Cataracts are a normal part of aging. While there is no proven method to prevent cataracts, doctors can recommend lifestyle changes that may help to slow down their progress. If you or your loved one develops a cataract, a common surgical procedure can replace the faulty lens and restore vision. Left untreated, cataracts can cause serious visual impairment or even blindness.
What is a Cataract?
A cataract occurs when the clear lens in your eye becomes opaque, resulting in decreased vision. The lens is the part of the eye that focuses light onto the retina, like a camera. Your vision is impaired when the lens becomes so cloudy that it blocks light to the retina resulting in a distorted image. As caregivers perform their in home care services, they may notice that your loved one is struggling with vision and suggest a visit to the doctor to diagnose the problem.
Causes of Cataracts
Aging is the most common cause of cataracts, but there are other causes as well. Family history may play a part, and diabetics tend to get cataracts at a younger age because of high blood sugar levels that damage the lens. People may develop cataracts as the result of eye disease or eye injury. Exposure to UV light, smoking and long-term use of high doses of steroids to treat medical conditions like asthma can also lead to cataracts.
How to Prevent Cataracts
While there is no reliable way to prevent cataracts, changing your lifestyle habits can prove beneficial by slowing down the process. A personal care assistant can help aging seniors stay on track. If you haven’t already stopped smoking, preventing cataracts is another good reason to put your cigarettes aside. Be sure to wear a hat and sunglasses when you are outdoors in the sun, and avoid sunlamps, tanning salons to escape exposure to UV rays. If you are on steroid medication, find out from your doctor if there is another treatment option. Eating of foods rich in antioxidants like lutein and keeping your diabetes under control can also help.
Cataract Symptoms
Since there is no pain associated with cataracts and because they develop so slowly, you may not even notice the change in your vision when you develop a cataract. As the cataract progresses, some people have cloudy or blurred vision and they may see a glare around oncoming car headlights at night, making it difficult to drive. Others notice that they change their eyeglass prescription more and more frequently, or that they have double vision in one or both eyes. If you notice vision changes, your doctor can rule out other medical conditions that might be causing the problem and, if it is a cataract, treat the condition. A routine eye exam can turn up a developing cataract, so it is important to see your eye doctor regularly.
After a Cataract Diagnosis
If your doctor diagnoses a cataract in one or both eyes, surgery to replace the lens is the only treatment that will restore vision. However, cataract surgery may not be necessary immediately. Some people who are diagnosed with cataracts can go for years before having a surgical procedure. Glasses, contact lenses and brighter lighting can help people with developing cataracts see better. However, as your cataracts progress your vision loss may be so great that these measures are no longer effective. You can talk to your doctor about improving your vision by replacing the cloudy lens. Opting for Cataract Surgery When your vision loss due to cataracts starts to influence your lifestyle, it is time to consider cataract surgery. Cataract surgery replaces the natural lens with a permanent artificial lens. Cataract removal is one of the most frequently performed and successful surgical procedures worldwide. If you find it hard to read, use the computer and drive, cataract surgery can restore your vision and make normal activities possible again. The procedure is usually performed in an outpatient facility so you don’t have to stay over in the hospital. The surgery takes less than an hour and it can result in a dramatic improvement in vision.
Conclusion
If you need help for yourself or caring for your aging loved one, My Guardian can help. Our highly trained personal care attendants provide home health care to assist people by letting their loved ones know if there seems to be a problem and by providing transportation to doctor’s appointments for a diagnosis.
Visit myguardian.com.au today to find out how we can help, or call us at 02 9336 7555.
