If your vision has suddenly become blurry, and you are also have difficulty reading or seeing at night, have your eyes checked immediately, because you may have a cataract. Cataracts are generally not dangerous, but many people are unaware that they have one, because vision is not impeded in the early stages. However, cataracts can cause vision loss when left untreated, so it’s important to know what is a cataract, and how it can be treated.
What is a cataract?
A cataract is a cloudy area in the natural crystalline lens of the eye. The lens is responsible for regulating the light that passes through to the retina, and it focuses the light, so that you can see clearly.
However, the breakdown of the eye tissue due to the effects of aging can cause the lens to become cloudy. When the tissue deteriorates, it bunches together, resulting in the formation of cloudy areas on the lens. Although age-related cataracts are very common, cataracts are sometimes seen in babies and children.
When the lens of the eye becomes cloudy, light does not pass through easily, therefore images are foggy and blurry, instead of being sharp and well-defined.
Treatment
A cataract is treated by removing the cloudy lens and replacing it with an intraocular or IOL lens. A tiny incision is made at the front of the eye,through which a device that breaks up the existing lens is inserted. The fragmented particles are then removed, and the replacement lens put in.
If you are interested in learning more about what a cataract is and how to treat it, contact New View Eye Center is Reston, VA. Call (703)834-9777 today, and schedule a consultation with board certified ophthalmologist Dr. Jacqueline Griffiths.