How Is Your Health?

What Are Cataracts And Why Is Surgery Necessary?

by Camila Davidson

Cataracts are a common problem that older people tend to develop. But despite the fact that it waits in the future for many people, there are plenty of people who don't really know what cataracts are, why they impact folks, and why they have to be treated with surgery. If you have your own questions about cataract surgery, then here's a simple guide to help explain some of the more common questions.

What Are Cataracts?

Cataracts are simply a change in the state of the lens of your eye. Similar to a contact lens, every single eye has a natural lens. This lens sits at the front of your eye, and it's what you look through day in and day out.

With a cataract, the lens starts to become cloudy. This is a problem that will develop slowly in most people, so oftentimes folks don't realize that they have a problem - they just think that their vision is getting worse. However, without treatment, a cataract can eventually cloud over a lens to the point where seeing becomes almost impossible. In fact, cataracts can render people blind if they aren't taken care of. The good news is, it's never too late to have a cataract taken care of.

Why Surgery is Required

Although it may change in the future, surgery is required in order to take care of cataracts these days. That's because there's no known way to break down the cloudiness in a lens without simultaneously damaging the lens. Since the eye is so delicate, this could mean harming your vision permanently while trying to get rid of the clouding. Since no one wants that, the best solution is surgery.

With surgery, the original lens covering your eye that you were born with is completely removed. While you're thoroughly numbed, a small incision is made on the surface of the eye and the lens is taken out. Then, an artificial lens is inserted in its place. This lens will let you do all the things that you're accustomed to with your eyes, and your vision may look better than it's been in years as a result.

While technology in the future may allow for new methods of treating cataracts, for now, the best treatment is surgery. Rest assured that cataract surgery is safe and performed every single day all over the world, so you have nothing to worry about.

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