Cataract Surgery Fredericksburg, PA

Have you been experiencing glare, blurred vision, or difficulty reading or driving at night? These could be early signs of a cataract. Surgery is the only repair for a cataract, and if you are in Fredericksburg, PA, cataract surgery is available at Eye Consultants of Pennsylvania in our Lebanon office.

What are cataracts?

As people age, many will be affected by cataracts, which are diagnosed during a routine eye exam with a special cataract exam included. Doctors don’t know exactly why cataracts occur, but they appear to be caused by a structural protein breakdown in the eye lens.

This breakdown is a slow process that occurs over many years. Over time, the proteins form on the lens and cloud vision. By age 60, many adults will start forming cataracts and by age 75, the cataract may be significant enough to require surgery. Cataracts can affect one or both eyes and are a very common condition particularly in people over age 75.

The lens becomes cloudy and cannot properly focus light on the back of the eye (the retina). Images appear distorted and blurry. Certain lifestyle and environmental factors can speed up cataract formation. Excessive exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light is a factor, so it is important to always protect your eyes from sunlight. Smokers and people with diabetes tend to form cataracts at an earlier age, and certain medications like steroids and statins can also result in earlier cataract formation.

Cataracts develop gradually and are not painful. They don’t develop rapidly, so if you have rapid or painful vision changes, come see us immediately because that could be a sign of a serious eye disease like glaucoma.

When do I need surgery?

People can function with cataracts for many years with no bothers, few symptoms and no serious impact on vision. Surgery is usually not needed right away, but is suggested when symptoms worsen. Many of our patients begin having problems with reading, viewing television or computer screens, and driving. The amount of difficulty you are having with vision and performing these routine daily activities will be the biggest determination regarding whether you have surgery. We recommend eye exams every six months to monitor the progression of your cataract.

Many of our patients say that their vision with a cataract is like looking through greasy glasses or a dirty window. Most experience increased nearsightedness, dulled color vision and difficulty with glare from lights or sunlight. People need to more frequently update their eyeglasses prescription and some even report double vision.

When it is time for surgery, the surgeon will perform an outpatient surgery to remove the cataract and replace the natural lens with an artificial implantable lens called an intraocular lens. These days, lens technology is amazing and we have a variety of lens types that can restore various vision problems including nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism. Cataract surgery is very safe and very effective with few complications.

Our cataract surgeons

Eye Consultants of Pennsylvania are the best in cataract surgery in Fredericksburg, PA and in the entire state. We cannot stress enough the importance of regular eye exams if you are over age 60. If it has been a while since your last exam or if you are experiencing cataract symptoms, come see us at Eye Consultants of Pennsylvania in our Lebanon office. We want you to be our next new patient, so give us a call to schedule your cataract consultation today.