Cataracts FAQ

What is a cataract?

A cataract is a clouding of the normally clear lens of the eye. The lens is responsible for focusing light rays on the retina at the back of the eye to produce a sharp image of what we see. When the lens becomes cloudy, the light rays cannot pass easily through it, and the image becomes blurry. Cataracts usually develop as part of the aging process but can also come from eye injuries, systemic diseases, certain medications and genetic inheritance (for more information on cataracts in children, click here). Cataracts are very common in older people. By age 80, more than half of all Americans either have a cataract or have had cataract surgery. A cataract can occur in either or both eyes. It cannot spread from one eye to the other.

Who is at risk for a cataract?

The risk of developing a cataract increases as you get older. In addition to age, other risk factors include:

• certain diseases like diabetes
• smoking or alcohol use
• prolonged exposure to ultraviolet sunlight

The most common symptoms are:

• cloudy or blurry vision
• colors seem faded
• glare -- headlights, lamps, or sunlight appearing too bright, or a halo may appear around lights
• poor night vision
• double vision or multiple images in one eye
• frequent prescription changes in your eyeglasses or contact lenses

However, these symptoms can also be a sign of other eye problems. If you have any of these symptoms, please call Eye Physicians of Central Florida to schedule an examination.

How is a cataract treated?

If your vision is only a little blurry, the cataract may need no treatment at all. Sometimes changing your eyeglass prescription may improve your vision for awhile. However, if a change in eyeglasses does not help, you may need cataract surgery. There are no medications, eye drops, exercises or glasses that will cause cataracts to disappear once they have formed. Surgery involves removing the cloudy lens and replacing it with an artificial lens. Click here to learn more about Cataract Surgery at Eye Physicians of Central Florida.

Does cataract surgery hurt?

Because of numbing drops and medications that are used to help you relax, the procedure is virtually painless.

Will I be asleep during cataract surgery?

Since the surgery does not take very long, you will not have to be put completely asleep with general anesthesia. Instead, we will use a local/topical anesthetic to numb your eye, and you will remain in twilight sleep during the procedure.

How long will my intraocular lens (IOL) implant last?

The IOL is placed permanently in your eye and will not “wear out.”

I have cataracts in both eyes. Will the doctor treat both at the same time?

Typically, we will perform surgery in the second eye three or four weeks after the first eye.

Can a cataract return?

No. A cataract cannot return because the entire lens has been removed. However, in some patients who have cataract surgery, the lens capsule (the tissue bag that holds the replacement lens) becomes cloudy. This is sometimes called a secondary cataract and can happen months or years after surgery. It causes the same visual problems as the original cataract. This condition can be treated through a procedure called a YAG laser capsulotomy. Your physician uses a laser beam to make a small opening in the capsule through which light can then pass. The procedure is painless and allows most people to see well.

Will I still need to wear glasses after cataract surgery?

It depends on the type of intraocular lens (IOL) implant you choose.

Frequently, patients do not need glasses or contacts for distance tasks following surgery with a traditional monofocal IOL, but still rely on reading glasses for near tasks. However, patients who choose to have one of the new accommodating, multi-focal intraocular lenses (IOLs) implanted often do not need any glasses at all after surgery. To learn more about these new options, click here.

Are lasers used to treat cataracts?

No. Surgery is the only way to remove a cataract. In some cases, after cataract surgery, a YAG laser is used to treat clouding in the membrane that supports the IOL.