Cataract Treatment at Wichita Optometry

If your eyes aren't what they used to be, it's possible that you might be experiencing the symptoms of cataract development. Cataracts are most frequently age related, although they can stem from other causes as well -- and they can cause serious vision impairment or even blindness if left untreated. The good news is that cataracts are easier than ever to diagnose and even to eliminate, thanks to cutting-edge medical technologies. Here at Wichita Optometry, P.A., our experienced team can determine whether you have cataracts, monitor the condition's progress carefully, and provide the necessary co-management accompanying surgical removal.

A cataract is an abnormality afflicting the proteins inside the lens of the eye. These proteins are normally invisible and are arranged to permit optimal refraction of light through the eye to the retina. If these proteins start to gather together into opaque clumps, however, the lens can become cloudy-looking. Colors may take on a yellowish tone, and you may start losing your ability to make out certain colors adequately. Vision may grow increasingly blurry, and night vision may become poor as the eyes lose their contrast range. You may also notice rays, halos or "sparkles" around bright lights such as street lamps or car headlights. 

Nuclear cataracts, which develop in the center of the lens, commonly occur as the eye ages. Other possible causes or contributing factors include:

• Diabetes
• UV exposure
• Medications such as corticosteroids or statins
• High blood pressure
• Obesity
• Smoking
• Genetic predisposition

Cataract Care at Wichita Optometry, P.A.

Cataracts may develop so slowly that you don't even realize that your vision is worsening. That's why it's so important to get regular eye exams here at Wichita Optometry, P.A., especially in middle age and the senior years. Our optometry team can use a combination of standard visual acuity testing, slit-lamp examination and other diagnostics to detect even the earliest signs of cataract growth. We will monitor its development from year to year to see how fast it's growing and to what extent it's affecting your vision.

Once a cataract significantly impairs your quality of life, we may advise you to schedule its surgical removal. The less invasive procedure, known as small-incision surgery, allows the eye surgeon to break up the diseased lens with ultrasound (phacoemulsification) and then remove the pieces through the incision. Severe cataracts are better suited to extracapsular surgery, in which the entire lens is removed intact. In either procedure, the lens is replaced by crystal-clear artificial intraocular lens, or IOL.

In addition to the pre-operative phase of cataract diagnosis, monitoring and treatment advice, Wichita Optometry, P.A. also provides essential post-operative care. While you may start seeing better very quickly after the procedure, our team will manage your post-operative care over the following 3 months after your surgery in order to make sure that you are healing correctly. Call Wichita optometry at (316) 942-7496 to schedule an eye exam -- and stay ahead of the cataract curve!