3 Surprising Benefits of Cataract Surgery

The most obvious benefit of cataract surgery is having improved vision, but did you know that the very same surgery can actually provide additional benefits for your life?

Cataracts cause vision loss at night and it makes it really hard for a person to go about their regular lives. Sometimes we start to make gradual life changes to compensate for the vision loss. According to Atlanta Vision and cataract, many people have subtle cataracts but they still have to give up driving at night or change other things that affect the overall quality of life.

If that isn’t all, vision loss is also directly linked to anxiety and depression. So even if you were thinking about to live with cataracts, it is going to reduce overall life quality and may even make it impossible for you to do your favorite activities which leads to depression.

Getting a cataract surgery is absolutely the right choice to go for, especially when these three benefits also come in play.

Improving Overall Quality of Life

As mentioned before, cataracts can prevent you from doing every day tasks such as driving and reading as well as things you do to pass time. You will start feeling less independent which may leave to social withdrawal.

Cataracts treatment is said to improve the quality of people’s life by 36% after a successful surgery compared to those who did not go through the surgery.

Decreases Risk of Fractures and Falls

According to a study published in 2012, vision loss was found to be a major contributing factor in dangerous falls that led to fractures and even fatal injuries on the head. After cataract treatment, the very same study revealed 16% fewer chances of falling and incurring a serious injury to the head or a fracture. For anyone who had severe cataracts, the surgery reduced their chances of falls and fractures by up to 23%.

Improves Longevity

Cataracts surgery actually adds more years to your life. A study published in 2013 showed that people who went with cataract surgery improved their chances of long-term survival. 40% improvement in the reduction of mortality was seen in people who went through the surgery compared to people who chose to live with cataracts.

In other words, cataracts treatment will improve your chances of living longer because you’ll not feel socially withdrawn and depressed. You’ll also have reduced chances of falling down and injure yourself due to vision loss.

What Causes Cataracts?

Cataracts are caused by the change in the nature of the proteins that are in the lens of the eyes. These proteins turn the lens cloudy and prevent any light from passing through them which causes slight vision loss. Although only aged people get cataracts, sometimes young individuals may also develop them but cataracts in young age don’t affect the individual as much as they do when you get them in your late years.

Cataracts are sometimes also hard to notice in the first stages, but the symptoms are always there. Here some early signs of cataracts –

• Eyes become sensitive to light
• Glare in the eyes
• Seeing halos around lights
• Blurry vision
• Decreased vision at night

How to Prevent Cataracts

There isn’t any guaranteed way to help you completely protect yourself from cataracts, but you can take some steps to protect your vision and reduce the chances of getting cataracts. Here are some simple tips in taking care of your eyes.

• Take regular eye exams – cataracts are known to develop slowly with only a few symptoms, to begin with. With regular eye checkups, the ophthalmologist can often detect cataracts in its very early stages. They may also be able to determine how much vision you have lost.

• Wear prescription glasses at all times – if your eyesight is weak and you have to wear prescription glasses, make sure that you are wearing the right glasses. Regular eye checkups can help detect vision loss and allow you to wear glasses that are correct for your eyesight.

• Reduce smoking – smoking is known to cause many diseases in human beings, one of them is loss of vision over time. If you are a regular smoker, try to reduce or completely give up on smoking if you want to prevent cataracts in the future.

• Use computer glasses to protect from glare – if you’re always working on a computer, it is very important to make sure to wear computer glasses that block the screen glare. The blue light from the screen is known to cause eye damage over prolonged periods of use. There are even computer software and screen covers that prevent glare from reaching your eyes. Try and invest in them.

• Control your sugar levels – diabetes is also one of the major factors causing vision loss and cataracts. If you have a problem controlling your insulin levels, consider speaking with a doctor and adjust your diet accordingly. Try your best to exercise regularly which naturally controls your blood sugar levels.

These may seem like minor steps but in the long run, they can protect your eyesight from diminishing.

Things To Know About Cataract Surgery

Did you know that cataract surgery is one of the most frequently performed surgeries in the U.S? Contrary to popular belief, the surgery is very safe and pain-free. It is only done to a single eye at a time and the procedure is usually performed when you are awake. The doctor usually administers anesthesia before the procedure beings. You may even be given medicine to relax.

During a Cataract surgery, the doctor will remove the cloudy lens and will then replace it with an artificial lens. It may sound scary but this is completely normal and safe. An artificial lens is known to live for a lifetime.

Cataract surgeries have a high success rate with 95% people reporting improvement in vision immediately after the surgery. If you’re not sure whether you need cataract surgery, just set an appointment with a doctor and they’ll help you decide.