Treating age-related cataracts

If your cataracts aren't too bad, stronger glasses and brighter reading lights may help. However, as cataracts get worse over time, it's likely that you'll eventually need treatment.

Surgery is the only type of treatment that's proven to be effective for cataracts. It's usually recommended if loss of vision has a significant effect on your daily activities, such as driving or reading.

Cataract surgery involves removing thecloudy lens through a small incision in your eye and replacing it with a clear, plastic one.In most cases, the procedure is carried out under local anaesthetic (where you're conscious, but the eye is numbed) and you can usually go home the same day.

Almost everyone who has cataract surgery experiences an improvement in their vision, althoughit can sometimes take a few days or weeks for your vision to settle.You should be able to return to most of your normal activities within about two weeks.

After the operation, your plastic lens will be set up for a certain level of vision, so youmay need to wear glasses to see objects that are either far away or close by. If you wore glasses previously, your prescription will probably change. However, your optician will need to wait until your vision has settled before they can give you a new prescription.

 
Content supplied by the NHS Website

Medically Reviewed by a doctor on 21 Dec 2018