How far are you willing to go before you go to the doctor?
What about when you know surgery is the ultimate decision that needs to be made to remedy whatever ails you?
Getting cataracts can be a scary and frustrating time for both the person diagnosed and their family. When we meet people who are diagnosed with cataracts, we usually get questions like:
- What could I have done differently?
- Do I have to have surgery?
- Can I use naturopathic medicine to cure this?
Invision Eyecare is here to help you feel more comfortable as well as provide the best solution to your eye care needs.
What are cataracts?
Before we talk about how to take care of cataracts, we need to make sure we understand what cataracts are.
A cataract is when the lens of your eyes start clouding. It blurs your vision and creates a foggy look in your lens that can be seen if someone looks into your eyes.
Cataracts make your vision look like you're looking through a foggy window. Naturally, cataracts can make daily tasks like reading, driving, or even having a regular conversation harder to do. This is typically referred to as "cataract blindness."
Cataracts develop slowly and you may not notice them before it's too late. At first, some people can use small fixes like increasing lighting on their screens to compensate for cataracts developing. However, unfortunately, this is a temporary fix.
How do I prevent cataracts?
Good, long-lasting health starts with living healthy now.
Being proactive with your health starts with routine doctor checkups, especially with your eye doctor. Taking care of your eyes means doing things like avoiding harsh lights and wearing sunglasses.
Other things you can do to be proactive with your health include avoiding smoking, getting an appropriate amount of rest, and monitoring the consumption of alcohol or highly processed foods. It also never hurts to visit your general practitioner on a regular basis to check things like hormone and vitamin levels, as well as cholesterol and blood pressure.
What can I do to treat cataracts?
Despite people's best efforts to use natural cures or naturopathic treatments, naturopathic medicine can only aid in an individual’s overall health and management of the disease. But there is no evidence to suggest that it can reverse what has already been developed. The best overall solution is to treat cataracts with surgery when determined best by your doctor.
Thankfully the procedure is minimally invasive, simple and has a fast recovery time.
Cataracts can increase prescription over time, meaning you’ll need frequent changes to your glasses prescription and your vision will get worsen. Glasses can help correct the prescription but will not restore full sight.
To surgically treat cataracts, a simple operation is performed to remove the cloudy lens with an artificial lens – called an intraocular lens. Local anesthesia is used for the surgery and the procedure is usually done within half an hour. The surgery is also an outpatient procedure, meaning almost all patients head home on the same day.
A new intraocular lens is the best and safest way to remove the negative effects of "cataract blindness" and give you back the freedom of your vision.
You do what you can for your eyes. We can help!
As mentioned before, the best solution for your eyes is to receive frequent check-ups from your eye doctor.
Invison Eyecare has some of the most state-of-the-art equipment for eye exams, glasses fittings and more. Even if you're not one of our frequent patients, we're always willing to help adjust your glasses for you free of charge.
We strongly believe that comfort and care go hand in hand. This is why we strive to make sure our patients feel both comfortable and cared for when they visit our office.
For one of the best eye care specialists in the valley, visit us at Invision Eyecare. We look forward to seeing you.
