Live Every Moment at Every Age
Courtesy RGB Eye Associates, Texoma LIVING WELL Magazine
Helen Keller said that life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all. Her quote is repeated often, motivating us to make the most of every day. Part of living a fulfilling life is being able to see well at every age.
As we grow older, cataracts become quite common, affecting about 20.5 million Americans over the age of 40. Women develop them more frequently than men. Some people with cataracts find it increasingly difficult to drive or read or even see detailed images well. Vision problems can diminish a person’s sense of independence, creating hesitancy about getting out, taking that trip or otherwise enjoying life.
Symptoms like cloudy vision, trouble seeing at night, double vision, “halos” around light, sensitivity to light, poor depth perception, or colors that seem dull or faded may indicate a significant problem. That’s why it’s important to have any change in your vision checked. Cataracts may develop slowly over a period of time and they won’t magically disappear.
The good news is that cataracts can be removed, improving vision in 95% of patients. Treating cataracts with today’s technology offers a range of choices, depending on individual eye health, lifestyle, and patient preferences. Using the latest microsurgery techniques, the cataract is dissolved and a new intraocular lens is implanted through a self-sealing incision that doesn’t even require stitches.
Options are tailored to meet your needs. Surgical techniques are more precise than ever and some of the new lenses are designed with specialized optical properties to greatly improve your vision. In fact, many cataract patients say their procedure was life changing, allowing them to return to activities with renewed joy and enthusiasm.
One option may restore vision clarity similar to what you experienced at a younger age, with greater freedom from glasses or contact lenses. Another option may provide you with excellent distance vision, although reading glasses may still be required for close work. Still others correct moderate to severe degrees of astigmatism, previously only correctable with thick glasses or contact lenses. Finally, many patients opt for “monovision” – one eye focusing at near for reading and the other eye focusing at distance, for driving, allowing the brain to select which type of vision it needs for a specific activity.
Cataract surgery is one of the safest and most effective surgical procedures available today. In fact, it’s the most common eye surgery performed by the ophthalmologists at RGB Eye Associates in Sherman. The procedure itself takes about 10 minutes, and patients are generally at the surgery center for only about 90 minutes.
Patients are given a relaxing medication intravenously and some people even doze throughout the surgery. Because cataract surgery is done on an outpatient basis and usually without general anesthesia, many patients experience a rapid recovery and soon return to normal daily activities.
Of course, everyone’s eyes are different and outcomes vary. You’ll want to make an informed decision after talking with your ophthalmologist about what choices are available to you.
Obviously, trust is important where your eye health is concerned. All three ophthalmologists at RGB Eye Associates are family men who live in Texoma. You can be assured that Dr. Burlingame, Dr. Plauche and Dr. Bossen will recommend only those procedures and treatments that are necessary to maintain your good health, offering options whenever possible. Each physician practices medicine with a sense of gratitude for his ability to help patients and families. Additionally, the three are men of faith, with a commitment to their communities and those they are privileged to serve.
No matter how many birthdays you’ve enjoyed, you deserve the clearest vision possible. RGB Eye Associates would like the opportunity to answer your questions, such as whether you even have cataracts. If so, we’ll let you know whether they are the cause of any current vision problems. Finally, we’ll educate you regarding treatment options and give you detailed information about the choice that fits you best.
Call RGB Eye Associates at 903-892-3282 to schedule your appointment. We want you to see well.
