13 Nov Understand Your Cataract Treatment Options

There is only one cataract treatment option that will permanently get rid of cataracts. A lot of people mistakenly believe that cataracts can be treated with supplements, diet, or even Lasik surgery. The fact is, your treatment options are very limited if you have been diagnosed with cataracts.

Dispelling some of the myths about cataracts is important so that patients understand the limitations of what can be done and what they should be doing to improve their vision. Cataracts are a common occurrence and fully treatable with cataract surgery eye surgeons perform.

The Basics of Cataracts

One of the first things people with cataracts will notice is that their vision seems cloudy. Sharp edges are difficult to see, and objects are not well-defined. This cloudy vision is because the lens in the eye is clouded.

Patients describe their vision as feeling like there is a film over their eye. They try eye drops and other methods to clear the film but with no results.

The solution to restoring improved vision is to surgically remove the clouded lens and replace it with an artificial lens. After the surgery, the patient will no longer have to deal with cloudy or blurred vision.

What Does Not Work In Cataract Treatment

Lasik surgery is a process that uses lasers to correct a range of vision problems. In 2015 around 21 million surgeries were done with Lasik. However, none of them were done to remove cataracts. One of the rumors floating around is that Lasik lasers can be used to remove cataracts. It cannot. Other things that will do nothing to help your cataracts include:

• Changing your diet or adding eye vitamin supplements to your diet
• Eye drops do not work
• Special eyeglasses or contact lenses do not work

Unfortunately, once the lens becomes clouded there is no way to uncloud it. Cataract surgery is the only proven cataract treatment method.

Many patients struggle with understanding what causes the cloudiness and why there is no way to uncloud a clouded lens. The fact is, there is rarely one event that causes a cataract to form. In absence of trauma to the eye, cataracts can form for a wide range of reasons. Sunlight, medications, smoking, some diseases, all can cause cataracts.

In some cases, it is just the natural exposure that occurs over time. It can be hard to pinpoint what caused the cataract.

Help is Available

Diet, lifestyle changes, eye drops, and supplements will not cure a cataract but surgery will. If you suspect that you have cataracts learn more about the one cataract treatment that works and how it can improve your vision.