If you’re suffering from cataracts, it’s important to note that your treatment options are much more varied than those available just a generation ago.  While cataracts were once regarded as a permanent sentence for vision loss and blindness, over three million patients each year in the United States are able to maintain or even improve their overall vision, thanks to cataract surgery.

First, to understand your treatment options, it’s important to explore how cataracts form in the first place.  Cataracts are often associated with degenerative conditions (that is, they form as the body gets older), or they occur as a result of a genetic defect or after an injury to the eye.  Cataract symptoms usually form slowly, and aren’t noticed by the patient until it has somehow impaired their vision.  Cataract symptoms can include any of the following:

• Foggy, cloudy, or blurry vision;
• Nearsightedness that continues to get worse;
• Changes in how you perceive color;
• Experiencing a glare at night from oncoming headlights;
• Sudden changes in prescriptions, especially after wearing the same prescription glasses for a significant period of time;
• Double vision; and
• Problems with glare.

It’s also important to note that cataracts can severely impact your ability to see in the winter.  When your vision is compromised, it can be difficult to make out ice on the roads or sidewalk.  Whether you’re driving or walking to work, cataracts can put your safety at risk due to falls, slips, and other ice-related accidents.

Don’t put your safety at risk because of cataracts.  At Envision Eye & Laser Center in Glenn Dale, Maryland (also serving the greater Baltimore and Washington, DC areas), Renee Bovelle, MD and her staff members provide a wide range of effective treatments for patients suffering from cataracts.  If it’s determined that you have cataracts, Dr. Bovelle can offer you the following treatment options:

• Standard Monofocal:  This is a traditional cataract surgery that provides you with the ability to see objects at a distance again.  You may need glasses for distance and reading after undergoing this surgery.

• Tecnis Toric:  This type of lens provides Dr. Bovelle with the opportunity to correct cataracts and astigmatism at the same time.  This provides quality distance vision and improves contrast sensitivity and night time driving.

• Tecnis Multifocal: This surgery uses a type of lens with fixed zones that are built into the optics of the lens.  This makes it possible for patients to experience sharper distance vision, improved computer vision, and even enhanced reading vision.  This is an ideal procedure for patients who want to maintain a more active lifestyle with freedom from glasses.

Dr. Bovelle is one of the few area surgeons who specializes in all of these treatment options.  To learn more about your cataract treatment options, visit Envision Eye & Laser Center in Glenn Dale, MD (also serving the greater Baltimore or Washington, DC areas) or call Dr. Bovelle’s office at 301-805-4664.