Cataracts vs Glaucoma
Cataracts and glaucoma are eye conditions that cause loss of vision. However, they each have unique symptoms and can affect the eyes at different rates. Glaucoma includes eye pressure that affects the optic nerve, while cataracts affect the lens of the eye and are caused by the breakdown of proteins. What are the other differences between the two?
Cataracts
What is it?
A cataract affects the lens of the eye. As a cataract slowly changes the lens of the eye, light is prevented from entering the eye properly, causing cloudiness.
Cataracts are painless and slowly reduce the vision. Cataracts can be seen in the eyes as a loss of transparency of the lens, and do not usually cause blindness.
Treatment
Even the most severe cases of cataracts can usually be treated successfully with surgery. Once you’re noticing your cataracts are beginning to negatively affect your quality of life, it is time to address them surgically.
Cataract surgery is different than the surgery used to treat glaucoma. For cataracts, the lens of the eye is removed and replaced with an artificial lens.
Glaucoma
What is it?
Glaucoma is a buildup of pressure in the eye that causes damage to the optic nerve. The optic nerve links the eye to the brain, where the visual information is processed.
Glaucoma can impact the eyes quickly and painfully, or slowly and subtly. Glaucoma can cause irreversible blindness and must be treated immediately. it’s important to have it treated as soon as you’re noticing a problem, such as rapid loss of sight along with acute pain, nausea and blurred vision.
Treatment
Glaucoma can be treated surgically, but unfortunately the loss of vision caused by glaucoma cannot be reversed. This is why glaucoma early diagnosis and intervention is necessary. Glaucoma surgery is often performed with a laser which is used to open the blockage of the tiny canals that stop fluid from escaping from the front of the eye. If the conditions are caught early enough and treated properly, the situation can often be resolved successfully before the optic nerve is too damaged.
The Pacific Vision Institute
The Pacific Vision Institute surgical team is at the cutting edge of the most advanced procedures to treat both cataracts and glaucoma. Our eye surgeons are internationally-recognized leaders in the field of vision correction. We provide a better quality of life for our patients and have been acknowledged as such a top practice that we are now the clinic of choice for other eye doctors. If you would like to know more about how we can help you resolve glaucoma, cataracts, or other eye concerns, call today for a consultation.