Three Things Patients Should Know About Cataracts
UCLA Stein Eye Institute and the American Academy of Ophthalmology share facts about the eye condition and the surgery used to treat it.
As everyone grows older, the lenses of their eyes thicken and become cloudier. Eventually, they may find it more difficult to read street signs. Colors may seem dull. These symptoms may signal cataracts, which affect about 70 percent of people by age 75. Fortunately, cataracts can be corrected with surgery. Ophthalmologists, physicians who specialize in medical and surgical eye care, perform around three million cataract surgeries each year to restore vision to those patients. Get an idea of what someone with cataracts might experience with this cataract vision simulator. The following are facts people should know about the condition.
A life-changing surgery
At age 49, Michael Sargent’s vision had become so impaired by cataracts that he couldn’t distinguish shapes or colors without his glasses on, even if objects were right in front of him. His ophthalmologist recommended cataract surgery.
“Having the surgery was life-changing,” said Sargent, who lives in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. “I can see everything from the time on my alarm clock to a bird’s nest in a tree hundreds of feet away without glasses. It’s the most amazing experience I’ve ever had.”
Nation’s Ophthalmologists Issue New Advice This July 4th
Every Fourth of July, families, friends, and communities come together throughout the country to view firework displays. And every year, we encourage the public to leave the fireworks to the professionals and go to a public display. At the same time, fireworks sales have spiked as much as 400 percent during the last year, according to news reports. UCLA Stein Eye Institute and the American Academy of Ophthalmology are concerned that trips to the hospital for fireworks-related injuries will mirror this spike in fireworks sales.
We remind the public that consumer fireworks are dangerous both to those who set them off and to bystanders. Here are the facts:
The US Consumer Product Safety Commission reported 10,000 injuries and 12 firework-related deaths in 2019.
There is significant variability among state and county laws regarding the use of consumer fireworks. Setting off fireworks at home is illegal in some states. For people in states in which it’s legal, here’s how to make sure your backyard celebration doesn’t end in the ER:
Don't pick up duds and misfires: Fireworks nearly cost an Ohio firefighter his sight. He took all the right precautions for his backyard Fourth of July fireworks celebration. But a split-second decision to inspect a "dud" was almost fatal.
If you suffer an eye injury from a firework:
Seek medical attention immediately.