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August is Cataract Awareness Month

During August's Cataract Awareness Month, the American Academy of Ophthalmology and Eye M.D.s around the nation want to remind people they don't have to live with cataracts.

• Cataracts are very common. Approximately 20.5 million Americans age 40 and older have cataracts.
• A cataract is a clouding of the eye’s clear lens. This prevents the passage of light needed for vision.
• Cataracts are a significant cause of blindness in some parts of the world; however, technological advances and the availability of new procedures in the United States mean that for most Americans, cataracts don't lead to vision loss.
• More than half of all Americans develop cataracts by age 80.

New advances and techniques have made cataract surgery one of the most successful and life-improving surgical procedures.

• Cataract surgery is the most frequently performed surgical procedure in the United States, with more than 1.5 million procedures performed each year. It is also one of the safest and most effective procedures in all of medicine.
• Cataract surgery is usually covered by medical insurance, including Medicare.
• Cataract surgery is usually done as an outpatient procedure under local anesthesia. In this procedure, the Eye M.D. makes a tiny incision through which he or she removes the cloudy lens and replaces it with a permanent artificial lens.
• Lasers are not currently used to remove cataracts. But they are sometimes used after cataract surgery to remove a film that can grow on the lens implant.

If you think you may have a cataract, you don't have to live with it. Talk to your Eye M.D. about your options.

• There are no medications or exercises that will prevent the formation or progression of cataracts or make a cataract disappear.
• Although it is very safe and effective, cataract surgery is surgery and you need to carefully decide if it is right for you. If the cataract does not interfere with your life, you may decide surgery is not warranted.
• Talk to your Eye M.D. if cataracts are interfering with your lifestyle.