WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT CATARACTS, AND WHY IS CATARACT SURGERY ONE OF THE BEST INNOVATIONS IN EYE HEALTH HISTORY?
Cataracts, a common condition in older adults, occur when the lens develops cloudy patches. Over time these patches usually become bigger causing blurry, misty vision and eventually blindness. When we're young, our lenses are usually like clear glass, allowing us to see through them. As we get older, they start to become frosted, like bathroom glass, and begin to limit our vision.
Cataract is a leading cause of blindness in the world’s developing countries, and it is also the second leading cause of visual impairment worldwide next to refractive errors. Data shows that out of 36 million blind people worldwide, 12 million cases have been caused by cataract.
In the UK, 95% of cataracts can be found in people older than fifty, and it is estimated that 30% of people 65 years or older have a visually impairing cataract in one or both eyes.
Cataract can be treated only with a surgical treatment, a highly effective procedure where the cloudy lens is removed and replaced with an artificial intraocular lens (IOL). Cataract surgery involves removing your eye's natural, clouded lens and replacing it with an artificial one. If you need to wear glasses, a new lens with the correct focusing power is implanted so that glasses may not be required. This includes improvement in both reading and distance vision when a multifocal lens is used.
In the UK, nearly 500,000 cataract surgeries are performed each year. It is the most common surgery performed by the NHS.
Cataract Surgery has the following benefits:
- It restores clear vision but can also correct other refractive errors, potentially reducing the need for glasses.
- Modern IOLs can address presbyopia, providing a broader range of vision without the need for reading glasses.
- It is generally seen as a safe procedure, and the risk of serious complications arising from cataract treatment is very low.
At Optimax, we pride ourselves on taking excellent care of our patients. With us, the procedure is painless, and 95% of people who come to Optimax for cataracts treatment achieve the minimum driving standard or better.
If you want to learn more about cataract surgery as well as our range of services at Optimax, please visit our website by clicking the link in the comment section.
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