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Cataracts

Cataract Diagnosis and Treatment: How Our Eye Care Team Can Help

Cataracts are a very common cause of vision loss among older men and women. In fact, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, nearly 25 million people over age 40 have a cataract in one or both eyes. By age 75, about half of all people have one or two cataracts. Fortunately, cataracts can be treated - in fact, cataract surgery is one of the most commonly performed surgeries in the U.S. As a leading Lancaster, St. Johnsbury and Montpelier optometrist, Shippee Family Eye Care offers comprehensive eye care service and treatment for patients with cataracts, including pre op and post op care. cataract diagnosis from your optometrist in lancaster

What Is A Cataract?

Cataract is the name of a condition that causes your eye’s natural lens to become clouded. The lens of your eye is located just behind your pupil. Normally, it’s clear, allowing light to pass through your pupil to the light-sensitive retina at the back of your eye. But as you get older, the lens can become cloudy, preventing light from entering and causing vision loss that gets progressively worse over time. The cloudiness occurs when proteins in your lens begin to clump together, forming opaque areas that block light. Cataracts can form in anyone, but they’re more common among people with diabetes, and they can also form following an injury.

What symptoms do cataracts cause?

Initially, a cataract may cause very few symptoms. But as the lens becomes cloudier, you might experience symptoms like:

  • problems seeing in dimly-lit environments or outside after dark
  • loss of brightness in the colors you see
  • difficulty with close-up work like reading or sewing
  • blurry vision
  • halos (rings of light) around bright lights

Cataracts are not the only eye condition that can cause these symptoms. If you have any change in your vision, it’s very important to schedule an exam right away to determine the cause.

How does an eye doctor diagnose and treat cataracts?

Cataracts are diagnosed with a comprehensive eye exam. During the exam, the eye doctor will evaluate your eyes’ lenses and other structures of your eye in addition to performing a vision exam. The exam can confirm the presence of a cataract in addition to ruling out other possible causes of symptoms. If you have mild cataracts, you may be able to improve minor vision symptoms by using a magnifying glass and brighter lights. Eventually, though, as the cataract becomes thicker and your vision loss continues, you’ll need to have the cataract surgically removed. 

Call Shippee Family Eye Care Today!

At Shippee Family Eye Care, we help patients in Lancaster, St. Johnsbury and Montpelier get the best care for their needs with referrals to top-ranked eye surgeons skilled in cataract removal. Once your surgery is completed, we can provide all the follow-up exams and other care and service need to help you enjoy a rapid and complete recovery. If you're experiencing vision problems, don't delay your care. Call our Lancaster office at (603) 444-2484, our St. Johnsbury office at (802) 748-3536 or our Montpelier office at (802) 223-7723 and schedule an eye exam today.

Office Hours

Lancaster | 150 Main St Lancaster, NH, 03584

Monday - Thursday:

8:00 am - 4:30 pm

Friday:

8:00 am - 1:00 pm

Saturday, Sunday:

Closed

St. Johnsbury | 468 Hospital Dr St Johnsbury, VT 05819

Monday - Friday:

8:00 am - 4:30 pm

Saturday, Sunday:

Closed

Montpelier | 114 Main St Montpelier, VT 05602

Monday - Friday:

8:00 am - 4:30 pm

Saturday, Sunday:

Closed

Littleton | 580 St Johnsbury Rd #12 Littleton, NH 03561

Monday - Friday:

8:00 am - 4:30 pm

Saturday, Sunday:

Closed

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