Common Questions About Cataracts Answered

13 July 2015
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Eye problems can create severe disruptions for your life because they can make it difficult for you to see and live independently. In particular, cataracts are common, and they can severely cloud a person's vision until they are unable to see. Luckily, there are treatment options for this condition, but if you are like many other eye patients, you may not be familiar with the details of cataract surgery. Therefore, there is a good chance that you will benefit from knowing the answers to the following couple of questions about this common vision problem. 

How Can You Tell If You Need Cataract Treatments?

Cataracts are an extremely gradual condition, and there are many patients that may be unaware they need to have surgery. Due to this, it is important for you to have your eyes checked by your eye doctor at least once a year. This will allow the cataracts to be diagnosed before they start to create a noticeable impact on your vision. When this problem is discovered early, it is often possible to have it treated with eye drops that can slow the development of the cataract. 

How Long Will A Cataract Surgery Take To Complete?

If your cataracts have progressed to a point where surgery is the only reliable option for correcting this problem, you should be relieved to know that this is considered a minor procedure. Generally, you should only need to be at the eye doctor's office for a few hours. Most of this time is spent preparing you for the procedure and observing you immediately after it.

While the observation period may be somewhat inconvenient for you, it is necessary to ensure that you are not going to have serious complications stemming from the drugs that were used during the surgery. For example, some people have strong reactions to any type of anesthesia, and these reactions can take up to a couple of hours before the patient will start showing symptoms. At the end of this observation period, you will be free to leave, but you will likely be unable to drive yourself. Therefore, you should arrange for a friend to pick you up, and if this is not possible, a taxi may be the best option. 

Cataracts are a common but serious problem that can deprive a person of their ability to see if it is left untreated. By understanding these answers to some of the more common cataract questions, you should find yourself in a better position to have this problem addressed, which can aid you in preserving your ability to see as you age.