Cataracts Consultation & Co-Management

Causes of Cataracts

Cataracts are essentially a change in the tissue structure that makes up the eye’s lens. These changes happen as a result of age or injury. As we get older, the lens in front of the eye naturally gets thicker and less flexible, causing it to become less transparent. In addition to age, cataracts can be brought on by conditions such as diabetes, genetics, health problems, other eye diseases, past eye surgeries or the long-term use of steroids.

Cataracts often develop in both eyes, but sometimes, cataracts in one eye may develop more quickly than in the other. In such cases, vision problems can become compounded and different treatment approaches may be necessary for each eye.

Cataract Treatment

Surgery is the only way to remove cataracts. Although age-related cataracts can develop when a person is in their 40s or 50s, they don’t usually affect your vision at that point. It is typically after the age of 60 when cataracts begin to cause vision problems. When the problems begin to interfere with allowing you to perform routine daily tasks, your eye doctor may suggest having cataract surgery. The surgery has become fairly common and it involves simply removing the outer eye lens that has become cloudy and replacing it with a clear artificial lens.

Co-Management with Your Optometrist

If you are experiencing problems with cataracts and interested in surgery to help relieve your vision problems, the first step is to consult with your optometrist to get a thorough overview of the process. The eyes are gentle, fragile organs and need to be handled with great care and attention to detail. In addition to understanding what happens in surgery, it’s important to be educated on how to best care for your eyes when you’re at home and performing routine activities. Your optometrist can be a great resource for explaining what you can expect from surgery and for helping you to manage and maintain healthy eye habits over the long-term.

Pre & Post Surgery Eye Care

Early detection and surgery is just the beginning of maintaining your eye care. Take time to talk to your optometrist about what changes you may experience in your vision after the surgery. It may become easy to start taking good vision for granted once the surgery has made things clearer for you. However, you must remain vigilant about avoiding eye strain and habits that can cause premature wear and tear of the new lens.

The Optics&EYECARE Vision Center

The Optics&EYECARE vision center in Ashburn is committed to excellence in optometry. Our expert optometrist, Seema Mohanan, O.D. is a highly skilled and experienced eye care professional who is knowledgeable in all facets of eye health, diseases, treatment and vision maintenance.

With our patients over the age of 60, we routinely do a cataracts consultation, so that we can make sure to catch any disruptions in eye health before they become a big problem. Early detection plays a big part in the success of any treatments, so we work hard to pay attention to detail and stay on top of any changes in the inner workings of your eye. This helps us to be proactive and highly effective when we administer treatments and offer advice on keeping your vision strong.

Schedule an Appointment with Your Local Optometrist

Questions or concerns? Please don't hesitate to contact us at 703-687-4719.