Cataracts Treatment in Sheridan and Gillette WY
“My eyes aren’t what they used to be” is a statement commonly made by people as they grow older — and in the case of cataracts, it’s the literal truth. Instead of the crystal-clear lenses, your eyes once had, you now have opaque, milky lenses that distort your vision, making favorite activities such as watching TV, hiking and reading increasingly difficult.
The good news is that the vision loss caused by cataracts can be compensated for, and cataracts themselves can ultimately be removed altogether. Here at WyoVision, we’re happy to serve as your primary care advisors for cataracts treatment in Sheridan and Gillette WY.
Cataracts and Your Vision
The lenses of healthy eyes may be transparent, but they’re not “empty.” Instead, they contain proteins arranged in a precise pattern so as not to interfere with the passage of incoming light through the eye. When this delicate arrangement is disrupted and the proteins start to gather together into a mass, the transparency is replaced with a white haze known as a cataract.
The most common kind of cataract, a nuclear cataract, forms in the center of the eye, usually after many years of UV exposure. Subcapsular cataracts (which develop in the rear portion of the lens) and cortical cataracts (which progress from the rim of the lens toward the center) are more likely to be related to issues such as diabetes or steroid use.
Cataracts can have some disconcerting effects on your vision. You may notice such odd symptoms as:
- Increased sensitivity to glare
- Changes in the appearance of colors
- Reduced night vision
- Sunbursts or halos surrounding bright lights, especially in low-light conditions
Treatment from Our Optometrists in Sheridan and Gillette WY
Cataracts are a leading cause of blindness worldwide, but they can also be managed and treated by our optometrists in Sheridan and Gillette WY to help maintain optimal vision. Slit lamp testing and other exam procedures can help us determine the extent of your cataracts. Most cataracts take many years to grow into a serious problem; during these years, we can recommend measures to minimize their development such as a healthy diet, smoking cessation, and wearing UV-blocking eyewear.
As your vision changes, we can prescribe corrective lenses and update the prescription as needed. If further treatment is necessary, our optometry clinic in Sheridan and Gillette can co-manage a quick, painless surgical procedure to replace that cloudy lens with a clear artificial one, dramatically restoring your eyesight.
Get the Help You Need at WyoVision in Sheridan and Gillette
The easiest way to treat cataracts as they develop is by tracking their progress from their earliest stages — and the best way to do that is by keeping up your regular eye exams at our optometry clinic in Sheridan and Gillette.
Contact WyoVision at either of our two offices to schedule an exam and find out whether your eyes could use some extra help in the fight against cataracts!