At Switch Eye Center, we understand that blurry and compromised vision can be scary for our patients. As we age, our eyes change. By age 60, many of our patients experience cataracts to some degree which is why we recommend learning cataract basics before visiting our office. When you understand cataract basics, you can make more well-informed decisions about your vision health.

Cataract Basics From Symptoms to Treatment

There’s a few cataract basics to understand before you can understand the treatment options. These basics start with understanding the eyeball itself and move through the various surgical options that provide relief.

Anatomy of the Eye

The first cataract basic is understanding the different parts of the eye and how it is affected by a cataract. A cataract is the clouding of the clear crystalline lens in the center of the eye behind the pupil. Cataracts are common with age and progress slowly or can be seen in younger adults that can develop quickly. They are not an emergency and do not necessarily indicate any other health problems. As a cataract begins to limit the amount of light that can pass through the lens, vision starts to deteriorate. So it is not necessary to remove a cataract in the early stages. However, once the cataract advances, often times it is necessary to remove the cataract surgically to restore vision.

What is a Cataract?

A cataract is the clouding of the clear crystalline lens in the center of the eye behind the pupil. Another cataract basic is that cataracts are common with age and progress slowly or can be seen in younger adults that can develop quickly. They are not an emergency and do not necessarily indicate any other health problems. As a cataract begins to limit the amount of light that can pass through the lens, vision starts to deteriorate. So it is not necessary to remove a cataract in the early stages. However, once the cataract advances, often times it is necessary to remove the cataract surgically to restore vision.

Early Symptoms

Patients may notice that their glasses prescription has started to change after being stable for many years. They may find themselves trying to turn up the lights in a well-lit room or trying to clean their glasses because they feel their glasses are smudged. Often times, night driving becomes difficult due to glare from oncoming traffic lights.

How is a Cataract Corrected?

Cataract surgery is the only treatment for removal of a cataract. There are no eye drops, glasses, or other treatments that will decrease a cataract. Removing the clouded lens is the only vision loss from cataract. It all starts with a thorough evaluation. As with any procedure, we first evaluate you, your vision and your overall health. There are slight differences in each of the lenses we offer, and Drs. Switch and Rasansky will help you choose which lens is right for you.

Trained Cataract Surgical Physicians

Dr. Switch and Dr. Rasansky are trained in the latest cataract surgical procedures including Phacoemulsification Cataract Extraction, Posterior Intraocular Lens Implantation and Precision Microsurgical Incision Closure Techniques. They use the most advanced surgical techniques, including the LenSX™ femtosecond Laser, the ORA (Optiwave Refractive Analysis) System™ and the VERION™ (image guided system) for unprecedented cataract surgical precision.