Frequently Asked Questions
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- What exactly is a cataract?
- Are cataracts found only in older people?
- My doctor says I have a cataract, but he wants to wait a while before removing it. Why?
- Is cataract surgery serious?
- How is a cataract removed?
- I've heard that lasers are sometimes involved?
- What exactly is glaucoma?
- What's the difference between glaucoma and ocular hypertension?
- Why does my eye doctor want to do more than one kind of glaucoma test?
- Who's at the most risk for glaucoma?
- Is there any way to prevent glaucoma?
- What are the signs and symptoms of glaucoma?
Cataracts
Q. What exactly is a cataract?
A cataract is a cloudiness of the eye's natural lens, which lies between the front and back areas of the eye.
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Q. Are cataracts found only in older people?
About half of the population has a cataract by age 65, and nearly everyone over 75 has at least one. But in rare cases, infants can have congenital cataracts. These are usually related to the mother having German measles, chickenpox, or another infectious disease during pregnancy, but sometimes they are inherited.
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Q. My doctor says I have a cataract, but he wants to wait a while before removing it. Why?
A cataract usually starts very small and practically unnoticeable but grows gradually larger and cloudier. Your doctor is probably waiting until the cataract interferes significantly with your vision and your lifestyle. You need to continue to visit your eye doctor regularly so the cataract's progress is monitored. Some cataracts never really reach the stage where they should be removed. If your cataract is interfering with your vision to the point where it is unsafe to drive, or doing everyday tasks is difficult, then it's time to discuss surgery with your doctor.
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Q. Is cataract surgery serious?
All surgery involves some risk, so yes, it is serious. However, cataract surgery is the most commonly performed type of surgery in the United States. Many cataract surgeons have several thousand procedures under their belt. Choosing a surgeon with this much experience will reduce the risk of something going wrong.
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Q. How is a cataract removed?
A small incision is made into the eye. The surgeon will either remove the lens as is, or use ultrasound, a laser or surgical solution to break it up, and then remove it. The back membrane of the lens (called the posterior capsule) is left in place. Usually, a replacement lens (called an intraocular lens, or IOL) is inserted.
Occasionally, a doctor will perform intracapsular extraction; this is when both the lens and the membrane are removed, to ensure that the membrane itself won't eventually grow cloudy and interfere with vision. When the membrane becomes cloudy, or if any bits of remaining natural lens become cloudy, this is called a secondary cataract. The problem with intracapsular extraction is that the membrane is no longer there to receive a replacement lens. Read more about what to expect if you have cataract surgery.
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Q. I've heard that lasers are sometimes involved?
YAG lasers are used in a later procedure to create a clear opening in the lens-containing membrane, if the membrane becomes cloudy in the months following the original cataract removal.
Also, some doctors use a laser to break up the cloudy lens before removing it.
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Glaucoma
Q. What exactly is glaucoma?
Glaucoma is a condition in which the eye's intraocular pressure (IOP) is too high. This means that your eye has too much aqueous humor in it, either because it produced too much, or because it's not draining properly. Other symptoms are optic nerve damage and vision loss.
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Q. What's the difference between glaucoma and ocular hypertension?
Ocular hypertension is another term for high IOP; the pressure is not high enough to cause optic nerve damage and vision loss.
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Q. Why does my eye doctor want to do more than one kind of glaucoma test?
The "puff test" that most people are familiar with measures IOP. Another way doctors may measure it is by pressing an instrument called an applanation tonometer against your eye to determine how much resistance there is.
Your doctor may also want to check for optic nerve damage by dilating your eyes, or to check for vision loss with a visual field test
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Q. Who's at the most risk for glaucoma?
If you're over age 60, diabetic or have a family member with glaucoma, you are at higher risk for glaucoma than others.
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Q. Is there any way to prevent glaucoma?
Doctors don't know of any way to prevent glaucoma. Current research is suggesting that optic nerve nutrition can be enhanced with certain drugs and also with certain nutritional agents, like gingko biloba.
It is better to avoid smoking and excessive alcohol, eat a healthy diet, keep your weight down, exercise, take nutritional products and be sure to see your eye specialist on a regular basis.
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Q. What are the signs and symptoms of glaucoma?
There are usually no signs that you're developing glaucoma until vision loss occurs, which is why it's so important to have regular eye exams. Your eye doctor can diagnose and treat high IOP before it progresses to optic nerve damage and vision loss.
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