Here at Spektacles, nothing is more important than our patients’ eye health. Awareness is key when it comes to caring for your eyes, and it’s vital to understand what you can do to keep your eyes healthy and enjoy better vision. With most disorders and conditions that affect your eyes, the earlier a problem is detected during regular eye exams, the better the chances of successful treatment.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Prevent Blindness America have designated June as Cataract Awareness Month.
Did you know that cataracts are the number one cause of blindness in the world today? In the U.S. alone, there are more than 22 million people over forty suffering from cataracts.
In fact, more than half of all Americans will suffer from cataracts before they are eighty years old.
Cataracts are the clouding of the lenses in the eyes. The process that results in cataracts is slow, and the early stages of cataracts might not hinder your eyesight at all, but eventually, your vision will be impacted.
The initial solutions for cataracts is to wear stronger eye glasses and adjust your home and environment to provide better lighting.
What Causes Cataracts?
Cataracts are caused by aging, and there is no reversing them. There is no drug or eye drop that can cure them, and if a cataract begins to seriously hinder vision and quality of life, surgery is the only solution.
How to Treat Cataracts –
Fortunately, cataract surgery is routine and safe. It is usually an outpatient procedure and the patient is awake the entire time. Local anesthesia is applied and the cloudy lense is replaced by an artificial one.
When it comes to cataracts, prevention is key. One way to improve the health of your eyes is to be aware of any and all risk factors that you might have.
Risk factors for cataracts include:
- Advanced age
- Diabetes
- Overexposure to sunlight
- Exposure to ionizing radiation like that found in x-rays
- High blood pressure
- Smoking
- Obesity
- Excessive drinking
A healthy lifestyle is the best way to prevent cataracts and other eye diseases. Avoiding smoking, excessive drinking, and maintaining a healthy weight are best ways to keep your eyes healthy throughout your life.
Even though eyesight changes can’t always be prevented, this doesn’t mean there aren’t solutions to improve various conditions. It’s vital for people of all ages to care for their vision, but seniors especially need to take extra care with their eye health and make sure they keep regular appointments with an optometrist.
Are you in need of an eyecare professional in the San Diego area? Spektacles is the leading optometry practice in Cardiff and we have the knowledge and experience to provide you information and peace of mind about your vision and eye health.
Contact Spektacles to set up an appointment to get screened for these problems. You can visit us online at https://www.spektaclessandiego.com or give us a call at 760-452-2895 to schedule an eye exam.
