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Get in the Know
What are Cataracts? | A cataract is a clouding of the lens in the eye that affects vision. A cataract can occur in either or both eyes. It cannot spread from one eye to the other. Most cataracts are related to aging. Cataracts are very common in older people. By age 80, more than half of all Americans either have a cataract or have had cataract surgery.
Learn more in our featured articles!
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| Dutch Babies! | 
| "My husband grew up eating these on special occasions. It is a breakfast my family continues to enjoy. They are so easy to make, we don't have to save them for special occasions." - Heather
Ingredients:
2 eggs 1/2 cup milk 1/2 cup sifted all-purpose flour 1 pinch ground nutmeg 1 pinch salt 2 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar for dusting Directions: 1. Place a 10 inch cast iron skillet inside oven and preheat oven to 475 degrees F (245 degrees C). 2. In a medium bowl, beat eggs with a whisk until light. Add milk and stir. Gradually whisk in flour, nutmeg and salt. 3. Remove skillet from oven and reduce oven heat to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Melt butter in hot skillet so that inside of skillet is completely coated with butter. Pour all the batter in the skillet and return skillet to oven. 4. Bake until puffed and lightly browned, about 12 minutes. Remove promptly and sprinkle with powdered sugar. |
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July & August, 2011/Volume 6
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Greetings!
August is National Cataract Awareness Month. Cataract removal is one of the most common operations performed in the United States. It also is one of the safest and most effective types of surgery. In about 90 percent of cases, people who have cataract surgery have better vision afterward. It is important to have your eyes checked annually to maintain healthy eyes and to treat eye conditions, which are more common as we age. If you have not had your eyes checked recently, schedule an appointment with your eye doctor and get back on track to good eye health.
I hope you enjoy this issue of Desert Gazette, Desert Care Management's newsletter. We welcome any comments or suggestions you may have, as we strive to make this publication a resource for our friends, families and colleagues.
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Cataracts... What, How & When?
by National Eye Institute
The lens lies behind the iris and the pupil. It works much like a camera lens. It focuses light onto the retina at the back of the eye, where an image is recorded. The lens also adjusts the eye's focus, letting us see things clearly both up close and far away. The lens is made of mostly water and protein. The protein is arranged in a precise way that keeps the lens clear and lets light pass through it.
But as we age, some of the protein may clump together and start to cloud a small area of the lens. This is a cataract. Over time, the cataract may grow larger and cloud more of the lens, making it harder to see.
Researchers suspect that there are several causes of cataract, such as smoking and diabetes. Or, it may be that the protein in the lens just changes from the wear and tear it takes over the years.
Age-related cataracts can affect your vision in two ways:
1. Clumps of protein reduce the sharpness of the image reaching the retina.The lens consists mostly of water and protein. When the protein clumps up, it clouds the lens and reduces the light that reaches the retina. The clouding may become severe enough to cause blurred vision. Most age-related cataracts develop from protein clumpings. When a cataract is small, the cloudiness affects only a small part of the lens. You may not notice any changes in your vision. Cataracts tend to "grow" slowly, so vision gets worse gradually. Over time, the cloudy area in the lens may get larger, and the cataract may increase in size. Seeing may become more difficult. Your vision may get duller or blurrier.
2. The clear lens slowly changes to a yellowish/brownish color, adding a brownish tint to vision. As the clear lens slowly colors with age, your vision gradually may acquire a brownish shade. At first, the amount of tinting may be small and may not cause a vision problem. Over time, increased tinting may make it more difficult to read and perform other routine activities. This gradual change in the amount of tinting does not affect the sharpness of the image transmitted to the retina. If you have advanced lens discoloration, you may not be able to identify blues and purples. You may be wearing what you believe to be a pair of black socks, only to find out from friends that you are wearing purple socks.
To continue reading on our blog, click here.
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Cataracts... Symptoms, Protection & Detection
by National Eye Institute
The most common symptoms of a cataract are:
▪ Cloudy or blurry vision.
▪ Glare. Headlights, lamps, or sunlight may appear too bright. A halo may appear around lights.
▪ Double vision or multiple images in one eye. (This symptom may clear as the cataract gets larger.)
▪ Frequent prescription changes in your eyeglasses or contact lenses.
▪ These symptoms also can be a sign of other eye problems. If you have any of these symptoms, check with your eye care professional.
Cataract is detected through a comprehensive eye exam that includes:
1. This eye chart test measures how well you see at various distances.
2. Drops are placed in your eyes to widen, or dilate, the pupils. Your eye care professional uses a special magnifying lens to examine your retina and optic nerve for signs of damage and other eye problems. After the exam, your close-up vision may remain blurred for several hours.
3. An instrument measures the pressure inside the eye. Numbing drops may be applied to your eye for this test.
Your eye care professional also may do other tests to learn more about the structure and health of your eye.
The symptoms of early cataract may be improved with new eyeglasses, brighter lighting, anti-glare sunglasses, or magnifying lenses. If these measures do not help, surgery is the only effective treatment. Surgery involves removing the cloudy lens and replacing it with an artificial lens.
To continue reading on our blog, click here.
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