by BreezeMaxWeb | Oct 10, 2016 | Optometrist Langley
Cataracts are an extremely common condition of the eye. It’s something that’s routinely diagnosed by our optometrist in Langley. According to the University of Michigan, “By age 65, over 90 perfect of people have a cataract and half of the people between the ages of 75 and 85 have lost some vision due to a cataract.” That’s almost everyone. While that might seem scary, it’s important to remember that cataracts aren’t painful. They are even often treatable. What is a Cataract? Cataracts are cloudy formation on the lens of your eye. The lens sits behind your pupil and handles focusing light and images onto your retina. What Causes Cataracts? We don’t really know what causes the lens to start to develop this cloudiness. We know that the cloudiness is caused by proteins in the lens “clumping” together as we grow older. Those clumps can get bigger and start to affect our vision. People who have diabetes, hypertension, or who are overweight or smokers are all at a higher risk of developing cataracts. You might also be at risk if your family has a history of developing cataracts. What Are the Warning Signs? The warning signs of a cataract are fairly obvious, though if they develop slowly you might not notice the issue as much. You’ll experience cloudy, blurred vision. You might also feel like the lighting in the room is dimmer than it used to be. You might see halos around lights or need brighter light to work on projects or for reading. In extreme cases, you might notice that the colors in your vision are fading. What Are...
by BreezeMaxWeb | Oct 5, 2016 | Eye Clinic Langley, Eye Doctor
More than 11 million people in the United States have some form of macular degeneration. This is a serious and potentially blinding eye condition that primarily affects people over the age of 60. What, exactly, is it? What are the warning signs? And can it be treated by our eye clinic in Langley? Let’s take a closer look at macular degeneration. What Is Macular Degeneration? Macular degeneration affects a part of the eye known as the macula. The macula is a visible area of the retina in the back of your eye that’s responsible for your sharpest vision. This area allows you to see objects that are straight ahead of you. The loss of the macula can inhibit your ability to do activities such as read or drive your car, although you may still retain some of your peripheral vision. Macular degeneration is the deterioration of this area of the retina. What Causes It? No one really knows what causes macular degeneration, but there are some factors that can make you more at risk. Age is the biggest risk factor; people over the age of 60 are at the highest risk and will want to be screened for the condition when they visit our eye clinic in Langley. Smoking doubles your risk of developing macular degeneration. You may be at higher risk if the condition runs in your family, too. What Are the Warning Signs? People who develop macular degeneration don’t experience pain; this is a pain-free eye condition. They may, however, experience unusual symptoms with their sight. This includes text appearing blurry when you look at it or...
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