Physicians Eye Center - Excellent surgical and medical care for eye disease




			What is a cataract? Why does a cataract develop? How can I tell if I have a cataract? How can you prevent cataracts? Can a cataract be "dissolved" by eye drops or other medications? Does a cataract cause pain? Does use of the eyes cause cataracts? How do I know if I need cataract surgery? Can cataract surgery always restore normal vision? How is glaucoma different from a cataract? Can the cataract be removed with lasers? Can cataract surgery be performed if there is glaucoma? If a cataract is small, should I have surgery? Will a cataract injure the eye? Can my body reject a lens implant? Will the lens implant ever have to be removed, replaced or cleaned? What is a cataract? It is the clouding of the natural lens inside the eye. The clouding causes dimming or fogging of vision but not pain or infection in the eye. Top Cataract Home PEC Home Why does a cataract develop? A Cataract usually occurs as part of the normal aging process. It may tend to run in families or be caused by inflammation, eye trauma, diseases such as diabetes, or by certain medications. Your doctor can usually tell what type of cataract you have. Top Cataract Home PEC Home How can I tell if I have a cataract? While some cataracts are mild and cause no symptoms, most eventually cause fogging or dimming of vision. Only your eye doctor can tell you if you have a cataract. Call your doctor if you notice changes in vision in either eye. Top Cataract Home PEC Home How can you prevent cataracts? Most cataracts occur with age and cannot be avoided. Preventable causes of cataracts include: tobacco abuse, excessive alcohol consumption, poor nutrition, and eye injuries. Cataracts are associated with some medical disorders, such as diabetes. It is important to carefully follow medical advice regarding diabetes or other medical problems. Some research suggests that protecting your eyes from bright sunlight and ultraviolet light may also be helpful. Top Cataract Home PEC Home Can a cataract be "dissolved" by eye drops or other medications? No Medications or eye drops exist that have been proven to "dissolve" or remove a cataract. Top Cataract Home PEC Home Does a cataract cause pain? A cataract causes no pain, infection, redness or discomfort unless it is mature. A cataract affects the eye by causing dimming or fogging of vision or requiring a change in glasses prescription. Top Cataract Home PEC Home Does use of the eyes cause cataracts? Using your eyes will not cause cataracts to form, and keeping your eyes closed will not prevent cataracts. Top Cataract Home PEC Home How do I know if I need cataract surgery? If you vision is foggy and blurred due to a cataract, cannot be improved with new glasses, and you can no longer see well enough for you normal activities, you may want to have cataract surgery. Your doctor can discuss with you the chances for good vision with cataract surgery and can explain what complications are possible. You will then be able to make your own decision about the surgery. Top Cataract Home PEC Home Can cataract surgery always restore normal vision? Cataract surgery will usually result in improved vision. However, some eyes will have other problems and cataract surgery may either not help or only help a little bit. Your doctor can usually tell if cataract surgery will improve your vision and can advise you what to expect. Top Cataract Home PEC Home How is glaucoma different from a cataract? Glaucoma is a disease that results in damage to the optic nerve from a high pressure in the eye. Glaucoma usually has a few symptoms, except in the late stages. Only by periodic eye examinations can one be certain one does not have glaucoma. Sometimes glaucoma and a cataract can occur together in the same eye. Your doctor can tell you if this is the case for you and what can be done about it. Remember, both conditions can be treated, whether they can occur separately or together. Top Cataract Home PEC Home Can the cataract be removed with lasers? Cataracts cannot be removed with a laser and the cataract surgery is not performed with a laser. After Cataract surgery, YAG laser treatment is sometimes used to make a hole in the back capsule of the lens if it has become cloudy. Your doctor will advise you if this is necessary. Top Cataract Home PEC Home Can cataract surgery be performed if there is glaucoma? If the vision is blurred from cataracts, cataract surgery can still restore good vision even if the eye also has glaucoma. Sometimes the type of cataract surgery must be modified slightly if glaucoma is present. Top Cataract Home PEC Home If a cataract is small, should I have surgery? Cataract surgery should be considered when the cataract interferes with vision. If a cataract does not significantly interfere with normal vision, surgery is not yet needed. Top Cataract Home PEC Home Will a cataract injure the eye? A cataract will not injure the health of the eye unless it becomes completely white. This is called a hypermature cataract and is very rare. But, hypermature cataracts should be removed to protect the health of the eye. Top Cataract Home PEC Home Can my body reject a lens implant? Intraocular lenses may have to be adjusted or replaced if they dislocate, cause irritation and inflammation, or are the wrong power for the eye. In only rare cases must they be removed and not replaced. Top Cataract Home PEC Home Will the lens implant ever have to be removed, replaced or cleaned? The lens implant is designed to last for the rest of your life. It does not need to be removed, replaced or cleaned. The lens will only be removed, replaced or adjusted in position if it causes any injury or severe inflammation in the eye or if it becomes severely dislocated. This is very rare. Top Cataract Home PEC Home