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Cataracts

What are cataracts?

A cataract is a painless, cloudy area in the lens of the eye that blocks the passage of light to the retina which causes vision impairment. The lens is located behind the colored part of the eye in the area of the pupil, and it cannot be seen directly unless it becomes very cloudy. The lens focuses light on the retina at the back of the eye, and the retina then transforms the light into a signal that the brain interprets as vision. Some cataracts may remain small and not be noticeable, but more significant cataracts block and distort the light passing through the lens causing vision loss and changes.

Cataracts are usually a very gradual process of normal aging so many people do not realize that they have cataracts because their vision changes progress so slowly. Cataracts lead to difficulty in performing every day activities such as driving at night, reading, and participating in sports. Left untreated, cataracts can cause blindness.

Only your eye care provider can detect early cataract development even if you have no visual symptoms by performing a routine eye exam. To schedule an eye exam at any of our locations, click here

 

Symptoms of Cataracts

Cataracts are usually gradual and not painful or associated with any eye redness or other symptoms unless they become extremely advanced. Not all cataracts impair vision or affect daily living. But when they do, common symptoms include:

  • Cloudy, fuzzy, foggy or blurry vision.
  • Glare from lamps or the sun, which may be severe.
  • Dulled color vision
  • Difficulty driving at night due to glare from headlights.
  • Frequent changes in eyeglass prescription.
  • Double vision in one eye
  • “Second sight” – one’s reading vision improves as a result of their increased nearsightness from swelling of the cataract
  • Difficulty performing daily activities because of vision problems.

Since many vision changes are gradual, only your eye care provider will be able to tell you when you first develop cataracts. To schedule an eye exam at any of our locations, click here

 

Treatments for Cataracts

A change in glasses may initially help once vision begins to change from cataracts. As cataracts continue to progress and become more severe, vision becomes cloudy, and stronger glasses or contacts maybe no longer improve sight.

When significant vision problems develop and are interfering with a person’s quality of life, cataracts are usually treated with surgery. Cataract surgery is very common and currently has the highest success rate of any surgical procedure. It involves removing the natural lens of the eye, which contains the cataract. The lens is then usually replaced with an artificial lens called an intraocular lens (IOL) implant.

 

Intraocular Lenses (IOL)

An intraocular lens is an artificial lens made of plastic, silicone, acrylic, or other material that is implanted inside the eye during cataract surgery. The implant is placed in or near the original position of the removed natural lens and vision can be restored without affecting peripheral vision, depth perception, or image size. Artificial lenses are intended to remain permanently in place, they require no maintenance or handling, and are neither felt by the patient nor visible to others.

 

AcrySof® ReSTOR®- A breakthrough in vision surgery

Now there's a revolutionary new way to potentially leave your glasses behind – introducing the AcrySof® ReSTOR® intraocular lens (IOL), a breakthrough in vision surgery. AcrySof® ReSTOR® has been uniquely designed to improve vision at all distances – up close, far away and everything in-between – giving cataract patients their best chance ever to live free of glasses.

Until recently, life without reading glasses or bifocals was not an option for most cataracts patients. You now have an option. The AcrySof® ReSTOR® IOL is a unique technological innovation that can provide you with quality vision throughout the entire visual spectrum – near through distance – with increased independence from reading glasses or bifocals!

How does the AcrySof® ReSTOR® IOL work?

As we perform daily activities such as reading, watching television or working at the computer, our eyes are constantly focusing on objects at varying distances – up close, far away and everything in-between. The ability to quickly change focus throughout this range of vision is called accommodation. Unfortunately, this ability diminishes as we grow older, causing us to become dependent on bifocals or reading glasses. However, the AcrySof® ReSTOR® IOL was designed to provide quality near to distance vision by combining the strengths of apodized diffractive and refractive technologies. Similar technology has been used for years in microscopes and telescopes to improve image quality, and has now been patented for use in intraocular lenses by Alcon.

Apodized Diffractive

Apodization is the gradual tapering of the diffractive steps from the center to the outside edge of a lens to create a smooth transition of light between the distance, intermediate and near focal points. Diffraction involves the bending or spreading of light to multiple focal points as it passes through the lens. On the AcrySof® ReSTOR® IOL, the center of the lens surface consists of an apodized diffractive optic. This means that the series of tiny steps in that center area work together to focus light for near through distance vision.

Refractive

Refraction involves the redirection of light passing through the lens, to focus on the retina. The refractive region of the AcrySof® ReSTOR® IOL bends light as it passes through the lens to a focal point on the retina. This outer ring of the AcrySof® ReSTOR® IOL surrounds the apodized diffractive region and is dedicated to focusing light for distance vision.

Only your eye care provider can determine if AcrySof® ReSTOR® IOL is right for you. To schedule an eye exam at any of our Crown Vision Center locations, call 1-800 EYECARE or click here.