Cataracts and
Other Eye Diseases

Confusion is common when it comes to cataracts and whether other eye conditions or diseases contribute to their formation or not. Here is a breakdown of the facts:

  • If you have diabetes, you are at a greater risk for developing cataracts. This is because the eye's lens   Lens: The transparent disc behind the pupil that brings light into focus on the retina.   can become over-hydrated as deposits form at the front or back of the lens. In some cases, this type of cataract can develop within days and should be taken seriously, since more Americans between the ages of 20 and 74 go blind from diabetes complications than any other disease. For tips on preventing diabetes, go here.
  • Age-related macular degeneration   Age-related macular degeneration (AMD): The leading cause of vision loss and legal blindness in adults over age 60, AMD affects the sharp, straight-forward vision necessary for reading, driving, and other daily activities. It is an eye disease that impacts the macula (the centermost part of the retina responsible for seeing fine detail) and occurs in 2 forms, dry AMD and wet AMD, with wet AMD being the more serious form.   (AMD) does not cause cataracts, nor vice-versa, but if you suffer from both, your doctor may recommend surgery to treat the damaged retina or back of the eye followed by cataract surgery to remove the cataract and replace with an artificial lens. AMD is the leading cause of vision loss and legal blindness in American adults over 60 and occurs when the center of the retina begins to degenerate.
  • Because they are both age-related, presbyopia and cataracts can occur simultaneously, but neither one causes the other.
  • Astigmatism, a common refractive error that can cause blurred vision near or far, doesn't lead to cataracts but can be treated during cataract surgery with a special lens called the AcrySof® IQ Toric IOL. Read more here.
  • Cataracts can sometimes cause refractive errors, such as   Refractive errors: Vision problems caused by an imperfect optical system, most commonly myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism.   nearsightedness or farsightedness, and rarely, if left to mature, a cataract can even become so large that it triggers a type of glaucoma, a condition in which the eye has difficulty draining. Glaucoma does not cause cataracts and typically, cataracts do not lead to glaucoma, except in rare cases, such as in the result of eye trauma or steroid use.

Myopia—The eyeball is elongated or the cornea is more convex or the lens is thicker causing the focused image to fall short of the retina.

Hyperopia—The eyeball is shorter or the cornea is flat causing the focused image to fall “behind” the retina.

Astigmatism—The focus of the lens and cornea produces a partially focused image both in front of and behind the retina, resulting in a blurred image at the retina.

Presbyopia—The lens becomes less flexible causing the image from a near object to fall “behind” the retina, blurring it.

Find out how cutting-edge advancements in cataract treatments, such as AcrySof® IQ ReSTOR® IOL and AcrySof® IQ Toric IOL, may be able to help you see better after cataract surgery and may even rid you of eyeglasses and contact lenses.