How Do Cataracts Develop? The Gradual Clouding of Vision

The natural lens of your eye sits behind the iris (pigmented center) and in front of the vitreous fluid that fills the eye. This clear, curved disk works like a camera lens helping to focus light onto the retina for clear, crisp vision. As you age, the proteins inside the eye’s lens break down and clump together, creating a cloudy effect and forming a cataract. Our Kansas City eye doctors can restore clear vision with cataract surgery at Wiles Eye Center.

Cataracts Form Gradually 

It can take years for a cataract to progress and cause vision loss. Our ophthalmologists may diagnose early cataracts during a comprehensive eye exam, but you may not need treatment for quite some time. Some patients choose to have cataract surgery early to stop the clouded lens from progressing and affecting their quality of life.

You may not notice initial symptoms of cataracts until your eyesight changes, such as:

• Double images when you look at an object like a stop sign
• Halos around lights
• Increased light sensitivity, especially at night
• Trouble seeing clearly at night
• Muted colors or a yellowish tint in your vision
• Blurred vision

People with diabetes may have cataracts that progress quicker than others, but this eye disease often takes many years to affect vision and require surgery. Our eye doctors can monitor the maturing cataract and recommend the best time for treatment.

Most People Will Have a Cataract in Later Years 

According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), half of Americans will develop a cataract by age 75. A cataract is one of the most common eye diseases. Luckily, cataract surgery is one of the most successful eye procedures. Cataract surgery has a 98 percent success rate, according to the American Foundation for the Blind. People who need cataract surgery are often Medicare patients, and a study of 200,000 Medicare beneficiaries reported that 99.5 percent of cataract patients did not have significant post-surgical complications.

What is Cataract Surgery? 

The American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery reports that 3 million people have cataract surgery annually. This straightforward eye surgery removes the clouded natural lens and replaces it with an intraocular lens implant (IOL). These IOLs can correct your vision for one or multiple focal points, depending on your vision goals. Wiles Eye Center offers advanced IOLs to free you from prescription glasses and contact lenses and restore a clear field of vision.

Schedule a comprehensive eye exam at Wiles Eye Center in Kansas City, Missouri, at (816) 455-2020 or in St. Joseph, Missouri, by calling (816) 279-7015; or, use our online form to make an appointment.

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