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Cataracts Awareness: What You Need to Know

Cataracts Awareness: What You Need to Know

Cataracts occur when the lens in one or both of your eyes becomes cloudy. Usually this happens with age, and the condition is very common in older people. More than half of all Americans will experience symptoms of cataracts by the time they reach 80.

Why Does it Happen?
The lenses in our eyes are made mostly of water and protein. The protein in our lenses is arranged in a way that makes the lens clear. Our lenses have to be transparent for the structures in our eyes to focus properly and display crisp images. When cataracts form, it is because clumps of protein build up and reduce the light that reaches inside our eyes. Also, as lenses age, they can become discolored and take on a yellow or brownish tint. Gradually vision is affected by this shading along with the cloudiness that can cause vision to blur.

What are the Risks?
Other than normal wear and tear of aging, there are several factors that increase your risk of cataracts. Those include:

• Diseases including diabetes
• Smoking and alcohol use
• Environmental factors including high exposure to sunlight and UV rays

What are the Symptoms?
Most people will notice the cloudy or slightly blurry vision as cataracts start to form. Additionally, people may realize that colors seem faded. Your prescription may change frequently. One major symptom that can pose a threat to your safety is poor night vision and difficulty seeing at night. The cloudiness can cause headlights and other bright lights at night to glare or appear with distracting halos.

What is the Treatment?
Thankfully, there are options for people living with cataracts to see clearly again. In early stages, new glasses, larger print or magnification, and changing environmental surroundings like lighting can help. If these are not sufficient, or if the cataracts get worse, surgery may be an option. Surgery can remove the affected lens and replace it with an artificial one that is crisp and clear.

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, an eye doctor can detect cataracts with an eye exam. Generally, a visual acuity test, dilated eye exam, and tonometry can aid the doctor in making this diagnosis. Contact us if you have questions about this or any other eye condition!

Eye Health
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COVID-19 Update: (April 29, 2020)

At North Central Eye, we have been working diligently to maintain a safe environment for our physicians, our staff and most importantly, our patients. We have changed numerous operations to limit exposure, and you may notice some changes in the office and in our optical shop, both of which are open and ready to serve you. In addition to our efforts of meticulously cleaning each room and rotating the rooms used each day, please expect the following for your safety:

  • All patients should wear a mask while in the building.
  • Patients should check in by calling 419-668-3295 from the parking lot. Our staff will then call you to tell you when to enter the building, in order to control our ability to provide adequate social distancing. Our waiting room now has a limited number of seats spaced far apart.
  • Only the patient should come into the office. Spouses, friends, or other companions should wait in the car in order to lessen exposure.
  • In our optical shop, please do not touch the frames on display. Our optical technicians will assist you, and you can point to the frames that you would like to try on. After each session is finished, every pair of frames touched is cleaned.
  • If you have an outstanding bill, please feel free to call and we can process it over the phone with your credit card rather than in person.

Most importantly, if you have;

  • experienced any coronavirus-like symptoms; fever, cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, shaking chills, loss of taste or smell, sore throat, fever, or
  • have tested positive for COVID-19, or
  • been exposed to an individual with known COVID-19, please call 419-668-3295. We would like to reschedule you to a time when you feel better and/or have been cleared by your doctor.

Finally, thank you for your patience through this challenging ordeal. Your support of us- as a small business and a group of front-line medical workers- is what makes us proud to serve our local community.