About Eyes, Vision & Cataracts at Stahl Vision in Dayton Ohio

About Cataracts

Understanding a little bit about your vision and Cataracts is an important piece of information to have, as you get older. In order for you to have clear vision, light must be able to pass through the optical structures of your eyes and focus properly on the Retina.

The two primary structures that are responsible for refracting, or bending light so that it can focus properly on the back of the eye, or the Retina, are the Cornea, which is the outermost clear curved “lens” that is visible when looking at your eye from a side view and the Crystalline Lens, which is located behind the colored part of the eye, or the Iris, and is not directly visible. The Crystalline Lens will be examined during your eye examination by using specialized instruments to look through the Pupil, or the dark center of the Iris. Both the Cornea and the Crystalline Lens need to be perfectly clear in order for you to have good vision. If you are in good health and have not had chronic eye infections, inflammation or had any trauma to your eyes, the Cornea is likely to maintain its clarity throughout your life. The Crystalline Lens however undergoes a number of changes that progress as we age. These aging changes can affect your vision.

Even if you have had “good eyes” and “normal vision” all your life, your vision is likely to begin to change in a number of ways as we progress from our 40’s, to our 50’s and then our 60’s and beyond. The most obvious changes to our vision occur as a result of these changes in the Crystalline Lens.

The two most common changes that occur in the Crystalline Lens are:

• A loss of flexibility, called Presbyopia, which makes it harder to read and
• A loss of optical clarity, which can cause a Cataract. 

When we are younger, the Crystalline Lens is usually soft, flexible and “crystal” clear so that it has excellent transparency and optical clarity. As we progress through our 50’s and 60’s, the normally “crystal” clear lens may gradually become yellow and cloudy. When this occurs, you may initially experience a mild blurring of your vision and feel that you might need a change of eyeglasses. As the Crystalline Lens loses its transparency and its optical clarity, you may notice that it is not as easy to see well and comfortably in dim illumination, such as for night driving. You may notice that colors look faded. The cloudiness may also create glare, haloes, light sensitivity and a continuing decrease in your vision. If the Crystalline Lens becomes too cloudy it may cause a significant decrease in both your day and night vision. These are the visual symptoms that are common in those patients where the Crystalline Lens has clouded and formed a Cataract.

As we get older, Cataracts often become a common eye problem experienced by a great number of people just like you. Cataracts can affect us even if we have had normal vision all of our lives. It is important to note that Cataracts are even more common if we have had certain health problems such as diabetes or taken certain medications such as cortisone for asthma or other types of inflammatory conditions. If you are experiencing vision changes like these, it is important to schedule a comprehensive eye examination and Cataract Evaluation.

Stahl Vision Laser & Eye Surgery Center in Dayton Ohio is conveniently located for patients experiencing the symptoms of Cataracts or concerned about having a Cataract from Troy, Tipp City, Sidney, Greenville, New Carlisle, Springfield, Huber Heights, Fairborn, Centerville, Beavercreek, Bellbrook, Kettering, Oakwood, Dayton, Trotwood, Englewood, Cincinnati, Chillicothe, Circleville, Portsmouth, Marietta, Waverly, Athens, Brookville, Germantown, Vandalia, Eaton, Xenia, Jamestown, Washington Court House, Yellow Springs, Carlisle, Franklin, Springboro, Waynesville, Lebanon, Mason, Oxford, and Middletown Ohio. Please call Stahl Vision at 937.643.2020 to schedule an appointment to learn more about Cataracts or for a Cataract evaluation and complete eye examination.