Cataract Evaluations & Management

If you’ve been diagnosed with cataracts, routine cataract evaluations and management can save your vision and prevent complications. At Vistasite Eye Care in the Elmhurst neighborhood of Queens, New York, skilled optometrists and the team offer cataract evaluations and management to adults. Call the office to request a cataract evaluation or book one online today.

What are cataract evaluations and management?

Cataract evaluations and management diagnose and treat cataracts (a clouding of the eye’s natural lens). 

Cataracts are one of the most common age-related vision problems, affecting about 50% of people 80 and older. Without treatment, cataracts can affect your eyesight and make it difficult to drive or perform other routine activities. Fortunately, there are various therapies that may provide relief.

Who can benefit from cataract evaluations and management?

You might benefit from cataract evaluation and management if you have any of the following symptoms:

• Clouded, blurred, or dim vision
• Difficulty seeing at night
• Seeing “halos” around lights
• A frequent need to update your eyeglasses or contacts prescription
• Fading or yellowing colors

If you have cataracts, you might also experience double vision in one (but not both) eyes.

When should I request a cataract evaluation?

Make an appointment at Vistasite Eye Care for a cataract evaluation if you notice any sudden changes in your vision. That’s especially true if you see sudden flashes of light, “halos” around lights, or changes in your ability to see colors.

Who is at risk of cataracts?

Anyone can experience cataracts, but several factors may increase your risk, including:

• Smoking
• Diabetes
• Excessive exposure to sunlight
• High blood pressure
• Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol
• History of eye injuries or inflammation

You’re also more likely to develop cataracts if you use corticosteroid medication.

What happens during cataract evaluation and management?

Your Vistasite Eye Care provider reviews your health charts, asks about your symptoms, and completes a comprehensive eye exam. They measure your visual acuity, perform a slit-lamp test to see the structures at the front of your eye and dilate your pupils to examine your retina and macula. Your provider also orders tonometry, measuring your eye pressure.

If you have mild cataracts, the team might recommend a “wait and watch” treatment approach. But if cataracts affect your vision, surgery is necessary. During cataract surgery, your eye doctor removes the clouded, natural lens in your eye and replaces it with an artificial one, restoring your vision.

Cataract surgery is safe and effective and presents few risks. It’s an outpatient procedure, so you don’t have to stay in the hospital overnight.

Call Vistasite Eye Care to learn more about the benefits of cataract evaluations and management, or book a consultation online today.