice our vision becoming more cloudy or blurry.  Cataracts form at different ages for different people.  There are also other reasons why we develop cataracts.

• Family history: Having a family history of cataracts can be an indicator of earlier cataract formation.
• Medical Problems: Diseases, such as Diabetes can cause cataracts.
• Eye Injury: Injuries to the eyes, eye surgery or even radiation treatment can induce cataracthaving had an eye injury, eye surgery, or radiation treatments on your upper body can lead to
• Sun Exposure: having spent a lot of time in the sun without sunglasses that protect from damaging UV rays.  ,
• Medications: using certain medications such as corticosteroids, which may cause early formation of cataracts.

Cataracts develop gradually over time, while some people develop cataracts more quickly than others Doctors cannot predict when or how quickly a person will develop cataracts.

You may be able to slow down your development of cataracts by remembering to wear sunglasses that protect from UV Light rays and getting in for regular comprehensive eye exams!

At Scottsdale Eye Physicians we offer various no-stitch cataract surgery treatment options, including femtosecond laser surgery, topical anesthetic, intraoperative OptiPlusTM ORA-assisted lens determination, Toric (astigmatism-correcting) implant lenses, and Multi-focal lens replacement.