If you have been diagnosed as having a cataract, there is no need to worry. Cataract formation is frequently a part of the eye’s aging process. Today vision is restored to more than 1.5 million patients each year through a safe microsurgical procedure to remove the cataract.

Causes of Cataracts
By far the most common cause is the deterioration of the normal structure within the lens of the eye as a person ages. Other possible causes are injuries or diseases such as diabetes, kidney diseases, glaucoma and high blood pressure.

Cataract Symptoms

Symptoms may include:

• Blurred, fuzzy or hazy vision
• Feeling that there is a film over the eye, or that one is looking through a veil or cobweb
• Frequent changes in eyeglass prescriptions
• Severe decrease of vision when looking at a bright scene or background
• Glare, halo’s or tails around headlights when driving at night

Though none of these symptoms necessarily mean you have a cataract, if you experience one or more you should have your eyes examined.

Cataract Treatment
The only treatment for a cataract is surgical removal. Diet cannot be used as a treatment nor are there any drops or other medicines that can be used. Patients usually choose, and ophthalmologists usually recommend, that cataracts be removed at the point where visual impairment interferes with the daily activities of living, such as driving a car or reading. Cataract surgery is a common procedure performed regularly. Today, there is little reason for a person with cataracts to go untreated.