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Cataract Treatments

Treatment

For an early cataract, vision may be improved by using different eyeglasses, magnifying lenses, or stronger lighting. If these measures don't help or if vision loss interferes with your everyday activities, such as driving, reading, or watching TV, surgery is the only effective treatment.

Cataract surgery is almost never an emergency. Therefore, in most cases, waiting until you are ready to have cataract surgery will not harm your eye. However, your cataract will only get more cloudy with time.

Cataract surgery is almost always performed in one eye at a time. After the cloudy lens is removed, the eye surgeon (ophthalmologist) places an intraocular lens (IOL) in its place. An IOL is a clear lens that requires no care and becomes a permanent part of your eye.

After cataract surgery, most people need reading glasses and many people need glasses for distance. There is a relatively new option, multifocal intraocular lenses, which focus for both near and far distance in the same lens. Many patients who receive multifocal intraocular lenses see well at both a distance and nearby without glasses.

Although every surgery has risks, the majority of patients who have cataract surgery have better vision afterward.

If you are diagnosed with cataracts, follow your doctor's instructions .

Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Copyright © 2024 EBSCO Publishing All rights reserved.

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