A cataract is a clouding of the normally clear lens of your eye. For people who have cataracts, seeing through cloudy lenses is a bit like looking through a frosty or fogged-up window.

A cataract is an opacification of the lens that occurs over time as people age and just like a camera has a lens in it, the eye requires a lens in it to focus images on the back of the eye. As we are young we have a nice clear lens in the eye, and then as we age it tends to get a little bit green or brown over time, and we call that development of a cataract.

Now most of the time this is a slow process, but occasionally it can happen more rapidly, and that can be if somebody’s had trauma in the eye, if they’ve inflammation inside of the eye, if they’ve had surgery in the eye, or sometimes if they have certain medical conditions they are required to take medication for a certain amount of time. Although those scenarios are less common the vast majority of time as cataracts come on very gradually over months or even years. And patients might not perceive anything for a long time.

Usually they complain of decreased vision gradually. Sometimes they notice difficulty in different lighting situations particularly when it’s dark. They might have problems with glare or issues with driving, and those things will prompt them to see an eye care professional or their GP and get them sent in to see an ophthalmologist who can take a look at them. Local Ophthalmologist

When an eye care professional knows that you have cataracts or suspects you do or perhaps your GP suspect you do, they send you to an ophthalmologist. And there you have a full eye examination including dilation of the eyes where the doctor can ensure that the amount of cataract you have corresponds with your complaints, with the decreased level of vision that you have.

And then they might order some tests in the office to make sure you don’t have any other eye diseases present, and if that’s the case, they’ll go ahead and organize cataract surgery for you, which is how we treat this particular problem. Local Ophthalmologist    Often seeing a local Ophthalmologists or Optometrist in conjunction with your family physician or a registered dietician is a great option to dealing with eye conditions and symptoms. Smart Food Now and exercise is also important for overall health.    

If you have been having decreased vision, or you’ve noticed some changes in your vision, and you suspect you might have cataracts, or were told that you had early cataracts developing, it’s reasonable to go see your GP or optometrist and get a referral to an ophthalmologist for a full eye assessment. Presenter: Dr. Steven Schendel, Ophthalmologist, Vancouver, BC

Local Practitioners: Ophthalmologist

Cataracts are probably the most common condition that we see as ophthalmologists. There’s a common misconception that it’s a growth inside the eye – it’s not. It’s a natural clouding of the lens that we’re born with said Dr. Baseer Khan. It happens as a result of age, so if you live long enough, you’re going to get a cataract. You know, people who have diabetes, maybe have been on steroids or have chronic inflammation inside their eye may develop cataracts early in life, but everybody will at some point.

The only way cataracts can be treated is with surgery. There’s no drops, there’s no laser, there’s only surgery. Surgery involves removing the natural lens of the eye, which is now cloudy, and replacing it with an artificial lens said Dr. Baseer Khan.

The reason we have to put an artificial lens in is because the natural lens provided a certain amount of power to the eye in order to focus. If we didn’t put a new artificial lens in, you wouldn’t be able to see anything at all, except for with very high-powered glasses said Dr. Baseer Khan.

There are three reasons to do cataract surgery. The first is because it’s medically necessary, which means that there’s some reason, medically speaking, that we need to remove the cataract, either because the cataract is creating a problem, or it’s preventing us from seeing a problem in the back of the eye said Dr. Baseer Khan  Presenter: Dr. Baseer Khan, Ophthalmologist, Vaughan, ON

Now Health Network  Local Practitioners: Ophthalmologist