To some extent, cataracts are evitable in old people. But there are many other factors that contribute to the development of cataracts, such as exposure to intensive UV light or high-energy x-rays, cigarette smoking and tobacco chewing, drugs including steroids, certain diseases including diabetes and so on. Maternal infections caused cataracts and traumatic cataracts are also potential. With proper methods, cataracts in younger individuals can be possibly prevented or slowed.

Some patients may suffer floaters after a cataract surgery. In fact the procedure itself never causes floaters. These people actually have floaters before the surgery, which only become noticeable once the cloudy cataract is removed by the procedure. More obvious on a light background or the blue sky, floaters are harmless and usually settle out over time. Some one want to remove a floater surgically because of it can disturb the central vision in an annoying way. However, surgical removal of a floater involves significant risks.

Getting cloudy lens, cataract patients mostly suffer blurry vision. Most cataract cases are related to aging, which causes the natural lens to become cloudy. It is estimated that half of the 65-or-older population has cataracts. However, there are also congenital cataracts, which are caused by pregnant-related problems such as German measles, chickenpox and other infections. Cataracts are sometimes hereditary.

Cataract only needs surgical removal when the patient’s daily activities are severely affected, such as driving, reading, watching TV, artwork and so on. Some people who need sharp vision for work may want to get their cataracts removed as early as possible. Astigmatism can be addressed during the same cataract surgery. Cataracts in one-eyed patients involve more risks since there are potential complications. These patients should carefully balance the benefits against potential risks. Extremely mature cataract requires more skill from the surgeon, so that patients should never wait too long before a cataract surgery.

August is the Cataract Awareness Month in the United States. The American Academy of Ophthalmology takes this opportunity to propagate certain knowledge of cataracts every year. For instance, there are many factors that increase the rate of developing cataracts, such as family history, diabetes, smoking, sun exposure, eye injury, eye inflammation and prolonged steroid use.

According to some researchers in Saudi Arabia, cataract surgery can also help in slowing down the progression of diabetic retinopathy. These researchers injected bevacizumab into some patients’ eyes who received cataract surgery and found that there was a considerably low rate of diabetic retinopathy progression in the group that had received bevacizumab injection at the end of cataract surgery. Commercially known as Avastin, bevacizumab is an anti-cancer drug used off label to treat advanced age-related macular degeneration by preventing growth of abnormal blood vessels in the retina.

Presbyopia is somehow inevitable in people above 40, even if they have never suffered from any vision problem during younger ages. The most common sign of presbyopia is burry vision when doing close-up work, such as reading, sewing or computer tasks. As a result, presbyopic people always need to hold books, magazines, newspapers and other reading materials at arm’s distance. Presbyopic individuals may experience headache, eye strain or fatigue after a long period of near work. As more and more people entering old ages, presbyopic patients are increasing.

A posterior capsule opacity (PCO) is the most common among those few cataract surgery complications, including eye inflammation, infections and a dislocated IOL. The reason for a PCO comes from the lens capsule, which will be maintained during a surgery. About 20% of patients have haziness on their intact posterior capsules, so that even if the lens has been replaced with a successful IOL, the vision is still blurry. A PCO is not a “secondary cataract”. Cataracts will never recur once removed.

Early signs of cataracts such as declining visual clarity may be ok. You are still able to drive, watch television and so on. But if your daily lives are severely affected by advanced cataracts that can not be corrected by eyeglasses or contacts, it is the right time to receive a cataract surgery. During a surgery, the clouding on your lens will be removed and an artificial intraocular lens will be implanted to restore your focusing power.

Even though the cost of a cataract surgery varies from procedure types, different IOLs and cost-of-living standards, it can be as high as $4,000 per eye. Currently, single monofocal IOLs are considered to be medically necessary, since the patient always need an alternative lens for normal vision. In this case, both Medicare and most of the insurance companies cover this type of IOLs. However, if the patient chooses a presbyopia-correcting IOL, he needs to pay the discrepancy or the extra expense. Insurance providers keep in mind that these premium lenses are not medically necessary, since they provide additional vision benefits such as perfect near vision. These common vision problems can be corrected simply by eyeglasses or contact lenses.