Health Benefits of Cataract Surgery for Women
Recent medical research reveals that older women who have cataracts and get surgery for correcting the problem might be at a lower risk of premature death. Anne L. Coleman, a senior author in the US. medical study and an Ophthalmology professor explains that earlier studies have also suggested that besides enjoying enhanced vision, cataract patients who undergo cataract surgery are less likely to die prematurely.
Cataracts Surgery May Have Additional Benefits
Cataracts are an eye problem that develops with increasing age. By the age of 80 years, nearly 50 percent of Americans may either report cataracts or would have already undergone a cataract surgery, suggests the National Eye Institute. A new study, regarding health benefits of cataract surgery in women, spans over two decades and was conducted among women with an average age of 71 years. The information for the study has been collected on factors like medical conditions, lifestyle habits and demographics.
The researchers studied data collected on over 70,000 women suffering from cataracts. Around 41,000 of these women had undergone a cataract surgery. In contrast to the women who hadn’t opted for the operation, the treated women had a 60 percent lower risk of dying from various causes considered during the study timeline. The cataract surgery is a fairly simple procedure that involves the replacement of the damaged eye lens with a new and artificial one. According to the study results, cataracts may have additional benefits for the aged or sick, besides improving vision quality.
Understanding Cataracts
Cataracts usually set in slowly and have minimal effect on the vision of an individual. The person might notice a little blurring of vision, something similar to viewing things through a translucent glass. Similarly, your night vision may become weaker and you may find it difficult to drive in the dark. Your natural eye lens is responsible for focusing light on the retina and ensures clear vision. This lens is primarily made of protein and water and is positioned in a way that keeps it clear and allows light to pass through. With aging, some amount of protein might get clumped together and cloud the lens, the result is a cataract. When a patient's symptoms begin to interfere with their normal activities, surgery is recommended. Cataract surgery has proven to be extremely successful in vision restoration. It involves replacing the clouded lens with plastic IOLs (intraocular lenses). And with the development of laser cataract surgery, and new and advanced IOLs, cataract surgery has become even safer and less complicated than ever before.
