Almost everyone who lives a long life will develop cataracts at some point. As more Americans live into their 70s and beyond, we all need to know a few cataract basics: risks and symptoms, tips that may delay onset, and how...

...to decide when it is time for surgery, so good vision can be restored. August is Cataract Awareness Month, and we encourage Americans to know their risks, especially people who have diabetes, smoke or have a family history of cataract.

Here are a few simple tips for maintaining healthy vision and making the right choices if you develop a cataract.

Get a baseline exam if you’re over 40

The American Academy of Ophthalmology and EyeCare America, a public service program of the Foundation of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, recommend that adults with no signs or risk factors for eye disease get a baseline screening exam at age 40 — the time when early signs of disease and vision changes may start to occur. During this visit, your Eye M.D. (ophthalmologist) will advise you on how often to have follow-up exams. People of any age with symptoms or risks for eye disease, such as a family history, should see their Eye M.D. to determine a  care and follow-up plan.

Know your risk factors

In addition to having a family history of cataract, having diabetes or being a smoker, other factors can increase your risk of developing a cataract. These include extensive exposure to sunlight, serious eye injury or inflammation and prolonged use of steroids, especially combined use of oral and inhaled steroids.

Reduce your risks

Use UV-rated sunglasses when outdoors and add a wide-brimmed hat when spending long hours in the midday sun. One of the best things anyone can do for their eyes and overall health is to quit smoking or never start. People with diabetes can reduce cataract risk by carefully controlling their blood sugar through diet, exercise and medications if needed.

Be informed about when to consider surgery

This decision is really up to each person, based on his or her daily activities and related vision needs. The concept that the cataract is "ripe," or ready, is no longer considered a valid reason for surgery. After age 65, most people will see their Eye M.D. at least once a year to have their vision tested and learn whether cataracts are growing. But only you can determine whether symptoms like glare, halos, blurriness, dimmed colors or other cataract-related problems are making activities like driving and reading difficult or impossible. The Academy’s consumer guide to cataract surgery offers more information.

Talk to your Eye M.D.

When preparing for surgery, you will need to give your doctor your complete medical and eye health history, including whether you are or have taken Flomax®, Hytrin®, Uroxatral® or Cadura®. This information is especially important because these medications can cause the iris to move out of its normal position, which can lead to complications during cataract surgery. You can still have successful surgery if your surgeon knows you have taken these drugs and adjusts his or her surgical technique.

About cataracts:

As we age, the eye’s lens slowly becomes less flexible, less transparent and thicker. Then areas of the lens become cloudy. If left in place until the “overripe” stage, the cataract would become completely white and block vision. Cataracts often develop in both eyes at about the same time. By age 75, about 70 percent of people have cataracts. For more information on cataracts and intraocular lenses, visit www.geteyesmart.org.

In honor of Cataract Awareness Month, EyeCare America is providing eye exams at no out-of-pocket cost to people age 65 and older. The eye exams are provided by a corps of nearly 7,000 volunteer ophthalmologists across the United States and Puerto  Rico. Visit www.eyecareamerica.org to see if you or a loved one is eligible to be matched with an EyeCare America volunteer ophthalmologist.

Bron: American Academy of Ophthalmology - 01/08/2011

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