Symptoms of Cataract

What are Cataracts?

Cataracts are very common and develop as a normal part of the ageing process. By the age of 70, nearly everyone has a degree of cataract formation. The lens inside our eyes are normally transparent. Overtime, this transparent lens becomes cloudy – this is what we term a ‘cataract’. Cataracts usually develop slowly over a long period of time and can develop at a different rate between the eyes. In addition to the normal ageing process of the eye, other causes of cataract include Diabetes, excessive exposure to ultra-violet light, various eye diseases & eye injury. In some cases, babies are born with a cataract, these are known as congenital cataract.

A Mature Cortical Cataract

What are the Symptoms of Cataract?

We rely on light entering the eye to be able to see. As cataracts develop and the lens becomes more cloudy, vision becomes poor as less light is able to pass through the lens. As the cataract worsens, people may report seeing halos around lights along with blurred / hazy or foggy vision. Treatment for cataract is with surgery. The cloudy lens needs to be replaced with a clear artificial lens which is permanently implanted in the eye. This lens is called an Intra Ocular Lens or ‘IOL’. There are many different types of IOLs to suite different shaped eyes and achieve various refractive outcomes after surgery. To read more about Cataracts and recap on the anatomy of the eye to see exactly where the lens is, click on the link: https://sosdoctors.com.au/back-to-basics-all-about-cataracts/