Cataracts
What Are Cataracts?
Cataracts are a normal occurrence in an aging eye: the natural lens of your eye begins to cloud over due to the build-up of proteins. Instead of allowing light to enter properly, the cloudy lens creates a foggy appearance to everything you see.
This process does not happen overnight. It is typically a slow development that makes it increasingly difficult to see things clearly and perform daily tasks.
Types of Cataracts
You can have a cataract in one or both eyes. The position of your cataract will affect what type of vision disturbance you have
- Nuclear cataract: occurs in the center of the lens, often creating temporary near vision improvement
- Cortical cataract: occurs around the edges of the lens, often resulting in spoke-like opacities that move to the center of the lens
- Subcapsular cataract: occurs at the back of the lens, often masking symptoms until the later stages
Symptoms of Cataracts
While cataracts are typically associated with aging, they can also occur due to disease, injury, birth defect or certain medications. Symptoms can include:
Intraocular Lens (IOL) Options
Monofocal IOL:
- Near & immediate distances likely to require glasses
- Low visual disturbances
Toric IOL:
- Corrects astigmatism, reducing need for glasses with distance vision
- Near & immediate distances likely to require glasses
- Low visual disturbances
Extended Depth of Focus IOL:
- Mitigates presbyopia & corrects astigmatism
- Low visual disturbances
- Reduced spectacle need for the majority of your daily tasks
Multifocal IOL:
- Mitigates presbyopia & corrects astigmatism
- Significantly reduces the need for glasses at all distances
- May experience halos/glare
Cataract Treatment in Bismarck
While there is no cure for cataracts, cataract surgery is a very common and effective procedure to restore clear vision. It is possible, and sometimes even recommended, that you live with cataracts for years before undergoing surgery if they are not affecting your daily life. At Dakota Eye Institute, we perform exams to assess your cataract development and recommend cataract surgery in Bismarck when necessary.
Contact us today to schedule an eye exam and learn more about your eye health.
