A
diagnosis of cataract can only be made by a thorough eye examination including
slit lamp (microscopic) evaluation. Other devices are sometimes used to determine
if glare interferes with vision. If cataract surgery is being considered, an ophthalmologist
will also examine the posterior aspect of the eye, which will include evaluation
of the retina and optic nerve. If a cataract is mature (extremely dense) or hypermature
(white), an ultrasound device known as a B-scan may be used to rule-out retinal
detachment and ocular tumors prior to proceeding with cataract surgery.
The
progression of cataracts is highly variable, however, they will invariably worsen
in severity. Changing glasses may sometimes be useful in improving vision as the
cataract progresses, since cataracts may induce relative nearsightedness. This
is the answer as to why some patients with hyperopia (farsightedness) will actually
have better vision without glasses in the early stages of cataract development.
For most patients, however, changing glasses has minimal impact on overall visual
quality. Besides changing glasses, the only other option for treatment of cataracts
is cataract surgery. Cataract Surgery
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