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At first, your vision begins to get a little cloudy. Things that looked bright and clear not long ago now seem worn, faded, and even yellowed, like looking at a sepia portrait from years past.
You might think these changes are just because your eyes are getting older.
But over time, that haziness in your vision becomes more pronounced. When you look at your eyes in the mirror, you might notice nothing amiss at first. But over time, you might start to notice a white haze in your pupil.
This is a cataract, and it’s a common problem for seniors.
According to the Health in Aging Foundation, one in five seniors over the age of 65 has a cataract in at least one eye. Once you reach the age of 80, about half of all seniors have one.1 A cataract forms as the proteins in the lens of the eye break down and make it more difficult for light to get through the lens. Those little proteins build up and create the white covering that is the most obvious sign of a cataract.
Though a cataract isn’t life-threatening at all, it can definitely affect your quality of life. That’s why it’s a good idea to have a cataract removed if it begins to adversely affect your ability to do daily activities.
It’s important to note that if you have any sort of vision problems at all, you are at a greater risk of falls and other injuries. That’s where senior alert systems can help. Medical alert technology can be your constant companion to keep you safe.
Whether you are living with cataracts, preparing for surgery to remove them, or facing another eye problem altogether, Alert1 can help you stay safe and secure.
The Basics of Cataracts
A cataract affects the lens of the eye. The lens is a clear part of your eye, located right behind the iris. In normal circumstances, light passes through the lens of the eye with no obstruction at all. But when you develop cataracts, that lens becomes obscured, leading to difficulty with seeing clearly.
The result is blurred or dull vision, much like looking through a fogged-up window. Other symptoms include trouble seeing in the dark, sensitivity to light and glare, faded or yellowing of the colors you see, and double vision. “Halos” might appear around lights, especially at night. You might even see several copies of an image in the same eye.
What you see with a cataract depends upon where the cataract is and what type it is. Here’s a brief rundown of the cataracts that affect seniors:
· Nuclear cataracts are named as such because they are at the center of the lens. The result is often double vision.
· Cortical cataracts affect peripheral vision and can lead to annoying glare.
· Posterior subcapsular cataracts show up on the back of the lens. This can lead to halos around lights as well as difficulty with reading.
There are other types as well, based on why they showed up. This can include secondary cataracts, which are the result of chronic conditions, such as diabetes. Radiation cataracts appear as the result of radiation treatments to the head or neck (or other exposure to radiation).
Trauma to the eye can also lead to a host of problems later, including cataracts.
Cataracts can develop for no reason at all other than age. But there are some things that can bring them on sooner. These problems include diabetes, excessive alcohol use, smoking, long-term steroid use, and too much exposure to sunlight. Some vitamin deficiencies can lead to cataracts.
If you have cataracts, it’s a very good idea to have a medical alert necklace or wristband. If you suffer from a fall or other emergency, reaching out for help right away is paramount. Pressing the button to get a trained professional can ease concerns and ensure you get the help you need, right when you need it.
Low vision doubles a person’s risk of falls and related fractures or other injuries. In fact, falling as a result of low vision leads to serious injury more than half the time, according to BMC Public Health.2 If you are experiencing an increase in falls, your doctor might recommend cataract surgery as a way to help prevent that problem and allow you to lead a healthier, safer, more independent life.
Do I Really Need Surgery?
Cataracts tend to grow very slowly. This means that you have several years before you have to make a decision on surgical treatment.
In the meantime, small cataracts that don’t affect your ability to handle the activities of daily living can be dealt with using specialized eyeglasses or contacts. Glasses with anti-glare coatings can help, as can using a magnifying glass if you have trouble reading.
When the cataracts begin to affect your ability to do the day-to-day things you need to do to stay and independent, eye doctors recommend surgery to take care of the problem.
During the outpatient surgery, the ophthalmologist removes the lens of the eye and replaces it with an artificial lens. This clear lens can restore your vision to what it was before the cataracts began to form.
Since cataracts are so common among the elderly, cataract surgery has evolved to be a simple, straightforward procedure that is done quite often. You’ll breathe a sigh of relief to know that cataract surgery is incredibly safe and rarely leads to complications.
Preparing for Cataract Surgery
About a week before the surgery, your eye doctor will measure your eye through a unique, painless ultrasound test. This will help the doctor decide on which implantable lens will be best for you. This is the lens that will replace the natural lens that has been affected by cataracts. This is known as an intraocular lens, or IOL.
Your doctor will discuss the options with you. In some cases, insurance will cover one type of IOL but not another. You might also need a certain type of lens to alleviate particular problems, such as lens that is specifically designed to help with astigmatism.
