Top

Cataracts

What you see?

If you have cataracts then everything you see is blurry and out of focus, this occurs with age as the lens in your eye is no longer flexible or clear as it used to be and the eye can’t focus light properly.

Diagram showing a health eye and an eye with cataracts

click image to enlarge

Who experiences cataracts?
  • Occurs naturally as we age
  • Many of us will develop a cataract by the age of 65
Symptoms of cataracts
  • Clouding or hardening of the lens in your eyes
  • Cloudy or blurred vision
  • Sensitivity to light and glare
  • Frequent prescription changes for glasses or contact lenses
  • Poor night vision
  • Colour vision changes and dimming
  • Double vision in a single eye
Causes of cataracts
  • Occur as a result of other eye diseases
  • Protecting your eyes from direct sunlight may also slow the formation of cataracts
  • Less common causes of cataracts include:
    • heredity
    • birth defects
    • chronic diseases such as diabetes
    • excessive use of steroid medications
    • certain eye injuries
  • There is no way to prevent cataracts, however the following factors increase the risk of cataracts:
    • smoking
    • high blood pressure
    • obesity
    • excessive alcohol intake
What to do
  • At first, symptoms may be undetectable or very slight, any noticeable change in vision may be cause for concern, and should be brought to the attention of an eye care professional
  • Vision may be slightly improved using forms of visual correction in the beginning stages of cataracts, such as:
    • Spectacles
    • Contact lenses
  • Surgery – in the later stages surgery has proven to be extremely successful in the removal of cataracts when your natural lens is replaced with an intraocular lens (IOL)
Bausch+Lomb Surgical Offering

Bausch+Lomb offers a full range of equipment, intraocular lenses and surgical aids in the surgical environment to perform cataract and retinal surgeries.

There are three standard forms of surgery for cataracts:

Standard single vision IOL

A fixed lens (it doesn’t move) that is designed to deliver improved vision at one distance (usually far), you may need to wear glasses for near and intermediate vision, even if you didn’t wear glasses before surgery

Multifocal lens

Uses multiple visual zones that are built into the lens to provide vision at various distances, usually near and distance vision but intermediate vision (at arms length) may be compromised. A multifocal IOL projects multiple images, requiring your brain to adjust to the differences, but some patients have difficulty adjusting to seeing this way. Multifocal IOLs can have potential issues of glare and halos especially when driving at night

Accommodating lens

Designed to “flex” or “accommodate” using the eyes natural muscles to focus on subjects at various distances, delivering a fuller, more natural range of vision

Eye Nutrition Supplements

Bausch + Lomb Ocuvite Complete tablet package

Ocuvite Complete

Ophthalmologists no.1 prescribed eye health supplement1  

A specific antioxidant and mineral formulation to assist in protecting the gift of sight.

Bausch + Lomb Ocuvite Lutein tablets packaging

Ocuvite Lutein

Ophthalmologists no.1 prescribed eye health supplement1

A specific antioxidant and mineral formulation to assist in protecting the gift of sight.