A Cataract refers to the typical age related deterioration of the natural lens inside the eye. This progressive cloudiness and yellowing causes our vision to gradually worsen, especially at night or under difficult lighting conditions. Most patients in the U.S. have their Cataracts removed in their 60’s-70’s. Some forms of Cataract are related to other medical conditions such as Diabetes, Nearsightedness, and the use of Steroid medications for example. These Cataracts often present at a much younger age, even in the 40’s-50’s, and usually progress much more quickly, often worsening the vision over months rather than years.

Cataract is the leading cause of preventable blindness worldwide with over 40 million people in developing countries blind due to lack of access to good medical care. The U.S. has been the world leader in treating Cataract for decades; much of the innovation in technique and technology has developed here. As a result, patients virtually anywhere in the U.S. have access to a local surgery center with state of the art equipment and staffing.

Because medical care for Cataract is so highly developed, most surgeons in the U.S. will remove a Cataract when the vision can be shown to be impaired under certain conditions, for instance the glare from headlights while driving at night. If you suspect you may be experiencing a decline in your vision, it is very important to undergo a full eye exam to determine the cause. An experienced surgeon can easily diagnose the source of vision decline and recommend the appropriate treatment.

For many years I have used the questionnaire below to understand the vision problems of my patients. I have modified it from a well developed and validated standardized testing form used in numerous clinical research studies by the National Eye Institute. If you think you may have a Cataract, feel free to print out a copy with your answers to show your eye doctor at your next exam.

In my experience performing over 5000 Cataract surgeries since 1994, the right time to have surgery varies with each patient’s particular visual needs. I look at the responses to these questions about impairment of the normal activities of daily living and correlate those with my exam findings to help counsel patients about the best option for their vision.

Fortunately, Cataracts are never an emergency needing urgent attention. Unfortunately, many patients needlessly delay surgery over unfounded fears or misconceptions about modern Cataract surgery. I encourage you to keep walking down our Cataract path to learn more about your options.

Cataract Questionnaire