 Cataracts 101
Understanding the Basics
What are cataracts?
If your vision has become cloudy or things you see are not as bright as they used to be, a cataract may have developed in one or both of your eyes. A cataract is a clouding of the eye's naturally clear lens. Your eye becomes like a window that is frosted or yellowed.
The amount and pattern of cloudiness within the lens can vary. If the cloudiness is not near the center of the lens, you may not be aware that a cataract is present.
There are many misconceptions about cataract. A cataract is not:
- A growth or film over the eye;
- A cause of irreversible blindness;
- A result of overusing the eyes;
- A contagious disease spread from eye to eye or person to person.
Cataracts are a common cause of vision loss, especially as we age, but they are treatable. Your ophthalmologist (Eye M.D.) can tell you whether cataract or some other problem is the cause of your vision loss and can help you decide if cataract surgery is appropriate for you. Learn More |
 Living with GlaucomaIt's all in the Family
Glaucoma remains a leading cause of preventable blindness because it often goes undetected; about half of the 3 million Americans who have the disease are unaware of it. Knowing your risks for glaucoma can save your sight. Glaucoma can quietly damage the eye and optic nerve even before a person notices vision problems. Such damage cannot be reversed once it occurs.
Family support from the first diagnosis can make all the difference, as is true for many chronic illnesses. Family members can help an elder set up a medication schedule that fits his or her daily routine and learn to self-administer eye drops. Empathic listening and companionship are also important, as studies show depressed or isolated patients are less likely to adhere to treatment.
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 How Diabetes Affects Your Eyes
Diabetes is a disease that affects the body's ability to produce and/or use insulin in amounts sufficient to control blood sugar levels. People with any type of diabetes can develop hyperglycemia, which is an excess of blood sugar, or serum glucose. Although glucose is a vital source of energy for the body's cells, a chronic elevation of serum glucose causes damage throughout the body, including the small blood vessels in the eyes.
As a result, if you have diabetes you run the risk of developing diabetic retinopathy, in which damage occurs to the delicate blood vessels inside the retina at the back of the eye. You are also at increased risk for developing cataracts (clouding of the normally clear lens in the eye), or glaucoma (a disease that results in damage to the optic nerve).
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