Suffering from Cataracts or Glaucoma? Laser Eye Surgery Could Help

Losing sight in later life is a very distressing experience, and can lead to feelings of loneliness and social isolation ...

Losing sight in later life is a very distressing experience, and can lead to feelings of loneliness and social isolation as those affected feel less confident about going outside. Unfortunately, medical conditions such as cataracts that compromise the ability to see clearly become more common as we get older.

Cataracts
A cataract is a clouding of the eye lens and develops gradually. Initially those affected will experience blurred vision, but eventually having a cataract can lead to total blindness. However, it is a condition that is treatable with laser eye surgery. This involves removing the clouded natural lens and replacing it with an artificial one. While this is not a procedure anyone with healthy vision would choose to undergo, it can have enormous benefits for those with cataracts by restoring the power of sight.
For those who had already been feeling the effects of ageing on their vision before the cataract developed, perhaps through long-sightedness, the replacement artificial lens will actually offer an improvement in vision.
Glaucoma
Glaucoma is another condition that typically afflicts older people. It is caused by pressure building on the optic nerve, which in turn affects vision. Although this pressure can begin to build at any age, the condition can take many years to show symptoms, meaning it is more commonly diagnosed in older people. Again, laser eye surgery can be used to treat the condition, by relieving the build-up of pressure. However, it cannot repair damage already done to the nerve, so early diagnosis is essential.
Before taking any decision regarding laser eye surgery, it is important to be armed with all the facts. There are some risks associated with laser eye treatment – as there are with any surgical procedure. Most of these are temporary problems such as dryness of the eyes which requires a course of drops, but some more serious problems can develop in very rare cases. So if you are considering treatment, speaking to your local doctor about your suitability for surgery is an important first step.
– This is a guest post from Ultralase Ireland who specialises in laser eye treatments for individuals with loss of vision.  Ultralase is now 30 locations strong, treating short-sight, long-sight, astigmatism, and presbyopia (the need for reading glasses) throughout the UK and Ireland.

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