Have you ever seen a cat or a dog with an eye that almost looks hazy and white like a cloud? If so, that animal had cataracts. As a condition that affects nearly all mammals, cataracts are one of the most common eye diseases that we see patients for here at our office. As a condition that causes the eyes to fog over, cataracts may disrupt your vision if left untreated. Although this may sound like bad news, there is some good news with cataracts as well. Let’s take a closer look at both the good and bad aspects of cataracts.
Good News: They Can Be Removed
Discovering that you have cataracts may be enough to shock you a little bit, but the good news is that they can effectively be treated. To start out, we will remove the cataract from the eye and then replace them with intraocular lenses (artificial lenses). These lenses won’t just restore your vision, but they will make it better as well. For instance, if you have had to wear contact lenses for the past decade, your IOl may be able to restore your vision so that you won’t have to wear them.
Bad News: They Can Cause Blindness
As long as your cataracts are removed, they won’t cause blindness. The bad news though is that unless you seek treatment, they may eventually result in extreme vision loss and ultimately total blindness. The silver lining to this is that even if your cataracts result in vision loss, we can remove them and restore your vision with surgery.
Good News: You Can Prevent Them
Studies have shown that patients who eat vitamin-enriched diets like fresh fruits and vegetables are less likely to develop cataracts. Although eating well won’t necessarily prevent you from getting them, it can help.
If you have started to experience blurry vision or if you are worried about cataracts, schedule an examination with us today. To learn more, contact our Pontiac or Clarkston offices and call us at (248) 625-5922.
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