In honor of Cataract Awareness Month coming to an end this week, we wanted to share some common facts about Cataracts which we are always surprised our patients don’t know too much about.
There is a whopping 94 million people who have moderate to severe vision impairment due to untreated cataracts in this world (according to this article on verywell Health).
Cataracts usually progresses gradually. Most age-related cataracts may progress over a period of two years. Other types of cataracts, especially in younger people and diabetics, may progress fast.
Cataract symptoms may include the following:
- Cloudy vision
- Blurry vision
- Seeing a faded or yellow coloring
- Difficulty seeing at night (not trusting yourself behind the wheel after dark)
- Sensitivity to light and glare
- Need for brighter than normal light to read
- Halos around lights
- Headache due to vision changes
- Eye pain
Common misconception: ‘I am too young for a cataract.’
We hear this ALL the time! Not every cataract patient is over 80 or 90 years old.
We have many patients in their 40’s and 50’s!
The CDC reports that 17.2 percent of Americans over 40 years of age have a cataract in at least one eye (about 20.5 million people). By 2028, it is expected that over 30 million people will have cataracts.
So what do we do when we officially have a cataract?
Most of the time a patient comes in with blurry vision and we diagnose them with a cataract. It is not always at the point where the cataract is ‘ready’ for surgery, so for many patients it is a ‘watch and wait’ game.
Can my cataract heal or be cured with anything other than surgery?
No, there are no natural cures for cataracts. Surgery is the only option to get rid of a cataract. We watch and wait
What do we know about cataracts at Slade & Baker Vision?
Well, we were the first to treat cataracts with a femtosecond laser. What is now termed “Laser Cataract Surgery” happened for the first time in our office in Houston, TX.
We don’t have all the answers, no surgeon does, but we try our best to deliver the latest and greatest lenses, procedures and technology available with the latest testing procedures to be able to properly predict a patient’s vision goals and post-surgery vision.
Call us today at 713-626-5544 or write us at info@visiontexas.com for an appointment if you have blurry or cloudy vision. It may be a cataract!
