Cataracts & Glaucoma

What is a cataract?
  A cataract is a clouding of the natural lens of the human eye, which obscures vision. Radiation, sunlight, diabetes and medications may promote cataracts, but age is the primary reason why the lens of the eye begins to opacify among adults over age 50.
  Cataracts can vary in degree. A mild cataract generally will not require surgery for most people, but it may cause enough visual difficulty for a person who has fine visual requirements (such as a draftsman or watchmaker) to seek its early removal.
  If only a central pinpoint area of the lens of the eye is cloudy, vision is likely to be poor during the day when the pupil is small, and better at night when the pupil opens.

Symptoms of Cataracts
  A dimming or blurring of vision is the main symptom of cataracts. Many patients feel as though a film is covering their eye.
  Sunlight or car headlights can also be very irritating.
  Since cataracts develop first in one eye and then the other, depth perception may be affected.
  In the beginning stages of a cataract, stronger glasses may be prescribed to improve vision. But eventually, as the lens becomes cloudier, surgery becomes necessary.
  Despite reports you may read to the contrary, cataracts cannot be prevented. As the lens of the eye ages, it grows toward its center, causing it to thicken and lose its transparency. This process cannot be prevented until we learn how to halt or slow down the aging process itself. There is no medical method of reversing a cataract once it has become cloudy enough to require surgery.

Glaucoma Glaucoma, often called the "sneak thief of sight," is a disease that strikes without any obvious symptoms. You usually don't even know it's there until serious vision loss has occurred. And unfortunately, there is no cure for glaucoma. Once you have lost vision, it can't be restored.   The good news is that glaucoma can be detected early before there is any loss of vision. Plus, there are convenient treatments that can lower intraocular pressure (IOP), one of the major risk factors for glaucoma.

The keys to managing disease that causes vision loss are early diagnosis, proper treatment and regular eye exams. Your eye doctor has ways to assess your risk for developing glaucoma and can prescribe treatments to help prevent or delay vision loss if you have glaucoma.

Why is glaucoma the main suspect?
Glaucoma is an eye disease that involves damage to the optic nerve, which sends visual signals to the brain. No one knows what causes this damage, but pressure buildup in the eye is proven to be one of the major risk factors associated with glaucoma. When the optic nerve gets damaged by high IOP, some signals from the eye aren't transmitted to the brain. This can result in visual field loss, and if not managed, could eventually lead to blindness.