A cataract is a painless clouding of the lens inside your eye, developed over a long period of time they will cause eyesight to deteriorate. If they are left untreated the lens will eventually become so clouded that the patient will be effectively blind.

Patients who have cataracts find that their vision is good enough when wearing glasses or contact lenses. Further treatment may be considered if their vision has noticeable deteriorated and can’t be corrected with a change to their prescription glasses or contact lenses.

There is no known way to prevent cataracts as a result of getting older and there are very few treatments for Cataracts, with surgery being the only permanent resolution:

• Glasses / Contact Lenses – Wearing glasses or contact lenses can help improve the vision in the early stages of cataracts. But they will not prevent the cataracts from worsening.
• Medicines – There are no medicines which have been proven to slow down the growth of cataracts and no medicine is known to clear a clouded lens.
• Surgery – The removal of the natural lens which has been affected by the cataracts and putting a new artificial lens in it’s place is the only way to improve your vision and permanently remove the cataracts. Clarivu™ Total Vision Correction is an ideal choice for the over-50’s as it is possible for patients to have their cataracts removed whilst also getting their long or short-sightedness fixed.

Cataracts are most commonly developed in adults over 55 years of age. However it is not uncommon for people with certain contributing conditions or situations to be diagnosed younger.

Other groups who are susceptible to developing cataracts are adults:

• with a family history of cataracts
• with medical conditions such as diabetes or kidney disease
• who have sustained an injury to their eye(s)
• exposure to UV rays from the sun
• long-term use of steroid based medication
• drinking and smoking
• high blood pressure