Cataracts are common. About a third of people aged over 65 have cataracts in one or both eyes. Getting older and exposure to bright sunlight are the main reasons people get cataracts. Having diabetes, smoking and drinking too much alcohol may also increase your risk of cataracts.

A cataract operation can help you see better and stop your poor sight interfering with your life. Not everyone with a cataract needs an operation. Doctors usually suggest the operation when your cataract interferes with your daily life rather than when your eyesight reaches a particular score on a sight test. In the past, people were advised that their cataract had to be ‘ripe’ (very bad) before it was worth having an operation.

This is because cataract surgery was a big operation that took a long time to recover from, and the artificial lenses used then were not very good. Now, with safer, quicker operations, cataracts are generally removed earlier, before they cause serious problems. And modern lenses are better.

Sometimes a cataract should be removed even if it does not cause problems with your sight. This is because there is another eye problem that needs treating and the cataract is in the way. Examples of other eye problems are diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration. They are problems with the blood vessels in the eye. If you have cataracts in both eyes, it’s normal to do them one eye at a time, usually a couple of months or more apart. This is because the treated eye can be sore and needs to settle down for a while.

For greater Chicago Illinois and Southern Wisconsin eye care patients, the Eye Care Center of Lake County will be convenient with its located offices in Gurnee, Vernon Hills and Lake Villa Illinois. Patients seeking any aspect of general, medical, surgical, laser or optical eye care services will find the Ophthalmologists, Optometrists and staff of the Eye Care Center of Lake County to be friendly, professional and experienced.

The Eye Care Center of Lake County staff performs general eye examinations for eyeglasses and contact lenses, examinations for cataracts and cataract surgery, lens implants including near vision presbyopia correcting multifocal intraocular lenses (IOL) such as the Crystalens® Lens Implant, the ReZoom™ Lens Implant and the Acrysof® ReSTOR® Lens Implants, laser eye surgery for the Laser Vision Correction of nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism, such as LASIK surgery, medical and laser treatment of glaucoma, medical, laser and surgical treatment of diabetic retinopathy as well treatment of age related macular degeneration (ARMD) including recent advances such as Avastin® and Lucentis® Injections.

Regular vision care treatments would have identified heredity factors as the cause of this diminished visual acuity. Some people might shrug the vision deficit off because they are able to see things which are close to the face very clearly, and it is only when tasked with looking afar that the vision deficit is more apparent. A qualified eye professional would make eyesight determinations only after running a few vision checks in the office and reviewing the vision care history of the patient.

An optometrist might discover other reasons for myopia during the vision care examination. During that exam, the eye care professional would see that there were changes to the muscles that control eye movements. Little changes to the way the eye moves are good reasons for vision care treatments because defects that are discovered early are the easiest eye problems to correct. A patient might only have to perform certain eye exercises for a month or two for vision to return to normal.

Some people have other reasons for getting vision care treatments twice a year. They may have failed the vision tests administered by the Department of Motor Vehicles and were denied a driver’s license. A retest for the driver’s license exam will be possible in a month or more, and during that time, the driver’s license applicant could have an eye exam and wear eyeglasses or contact lenses when the vision tests are administered again.

Once the driver has passed the driver’s license examination, the driver’s license will authorize the driver to operate a motor vehicle on any roadway. The only stipulation that must be met to drive will be a notation on the back that requires corrective lenses to be worn by driving. People that have not had a vision care check in a while, might be unable to read the small print that outlines this requirement. Before taking any driving test, an applicant can scan the license and see if vision acuity needs to be corrected.

If a eye care patient explains to an optometrists that they are unable to see things up close, the eye care professional will know right away that the patient is exhibiting signs of hyperopia. More commonly known as farsightedness, most people do not know that this sight problem is often based on heredity. A person can choose to correct the visual acuity problem through surgical procedures, or selecting an attractive pair of eyeglasses. A vision acuity test can also render the patient with a prescription for contact lenses.

Other vision problems might be discovered during a vision care check. A patient might have astigmatism and not even know it. The eye care examination will give an eye care professional a microscopic view of the surface of the eye and a noticeable ridge will be seen that makes images misalign. Only through regular vision care treatments can an optometrist track the progress of this misalignment, and prescribe the right eye treatment that will return vision to normal ranges.

Eye care starts with you, and the more knowledgeable you are of keeping the eye healthy, the better it is for you.

Although patients with Cataracts today should be reassured that the technology of Cataract Surgery & Lens Implants along with the comfort, convenience and sophistication of outpatient cataract surgery centers can provide a safe and effective Cataract Surgery experience, the single most important choice one will need to make is in the selection of a Cataract Surgeon. Their expertise and experience is still the key to providing the best possible vision correction results and outcomes after the removal of Cataracts.

By using the information available in AboutCataractSurgery.com to learn about Cataracts, Cataract Surgery, Lens Implants, Cataract Surgeons and Cataract Surgery Centers you are taking the first step to becoming an educated patient who is able to make informed decisions about their eye care.

Many different types of laser vision correction are available, although some are still in the experimental stage. While each surgeon prefers his own choice of method, the best technique for the individual patient is of the utmost importance. It is essential that research be performed prior to laser vision correction in order to determine the best procedure for a specific condition. During the pre-surgical counseling, it is good advice to come prepared with any questions and concerns pertaining to the procedure. Much thought should always be put forth in choosing the best type of laser vision correction for a given condition as each type of laser vision correction has benefits and risks associated with it.

To make any necessary eye surgery experience a pleasant one, under Dr. Scott Spector’s medical direction, the New Vision Cataract & Laser Center was opened in 1999, a fully certified Connecticut eye surgery facility in Norwalk, dedicated to providing world class eye care for patients.

Please let Spector Eye Care knows about your needs, concerns, questions or suggestions during your visit to Spector Eye Care or New Vision Cataract and Laser Center.