Have you have been putting off your eye exam month after month? Don’t delay. Eye exams are important for detecting many eye conditions, including cataracts. If your vision is good, you may not think you need an eye exam every year. However, eye exams are far more than just a check of your vision. If you’re near Fort Myers or Cape Coral, you are near Elmquist Eye Group, the best cataract surgeons in south Florida.
The Risk For Cataracts
As you age, you are at risk for cataracts. Most cataracts are age-related and just occur as the natural proteins in your eye or eyes break down and clump onto the lens, forming the cataract. Genetics also play a role, so if you have a family history of cataracts, you may also have higher risk. Health issues like diabetes also put you at higher risk as well. You can lower your risk by not smoking, moderate alcohol consumption and protecting your eyes from the sun. A diet rich in dark, leafy green vegetables like spinach and kale is also helpful to provide your eyes with vital nutrients.
Early detection is key, so it is important to come in for an annual eye exam. We perform a dilated eye exam at least every two years to allow our doctors to better examine the detailed structures of the eye. This exam is simple and painless and your eyes are back to normal in no time.
How Are Cataracts Treated?
Once a cataract is detected, we can monitor its progression. Surgery may not be needed right away, and there are many things you can do before surgery is needed. You may have to use brighter lights at home or at work to make reading easier, and you may have to wear anti-glare glasses to better see a computer screen. Likewise, anti-glare sunglasses may help in bright sunlight. At first, our excellent Elmquist team can adjust your eyeglasses or contact lens prescription more frequently, but as the cataract progresses, surgery is the only fix.
Cataracts can form in one or both eyes, and when they are significant enough to interfere with daily activities, our surgeons will likely recommend surgery. It is important to let us know if you feel that your daily activities like reading, watching television, screen time or driving are being impacted. If so, don’t wait a year for your next exam. Give us a call anytime.
The surgery is very safe and effective. We perform it on an outpatient basis. It’s quick too. We simply remove the clouded lens and replace it with a brand new artificial lens. These lenses, called intraocular lenses can also provide vision correction; there are so many lens choices today, that we can correct nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism and your cataract all at the same time.
Stop wondering and worrying about your risk of cataracts. Most of our patients don’t need surgery right away, but if you are over age 60, it is important to assess whether you have a cataract and monitor its progression if you do. Stop fretting and start dialing the best cataract surgeons in south Florida. Give us a call today to make your appointment at Elmquist Eye Group at either of our convenient locations in Fort Myers or Cape Coral.