4 Reasons Why Clearer Vision Will Change Your Life After Cataract Surgery

Cataracts can significantly affect your quality of life. They cause blurry vision, poor night vision, light sensitivity, glare, halos, and difficulty seeing contrast. 

With all these visual problems, most people who have cataracts eventually require cataract surgery. Cataract surgery is the only treatment for cataracts. 

Keep reading to learn four reasons that clearer vision will change your life after cataract surgery!

When Is the Right Time for Cataract Surgery?

Cataracts develop very slowly, so it can take years before they begin to cause any visual symptoms. When your cataracts advance, you will begin to notice increased blurred vision, among other symptoms like glare and haloes. 

Once your cataracts have begun to affect your quality of life, your eye doctor will recommend that you have cataract surgery. Cataract surgery will restore clarity to your vision, so you can continue doing the things you love to do without hindrance.

How Cataract Surgery Can Change Your Life

Regaining and improving your vision with cataract surgery can be truly life-changing. Here are a few ways cataract surgery can change your life:

Get Back to What You Love

When your cataracts are advanced, it can make your normal activities and hobbies more challenging. For example, activities like reading and knitting can be difficult due to the additional light needed to see.

You will also have to deal with frustrating blurry vision during these tasks. With cataracts, doing what you love can give you eye strain and headaches. 

You may have even stopped participating in your favorite activities because instead of helping you relax and unwind, they cause frustration. However, once you have cataract surgery, you’ll be able to see again!

After cataract surgery, you can get back to the hobbies you enjoy. With fewer restrictions, you’ll be able to do everything you love again and may even be motivated to pick up new hobbies! 

Stay Active

Fine focus tasks like reading can be a lot harder with cataracts, and so can simpler tasks. Even walking can become dangerous when your cataracts are advanced enough. 

Cataracts can also make you feel less energetic since you often have to strain your eyes to see. When you’re always tired, you probably don’t even have the motivation for physical activity. 

But once you have cataract surgery, you’ll be able to see again. You won’t have to strain your eyes, so you will have fewer headaches.

Without constant headaches, you’ll also have more energy to get out and about. Whether you go to the gym to stay active or just like to walk a lot, cataract surgery can help you get and stay fit and healthy!

Be Independent Again

Advanced cataracts can leave you dependent on others for basic needs. It can be hard to get around on your own and complete everyday tasks like cooking and cleaning. 

Cataracts can also make it hard to drive after dark due to poor night vision and glare from headlights and street lamps. If your cataracts are that advanced, you may be confined to your home every evening. 

Many people with advanced cataracts become reclusive because of poor vision. However, when you have cataract surgery, you can shed that shame and be able to do everything for yourself again! 

With clear vision, you won’t just be more independent. You’ll also be free to do what you want when you want. 

Being able to see again can vastly improve your mental health by enabling you to socialize and do things on your own.

Better Vision Than Ever 

Simply restoring your vision to how it was before you had cataracts can be life-changing. However, with cataract surgery, you can have clearer vision than ever.

Premium IOLs can allow you to experience clear vision, eliminate cataract symptoms and correct your natural refractive error. Cataracts form when the proteins inside your eye’s natural lens break down and clump together.

In order to remove your cataracts, your cataract surgeon will remove your entire lens. Then, they will replace your natural lens with an artificial lens.

This lens is called an intraocular lens, or IOL. When you decide to get cataract surgery, you can choose whether you want a standard IOL or a premium IOL. 

Premium IOLs are designed to enhance your vision by correcting presbyopia and reducing the need for other visual aids like reading glasses. With a premium IOL, you can see better than ever before!

At Sierra Nevada Eye Center, we offer several cataract surgery packages. You can get a Premium Technology Package for your cataract surgery.

Our Premium Technology Package includes a premium IOL and laser cataract surgery, which is more precise than traditional cataract surgery, enhancing your post-surgical vision even further. However, you don’t have to splurge on our most premium package to enhance your vision. 

We also offer less expensive packages that can correct your astigmatism, either with the surgery itself or a premium lens called a toric lens. Whatever you choose, though, you’ll be able to see again once you have cataract surgery. 

You can get your life back, so don’t wait! If cataracts have begun to affect your quality of life, make an appointment today with one of our cataract specialists for a cataract surgery consultation.

Are you experiencing cataract symptoms? Schedule a cataract evaluation at Sierra Nevada Eye Center in Carson City, NV, today!

It’s not unusual for your eyes to feel dry at times, and there are many reasons why they may feel that way. If you have allergies, they may feel irritated this time of year, especially since it’s hay fever season. 

However, you may be experiencing a chronic eye condition known as dry eye syndrome. When left untreated, dry eye syndrome can lead to serious eye health issues and even vision loss. 

If your eyes feel dry, it’s essential to see an eye care professional for proper diagnosis and treatment. Keep reading to learn more about why your eyes may be so dry right now!

What Are Some of the Most Common Dry Eye Symptoms?