As the date of your surgery nears, there are some things you can do to help it all go smoothly. You might be instructed to not eat or drink for 12 hours before the surgery, and to stop any medications that can lead to a higher risk of bleeding, such as blood thinners. Some medications for prostate problems can interfere with the success of cataract surgery, so those must be stopped as well.
Speak to your primary care physician about the surgery to make sure everyone is on the same page. Your doctor will let you know if you can safely stop some of the drugs you are on or could switch you to a different prescription for a while as you get the surgery and recover.
You might be prescribed antibiotic eye drops to begin using a few days before the surgery. This can help ensure there are no bacteria in the eye that could lead to infection.
During the Surgery
When you are seated comfortably in the ophthalmologist’s office, you will be given a few medications. The first is an eye drop that will dilate your pupil. You will also receive the proper medications to numb the eye and surrounding area. Some doctors like to give a sedative as well, to help alleviate any anxiety you might feel about the procedure.
You will be awake through the procedure, which usually takes less than an hour.
The eye doctor will then work on removing the cataract. There are a few ways to do this. The method the surgeon uses will depend upon your unique situation.
· In some cases, an ultrasound probe is used to break up the cataract and some of the lens as well. This allows the doctor to remove the pieces of cataract and lens through gentle suction. When the cataract and lens are gone, the doctor will insert the artificial lens into the empty space.
· In other cases, the doctor will make an incision in the eye and remove the lens in one piece. Though this isn’t as common as the ultrasound method, it might be necessary if you have certain complications that make it difficult to use an ultrasound probe. Once the old lens is removed, the artificial lens can slip right into place.
Each of these procedures requires an incision in the cornea. Depending upon the size and location of the incision, the doctor might close it with stitches.
Your doctor will talk with you throughout the procedure to make sure you’re doing okay and explain what is happening.
When the procedure is done, you will be asked to rest in the office for another hour or so. The doctor will check your eyes periodically to make sure there is no buildup of pressure and that the lens is staying in place. Since you will be unable to drive, you will need to have someone with you to take you home. This is a relatively quick procedure, so it’s possible to go into the office at nine in the morning and be home in your favorite comfortable chair by noon.
Your Vision After Cataract Surgery
Cataract surgery is usually very safe. The Mayo Clinic reports that 90% of those how have cataract surgery have improved vision and no complications.3 However, there are some things to keep in mind after the surgery.
You’ll be sent home and told to take it easy for a few days. You’ll have a covering over your eye to protect it and allow you to slowly adjust to the different light coming through your lens. After a few days you can remove the eye protection, but it’s still a good idea to sleep with it on at night until you are completely healed. This will prevent you from inadvertently touching your eye while you sleep.
There might be some discomfort. Your doctor can prescribe medications for that. You will also be instructed to use eye drops throughout the days as you heal. This can help prevent infection, control the pressure in your eyes, and reduce swelling.
At first, your vision might actually be worse than it was before the surgery. That might leave you feeling disappointed or worried, but rest assured, a temporary worsening of your vision is normal! Your eye needs some time to adjust and heal. Your vision should begin clearing up in a few days.
You might notice that your eye begins to feel itchy. Don’t rub it, as this could lead to problems that send you right back to the doctor. That itching is a sign of healing, so don’t be alarmed. However, you can talk to the doctor about ways to alleviate the feeling if it becomes too bothersome.
You’ll see the doctor a few days after the surgery, and then again a week later. You will have another visit in a month, and maybe more after that, depending upon how well you are healing.
At some point, the doctor will remove any stitches that were placed in your eye. This might feel like a strange tugging sensation, but most people say there is no pain involved with removing the stitches.
Expect to be fully healed within eight weeks of the initial surgery. If you need surgery on both eyes, those procedures will usually be performed a few weeks or months apart.
When to Call the Doctor
If you experience any of the following after your surgery, get assistance right away. These could indicate an emergency that could permanently affect your vision:
· Any level of vision loss (with the exception of the expected low vision in the few days following the procedure).
· Discomfort or pain that persists or gets worse despite using pain medications.
· Increasing redness or swelling in the eye or eyelid.
· Flashes of light in your vision or spots that “float” in your line of sight.
You should also note any issues with bleeding, a drooping eyelid, or double vision.
Don’t discount these problems as typical of healing. For instance, those flashes of light and “floaters” in your vision could be symptoms of a detached retina. This is an emergency and prompt treatment is essential.
Any of these problems are a good reason to use an emergency button alarm to call for help. Explain the situation to the trained professionals on the other end of the line and trust in them to send the help you need right away.
Expect to be fitted for new glasses or contacts in the months following the procedure. Six months after the procedure, healing will be complete, you will have the glasses necessary for any further vision correction, and your worries about cataracts will be a distant memory.
