Cataract Surgery Improves Driving Safety

 

Did you know that cataract surgery actually improves driving safety? The ability of cataract surgery to restore sight is well known. Patients say they’re stunned by the vibrancy of color after surgery and the improvement in night vision. Depending on the type of lens implant (IOL) selected to correct your vision after cataract surgery many patients no longer even need to wear glasses, reading glasses or bifocals after cataract surgery. Researchers reporting at a recent meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology used a driving simulator to test patients’ vision before and after cataract surgery. They found that near misses and crashes decreased by 48 percent after surgery! While visual acuity-how well you see the eye chart-is quickly measured after cataract surgery, it’s an incomplete assessment of how visually able you might be to drive.

Cataract surgery appears to improve quantity of vision, or visual acuity, as well as contrast sensitivity leading to better night vision and improving drivers’ safety on the road.

These results highlight the importance of timely cataract surgery in maintaining safety and continued mobility and independence in seniors. If you or someone you know is experiencing cataract symptom such as cloudy foggy vision, glare or difficult night driving and would like to learn more about cataract surgery & lens implants please schedule a cataract evaluation. Call Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center at 219-464-8223, or Facebook.

Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center offices are located at 851 Eastport Centre Drive, Valparaiso, Indiana 46383 and 1003 South Edgewood Drive, Knox, Indiana 46354.

Cataracts & Diabetes: Facts You Might Not Know

Did you know that having diabetes increases your risk of developing cataracts faster and earlier in life? The crystalline lens in your eye is nourished by the Aqueous Humor-the clear fluid that circulates in the front of the eye behind the cornea. The Aqueous Humor actually provides oxygen and glucose for the health of the crystalline lens. If you have diabetes and not maintaining good stable blood glucose control, the crystalline lens can become cloudy and less transparent, eventually forming a cataract and making things appear blurry, faded and even appearing with a yellow tinge. This is yet another reason diabetics should work to maintain a healthy lifestyle and blood sugar control.

If you or someone you know has diabetes and experiences changing vision or is experiencing cataract symptoms such as cloudy foggy vision, glare or difficult night driving please call and schedule an eye exam at Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center at 219-464-8223, or visit Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center, or Facebook.

Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center offices are located at 851 Eastport Centre Drive, Valparaiso, Indiana 46383 and 1003 South Edgewood Drive, Knox, Indiana 46354.