Cataracts are the most common cause of vision loss in adults over the age of 40, which is why at Whitson Vision in Indianapolis and Avon, Indiana, William E. Whitson, MD, specializes in state-of-the-art cataract surgery. If you notice areas of blurry or cloudy vision, you may be able to improve your sight in the early stages of cataracts with new glasses, or if needed cataract surgery is also a highly successful method of restoring your vision. To learn more, call the office or schedule an appointment online today.
Cataracts are the cloudy appearance of the normally clear lens in your eye that distorts your vision. You can get three different types of cataracts:
Generally, cataracts start out small, and you may not even notice them until you begin to have difficulty seeing clearly.
Cataracts may be the result of aging as the protein in your eyes clumps together and forms tiny clouds on an area of your lens. Over time, as this clump continues to grow, it affects your vision. Although researchers are not completely sure why cataracts form as you get older, some contributing factors that may accelerate their growth include:
Family history also plays a part in whether you develop cataracts as some people are genetically predisposed to this condition.
Signs that you’re getting a cataract in your eye include:
As a cataract grows in size, it increasingly clouds your vision as it distorts more of the light that passes through your lens.
Cataract surgery used to be a complicated procedure, but today’s technological advances have made it a relatively simple, highly effective treatment. Dr. Whitson and the team at Whitson Vision use the latest premium intraocular lens (IOL) implants.
Intraocular lenses replace your cloudy lens with a new, clear artificial lens that becomes a permanent part of your eye. The majority of adults who get IOL implants for cataracts regain very good to excellent vision, often seeing better than they have in years.
During cataract surgery, Dr. Whitson numbs your eye completely so you can’t feel anything. He makes a small incision in your cornea and removes the proteins that are clouding your natural lens. Next, he inserts a new, clear IOL and positions it in your eye. You won’t be able to feel the IOL at all, but once you recover from surgery — often as your eye begins to heal within the first 24 hours — you’ll be able to see more clearly.
For state-of-the-art cataract treatment, call Whitson Vision or schedule an appointment online today.
