Cataracts

Vision and Ortho-K Center

Curtis Frank, OD

Optometry & Specialty Contact Lens Practice located in Boston, MA & Newton Upper Falls, MA

More than 25 million Americans have cataracts, and that number keeps increasing. If your vision isn’t as sharp as it used to be, Curtis Frank, OD, an experienced optometrist, and the highly skilled team at Vision and Ortho-K Center in Boston, and Newton Upper Falls, Massachusetts, can examine your eyes to see if cataracts are the reason for your clouded or blurred vision. Learn if you’re at risk for developing cataracts as you get older and the available treatment options. Call the office, or book online today.

Cataracts Q & A

What are cataracts?

A cataract is a clouding of the clear lens in your eye. The lenses in your eyes are normally clear, but cataracts make it seem like you’re looking through a steamed-up window where everything looks fuzzy. Cataracts may be inherited, the result of an eye injury or the natural aging process.

Cataracts form when lens tissue breaks down and clumps together forming small cloudy areas on your eye’s lens. As the cataract gets bigger, it covers more of your lens and distorts your vision. The different types of cataracts include:

Nuclear cataracts in the center of your lens
Cortical cataracts that affect the edges of your lens
Posterior subcapsular cataracts that form near the back of your lens
Congenital cataracts that are present from birth

You can develop cataracts as a child or later in life when you’re older, which is quite common.

What are the risk factors for developing cataracts?

You increase your risk of developing cataracts with any of the following:

The normal aging process
High blood pressure
Diabetes
Smoking
Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol
Eye surgery
Eye injury
Obesity
Prolonged use of corticosteroids

You also put yourself at risk if you spend a lot of time in the sun without sunglasses to protect your eyes from ultraviolet rays.

What are the symptoms of cataracts?

Cloudy or blurred vision is common when you have cataracts, and other signs include:

Sensitivity to light
Fading colors
Dim vision
Difficulty focusing at night
Frequent changes in vision prescriptions
Double vision in one eye
Halos around bright lights

Since cataracts usually develop gradually, you may not notice a difference in changes in your vision until the cataract gets larger.

What treatments are available for cataracts?

At first, stronger glasses or contacts may help you see better with cataracts. When cataracts affect your vision and make daily tasks difficult, cataract surgery to replace the lens in your eye can help you see clearly again. During surgery, your doctor removes the clouded lens from your eye and replaces it with a permanent, clear intraocular lens (IOL).

Cataract surgery is a relatively simple, painless procedure, thanks to lasers. And your new IOL can correct your vision, so you may not even need to rely on glasses all the time. As an optometrist with more than 30 years of experience, Dr. Frank specializes in cataract surgical co-management. He helps you prepare for surgery, works closely with your surgeon, and provides your postoperative care and follow-up eye exams.

If you suspect you have cataracts, don’t wait to seek treatment. Contact Vision and Ortho-K Center by phone or through the online booking tool.

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