In people who develop visual problems or obvious eye cloudiness, the process has taken place at a much faster rate than normal. Cataract development may be the result of exposure to ultraviolet light, radiation, or toxins in the environment. Certain diseases, such as diabetes, alter the chemistry of the eyes and make people more prone to cataracts. Surgery, in which the lens of the eye is replaced with an artificial lens implant, is the only cure for a cataract. A person with a cataract will usually make the decision to have surgery once his or her visual loss has progressed to a point where reading is uncomfortable or performing daily activities is difficult.
Cataract surgery is a day surgery procedure, and doesn t require general anesthesia.
Before surgery becomes necessary, an ophthalmologist may recommend one or more other measures to alleviate symptoms or difficulties caused by a cataract. Your ophthalmologist will advise you on the best treatment measures for your eyes. Kollarits C. Chapter 42, Opthalmologic Disorders. In Duthie, Edmund H, ed. Practice of Geriatrics , 3rd edition, W. B. Saunders Company, 1998.