Cataract Treatment: New Eyeglasses, Special Sunglasses, or Surgery
 Cataract treatment varies depending on the severity of symptoms, the cause of your cataracts, and their effect on your quality of life. In severe cases, surgery may be required, but a variety of other measures may help to improve your vision in a non-invasive manner.
This type of cataract treatment includes:
- Prescription eyeglasses
- Anti-glare sunglasses
- An antioxidant rich diet
For more progressed cases, cataract treatment involves surgery to remove protein buildup, which causes clouding of the eye and blurred vision, and replaces the ocular lens with an artificial one. Modern advancements in surgical treatment have made cataract surgery a relatively painless outpatient procedure that lasts about an hour and involves a local anesthetic to numb the nerves in and around the eye.
Depending on your needs, one of several procedures may be right for you, such as:
- Phacoemulsification - A tiny incision is made on the side of the cornea to allow the placement of a small ultrasonic device into the eye. The ultrasonic waves emitted from the device dissolve the lens, and an intraocular lens implant replaces the defunct lens.
- Extracapsular surgery - Similar to phacoemulsification, this procedure only differs in how the lens is removed. With extracapsular surgery, the lens is removed from inside the elastic capsule covering the eye and an implant is placed under it.
About 95% of all patients report improved vision after cataract surgery, but if such intensive measures are not for you, natural approaches to cataract treatment may slow the progression and development of cataracts and sustain your vision longer. Vitamins, supplements and antioxidant rich nutrients, such as lutein and glutathione, may reduce and even prevent further cataract development and support overall eye health.
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