Does your vision seem blurry, hazy, or foggy? These are some of the many signs of having cataracts.
You may have trouble living your everyday life if you have cataracts. A cataract is an age-related eye condition that tends to develop very slowly.
When you first develop cataracts, you may not even notice them. But the more advanced they become, the harder it becomes to see. Cataracts can even lead to blindness if left untreated for long enough.
The good news? You can treat cataracts by having cataract surgery. Cataract surgery is recommended for patients with cataracts that affect their quality of life.
What does that mean? When your cataracts are advanced enough that you struggle to complete daily tasks like cooking, doing laundry, or participating in your favorite hobbies, it’s time for cataract surgery!
Cataract surgery restores your vision by completely removing your cataracts. The procedure can even help you see better than you could before developing cataracts.
Keep reading to learn about four ways cataract surgery can improve your life!
1. Clear Away the Fog
When you have cataracts, they form on the natural lens of the eye. The natural lens should be completely clear and transparent.
However, with cataracts, the lens is cloudy, much like a foggy or dirty window. It may feel like you’re trying to see through the fog when you have cataracts.
As your cataracts become more advanced, your lens becomes more clouded, further impairing your vision. When you have cataract surgery, it completely removes the natural lens and the cataract that’s formed on it.
You’ll have the natural lens replaced with an artificial lens called an intraocular lens (IOL). The IOL allows you to see clearly again, meaning you’ll no longer feel like you’re looking through a foggy window or your vision is impaired or holding you back.
2. Improve Your Vision
One of the best things about having cataract surgery is its ability to improve your vision. Your IOL choice directly influences how you’ll see after cataract removal.
There are many options when choosing an IOL, so you’ll select yours with your St. Luke’s surgeon based on your visual goals and specific needs after cataract surgery. If you choose Standard Vision, you’ll receive a monofocal IOL during manual cataract surgery.
Monofocal IOLs can only correct your vision at one distance, which improves your vision for seeing up close or further away. You’ll still need to wear glasses to see clearly at other distances.
Monofocal lenses are the only IOLs that insurance covers, along with the cost of your procedure, depending on co-pays and co-insurance costs. A monofocal IOL is an excellent choice for the patient who doesn’t mind wearing glasses after cataract surgery.
Our premier cataract surgery package is Lifestyle Vision, which includes the Clareon PanOptix Trifocal lens. The Clareon PanOptix Trifocal lens is an advanced IOL that allows you to see at a range of distances and can reduce and even eliminate the need for other visual aids like glasses and contacts.
If you have astigmatism, we also have the Astigmatism Reduction package. It includes a toric lens that corrects astigmatism.
However, the PanOptix lens also comes in a Toric variety, so the Lifestyle Vision package can correct your astigmatism while providing better vision.
Our packages ensure that you’ll be able to see clearly after cataract surgery. But for those wanting the most independence from visual aids, Lifestyle Vision is the best choice.
3. Regain Your Independence
When you can’t see well, it’s hard to complete even the simplest tasks like vacuuming your home, doing dishes, or sweeping the floor. Cataracts cause various visual symptoms, from blurry vision to poor night vision, light sensitivity, and increased glare and starbursts around light sources.
All these symptoms can slowly remove your independence as you struggle to see the things around you. Due to your worsening vision, you may rely on friends, family, or objects to get around.
Even getting out of the house can be hard when you have trouble driving because of your sight. You may feel reluctant to ask for help, instead isolating yourself in your home, feeling depressed as your cataracts become more advanced. Your mental health could begin declining, and you may notice that you injure yourself more due to your vision.
Cataract surgery will help you regain much of your independence, though many patients that need the procedure have other health-related conditions that may prevent total independence. You’ll no longer need to rely on those you love (unless you want to), and you’ll more easily be able to do what you want.
Cataract surgery is the best way to help yourself and live your life to the fullest while keeping yourself safe. Feel confident driving at night, knowing that your night vision will be improved.
Look forward to seeing your grandchildren and attending their birthday parties without fear of leaving the house. Be yourself on your own terms with better vision.
4. Increase Your Safety
Getting cataract surgery can help your mental health by eliminating the shame and isolation that comes with decreased independence. But it also helps your physical health by allowing you to see again.
When you have advanced cataracts, it’s not only challenging to complete certain tasks, but it can become dangerous as well. Many cataract patients suffer injuries due to tripping and falling from unseen hazards.
Another issue that cataract patients struggle with is driving at night. Cataracts decrease your low-light vision and cause glare and halos around light sources and sensitivity to light.
When you have cataracts, driving at night can be nearly impossible as headlights and street lamps can be blinding. You may see glare from oncoming traffic or feel unsafe due to unstable vision.
Driving after dark becomes unsafe for many patients with advanced cataracts. After cataract surgery, you’ll no longer have to worry. Enjoy the open road confidently, knowing you can see everything around you.
Is it time to have cataract surgery? Change your life for the better by scheduling a cataract consultation at St. Luke’s Cataract and Laser Institute in one of our seven locations!
