What kind of help? | Cataract Surgery
Q: What are cataracts?
A: A cataract is the clouding of the lens of the eye. The lens is located near the front of the eye and is used to focus light on the retina at the back of eye. From the retina the light is carried as an electrical message to the brain by the optic nerve, forming the images we see. If the lens is cloudy we no longer receive the same amount of light on the retina, losing our ability to see clearly. The degree of blindness is usually proportional to the overall cloudiness of the lens.
Q: How are cataracts treated?
A: Depending on how cloudy the lens is, it may have to be removed. A local anesthetic is applied and the cloudy lens is surgically removed and replaced with a new artificial lens, more commonly known as a intraocular lens (IOL). The IOL requires no maintenance, it becomes a part of the eye.
For more detailed information on cataracts please visit the Canadian Ophthalmological Society.
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