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Think about your eye the same way you think about a camera. The natural lens of the eye lies immediately behind the pupil. It focuses the incoming light on the retina. It also contracts the lens to allow you to focus on things near and far.

Water and protein make up most of the eye lens. When we age, protein may accumulate and start to clump on the lens. This is basically what a cataract is. Over time, this may get worse, and this is what causes the eye problems.

Cataract usually start off benign and un noticeable. You may experience very slight vision complications. Sunlight or any bright light might seem too glaring. Many times, the diagnosis of a cataract does not mean that action needs to be taken right away.

The doctor may suggest some enhanced aids for visual assistance. This may just come in the form of a magnifying glass, or special glasses. When this doesn’t work any longer, that is when cataract surgery may become necessary.

Many think that this is part of aging, and that once it happens, you need to deal with it. That can’t be further from the truth. There are things you can do, and they are relatively painless. It is also one of the most frequently-performed eye surgeries in the United States. There are over a million procedures done, and there is about a 90% success rate.

The basic strategy with cataract surgery is the removal of the clouded lens and replacing it with a artifical one. These lenses are called intraocular lens or IOL. There have been many advances in the field of these artifical lenses and they work extremely well. Another type of IOL creates a barrier for ultraviolet and blue light, which according to research, damages the retina.

Regardless of the type of IOL used, the result is clear vision. The strategy for the removal and insersion may vary, but the end result is the same. Here are some ways that the procedure may go.

During cataract surgery the natural lens of the eye can be replaced with a permanent IOL implant. many times, ultrasound is used to break up the lens. The process is called phacoemulsification, where the cloudy lens, after being broken down, it carefully removed from the eye. In another process called phacofracture, the cloudy lens may be removed by a small incision in the eye. If you feel that you may be getting cataracts, the best thing to do is visit your doctor and find out what you can do about it.