Seniors Should Know About Cataracts And Importance Of Undergoing Annual Eye Exam By Your Ophthalmologist

24 May 2018
 Categories: Health & Medical , Blog


The cataract condition is named as one of the main causes of blindness, which you can unfortunately develop as you grow older. So it's very important to make sure that you undergo an annual comprehensive eye exam. If the results of the exam show that you have cataracts, your ophthalmologist will advise you about the severity of the problem. He or she will also determine whether you must have eye surgery fairly soon depending on the current status of the cataracts.

About Cataracts

When you develop a cataract, the normal lens of your eye become clouded and everything you look at appears blurry. That's why ophthalmologists advise seniors like yourself to undergo an annual comprehensive eye exam. Your current annual exam will generally reveal the current condition of your eyes. Your ophthalmologist will compare the current testing results against your previous annual exam results. This comparison allows the ophthalmologist to decide whether you currently need to undergo cataract surgery.

If your current exam reveals that you are experiencing blurry vision, a sensitivity to bright light and glare as well as halos around any type of light, then it's evident that the cataract is affecting the way light is entering your eye. Your night vision could also be negatively impacted, and you should not drive at night. Clearly understand the negative effect a cataract can have on your dry eye problem following cataract removal.

Dry Eyes Condition Worsens Following Cataract Surgery

If you have undergone cataract surgery after being afflicted with dry eye syndrome for a number of years, you will experience worse dry eye problems following the surgery. The worsening of your dry eye condition has a lot to do with being an older person as well as the incisional cataract surgery process itself. So you're more sensitive to medications you are given during cataract surgery. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are capable of damaging your eye's ocular surface, and your age group's sensitivity does make you more liable to have underlying dry eye symptoms.

Avoid Worsening Dry Eyes After Cataract Removal

What you have to do to avoid the uncomfortable post cataract surgery dry eyes problem is to make sure that your surgeon preoperatively assesses you for any coincidental issues like dry eye. Why should this be done? Well if the surgeon preoperatively assesses your dry eye problem and finds that you have moderate to severe dry eye, then your dry eye issue must be addressed preoperatively. Remember this fact that will save you from the discomforts of post category symptoms such as stinging and burning at the surgical site.


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