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What are cataracts?
One of top causes of age-related vision loss is treatable
By David M. Archibald
For the Blue Mountain Eagle
As an optometrist, patients
often express to me one of their
greatest fears in life is to go
blind. Fortunately for most of
us, legal blindness will not hap-
pen in our life time. However,
the majority of us will expe-
rience some decreased visual
performance due to aging.
As we age into the decade of
the 60s and beyond, we will
develop the eye condition
called cataracts. In my experi-
ence, cataracts are one of the
top two causes of vision loss
related to aging.
What exactly is a
cataract?
The human eye is born with
a natural lens, positioned inside
and directly behind the iris (the
structure that we use to clas-
sify eyes being blue or brown). A healthy eye on the left and an eye with cataracts on the right.
A cataract is a condition where
the natural lens inside of the opaque, developing yellow or geon’s directions. To aid with
eye loses clarity. Cataracts can brown pigment or even some- anxiety, most surgeons relax
be defined as any abnormal times spots appear similar to a patients with medication to
pair of dirty spectacle lenses. help them stay comfortable. As
opacity in the natural lens.
These developments for most I visit with patients for post-op
What does a cataract do people happen gradually. Some care, the majority express that
to light transmission?
people will notice glare, diffi- the experience was much easier
Cataracts cause light to culty with night driving, halos than anticipated and they usu-
become distorted, and it around lights or difficulty read- ally look forward to having a
loses the potential to be prop- ing small print. However, due second procedure on their other
erly focused. Many of us who to the gradual, slow changes eye.
have worn glasses or sun- many people are unaware that
The natural lens of your eye
glasses have experienced poor they have cataracts.
performs the critical function of
vision when the lenses become
focusing light. Once the natural
What can be done about lens is removed, there is an arti-
smudged, dirty or damaged.
ficial implant lens that will help
cataracts?
Light will not transmit clearly
Luckily, we live in a time focus light into the eye. Typ-
through those damaged plas-
tic or glass spectacle lenses. where cataract surgery is per- ically most people will have a
Natural lenses in eyes under formed as an outpatient and change in glasses prescription
age 50 are typically very clear, routine surgical procedure. as a result. Recovery from cat-
and transmit focused light very Modern cataract surgery is per- aract surgery normally consists
well. As we age, these natural formed without general anes- of using medication drops and
lenses become more dense each thesia and completed within protecting the eye from physi-
year of our life. As the maturing 10-15 minutes. Patients gener- cal stress or trauma over three
occurs, the biology of the nat- ally report no significant pain weeks. There are typically
ural lens is affected. This bio- or discomfort. They are awake two or three post-op visits to
logical change can result in the during the surgery in order ensure normal recovery and
lenses becoming more cloudy, to assist in following the sur- a new assessment for glasses
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needs. Within just a few days,
most patients have an obvious
improvement in vision clarity.
Many patients even report it the
same day of surgery.
In Grant County, Blue
Mountain Hospital contracts
with a cataract surgeon to visit
periodically and perform cata-
ract surgery. Patients are then
able to stay close to home, as
they can have surgery at the
hospital and all pre-op and
post-op visits in John Day.
David M. Archibald, OD,
is the optometrist at John Day
Eye Care. If you have any ques-
tions about your eyes or think
you may have cataracts, feel
free to call John Day Eye Care
at 541-575-1819 to schedule an
eye exam. Medicare and other
health insurance plans do cover
eye care for eye disease such
as cataracts. Further details
regarding insurance coverage
can be explained by calling the
eye clinic.