Cataract: Not just your mother's eye condition
If you think cataracts are only found in the very elderly, think again. I'm only in my mid-50s, but several years ago, I was diagnosed with them. I'm nearsighted—a factor which puts me at a higher risk of developing cataracts at a younger age. In the past, patients had to wear thick glasses after surgery. However, a new quick and painless procedure involves removing the cataract and inserting an intraocular lens into the eye, which provides better vision than you've ever experienced.
What is a cataract?
Dr. Raymond Stein, chief of ophthalmology at The Scarborough Hospital in Toronto, Ontario, explains cataracts are not, as many people believe, a growth on the eye. "When you're younger, the normal lens is clear. As you age the lens changes colour, from clear to yellow to dark brown and eventually white."
As the lens changes, it can become more difficult to see. Some cataracts cloud the back, front or sides of the lens.
Cataract symptoms
Often the first tip-off is that your prescription changes. If you're far-sighted it will seem your vision is improving, and if you're near-sighted your vision will seem worse. Often things become blurry and foggy and people even start seeing double, which was my problem. Cataracts can worsen night vision as well.
Who gets cataracts?
Usually cataracts are age-related; however,near-sighted patients experience them earlier, as do people with certain medical conditions like diabetes, or those taking certain medications. For instance, asthma sufferers who take steroids get them earlier. Sun exposure is also a factor, so farmers and people who live in the southern States or Caribbean suffer from them sooner.
Preparation for surgery
A month before surgery, your eyes are tested to determine the correct strength of lens to be implanted. The first test is called optical coherence tomography and it's similar to having a laser measure from the front to the back of the eye. When cataracts are thicker, a test called a B-scan is performed (an ultrasound over the eyelid) and it rules out retinal detachment.
