June is National Cataract Awareness Month, and we’re doing our part to spread awareness about this eye condition. In today’s post, your trusted optometrist from Opti-Care explains what you need to know about cataracts, cataract prevention and cataract treatment.
What Causes Cataracts?
A cataract is the clouding of the eye’s natural lens. This condition is the leading cause of blindness around the world and the most common cause of vision loss in people over the age of 40. As a person ages, the rate of protein breakdown in their body increases. This can lead to protein clumps forming on the transparent surface of their lenses, causing cataracts.
Symptoms of Cataracts
When cataracts grow in number, they begin obstructing light from entering the eyes. Limited light entry can cause a person to experience blurry eyesight and affect the quality of their life. Cataract symptoms include sensitivity to light, cloudy vision and difficulty seeing in dim light or at night. If you experience any of these symptoms, then we highly recommend scheduling an eye exam with your eye doctor.
Cataract Treatment
You can improve your vision for awhile by using magnification, new glasses, strong bifocals, appropriate lighting and other visual aids. If your cataracts have progressed enough to significantly impair the quality of your life, then you should consider having cataract surgery. Over three million cataract surgeries are performed every year in the U.S., which makes this one of the most common and safe procedures in medicine. Today’s cataract surgeries are minimally invasive and are quick and effective.
Do you need to get an eye exam or to get new contact lenses or eyeglasses? Then you’ve come to the right website. Opti-Care has served our local community since 1982 and we are known for our high-quality products and comprehensive eye care services. We can treat all sorts of eye conditions and eye diseases and our eye exams are thorough. We serve many areas in Maryland including Marriottsville and Westminster, MD. Call us at (410) 795-8670 to learn more about our services or to request an appointment.