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My parents
have been complaining about blurred
vision. What can I do?
Blurred vision
could be an indication of cataracts,
glaucoma, age-related macular
degeneration, or medical problems such as
diabetes. The leading cause of blurred
vision in people over 60 is cataracts.
Most people
with cataracts do not even realize they
have them. They confuse the blurring and
distortion of their vision, or their
seeing halos around lights, with a need
for stronger glasses.
Each year,
nearly 2 million people in the United
States develop cataracts that blur their
vision for driving, reading or watching
television. Poor vision can threaten a
patient's independence, safety, happiness
and mental alertness.
My mother has
cataracts. How are cataracts treated?
No drops,
pills or vitamins can remove a cataract.
The only way to restore a patient's vision
is to have the cataract removed. Modern
cataract surgery is one of the most
successful operations performed, and it is
usually performed on an outpatient basis,
which costs less and is less disruptive
than a hospital stay.
Today,
cataract surgery is performed with little
or no discomfort. Small incision,
"no-stitch" cataract surgery with a lens
implant is one of the safest types of
surgery, when performed by an experienced
cataract surgeon.
Small incision
cataract surgery results in faster
healing, and vision recovery with less
astigmatism. The total recovery time is
drastically reduced, allowing patients to
return to their normal activities almost
immediately.
Cataract
surgery has been revolutionized because of
the use of the powerful operating
microscope, microscopic stitches, lens
implants and recent developments such as
laser surgery.
Today's
surgical experience and results are
superior to the old days, when sandbags
were used to hold the head still. |