Your eyes feel dry when they aren’t producing adequate tears. Your tears are composed of three layers: the inner layer is mucus, the middle layer is water, and the outer layer is oil. 

When your eyes produce tears that are lacking in one of these layers, your eyes don’t get enough moisture. This can cause a few symptoms, which include:

• Irritation
• Burning sensation
• Light sensitivity
• Excess tearing or watering
• A gritty feeling, like there’s something in your eye

Your eyes may also feel a little itchy, but itchy eyes are primarily a symptom of allergies. You may have both allergy symptoms and dry eye symptoms, though, and the combination can make your eyes feel even more irritated.

It’s possible your eyes are temporarily dry due to environmental factors, but it’s also possible that you have dry eye syndrome.

What is Dry Eye Syndrome?

Dry eyes may be caused by dehydration, dry weather, or contact lens irritation, as well as other temporary environmental factors. However, often dry eye symptoms are due to dry eye syndrome. 

Temporary conditions may worsen dry eye syndrome, but the symptoms won’t entirely disappear when the environmental factors are removed. Dry eye syndrome is more common in older individuals, especially women. 

It’s also common in women experiencing hormonal changes like pregnancy or menopause. However, anyone can develop dry eye syndrome. It’s also often related to certain ocular surface conditions.

Your ocular surface is the layer of tissue that lines your eye and the inside of your lower and upper eyelids. This layer is covered by a tear film which is necessary to keep the ocular surface healthy. 

The ocular surface can become inflamed due to certain conditions, like blepharitis, which can lead to dry eye syndrome. The only way to know if you have dry eye syndrome, let alone what’s causing it, is to see an eye doctor for diagnosis and treatment.

What Treatment Methods Are Used for Dry Eye Syndrome?

One way to assess the quality of your tears is through a test called TearLab. This device takes a sample of your tears and measures their composition, allowing your eye doctor to see where your tear quality may be lacking and what may be causing it. 

Once you’ve been diagnosed, your eye doctor can recommend treatment accordingly. There are a variety of non-invasive treatments for dry eye syndrome that we can offer:

Home Remedies

Often, dry eye symptoms can be alleviated by over-the-counter medication and simple lifestyle changes. Your eye doctor may recommend you try some of these home remedies before prescribing more intensive treatment.

Nutritional deficiency may play a part in dry eye syndrome. Getting more Omega-3 in your diet can aid in tear production. 

This nutrient can be found in fish, flaxseed, chia seeds, and walnuts. You can also take it as a supplement with fish oil or flaxseed pills.

Putting a humidifier in your home may help with your symptoms by making sure the air isn’t too dry. Drinking plenty of water and wearing sunglasses outside can also help. 

As for over-the-counter medication, you can use artificial tears for immediate relief. You can also use eyelid wipes to keep your eyelids clean, which can help with inflammation.

These various at-home treatment options can significantly alleviate your symptoms, but they may not be enough on their own. In such cases, medication and other professional treatments may be warranted.

Medication

The most common medications for dry eye syndrome are Restasis and Xiidra. These are both prescription eye drops that aid in tear production.

Your doctor may prescribe them to you in addition to using over-the-counter artificial tears. 

Prokera

Prokera is a therapeutic device that’s used to treat inflammation. Reducing inflammation can reduce dry eye symptoms, as inflammation is often the root cause. 

Prokera comes in the form of a contact lens that’s made from amniotic tissue. Your doctor places it on top of your eye and removes it three to four days later. 

This is done right at the office and requires no surgery. Patients who use Prokera usually experience immediate relief and long-term benefits from using the device. 

Punctal Occlusion 

When other treatments for DES are ineffective, this punctal occlusion may be the best solution. This procedure is simple, requires no surgery, and can be done in your doctor’s office. 

Your doctor places tiny plugs into your puncta, which are the tear ducts located right in the corner of your eyes near your nose. This is where tears naturally drain, so by blocking off these ducts, your tears are forced to stay on the surface of your eye longer, compensating for poor tear quality.  

Do you want to learn why your eyes feel dry and irritated all the time? Schedule an appointment at Sierra Nevada Eye Center in Carson City, NV, today so you can get a treatment plan to finally get relief!

Have you recently found out you have cataracts? Cataracts are highly prevalent and are considered an age-related eye condition.

They tend to affect adults over 40. How early they begin to develop varies.

But chances are, you’ll develop cataracts at some point in life. If you have cataracts, your next question may be when you should seek treatment.

Ideally, you should see your eye doctor regularly once you turn 40. Regular eye exams will ensure early diagnosis of your cataracts.

However, you may not need treatment immediately, even if you have cataracts. Cataract surgery is the only way to treat cataracts.

Laser cataract surgery is a more advanced variant of the procedure. Whether you have laser cataract surgery or the more traditional procedure, it’s only recommended once cataracts make it difficult to live your life and are significantly developed.

But how do you know your cataracts are advanced enough to undergo cataract surgery? Keep reading to learn more about how cataracts affect your vision, how you can tell when it’s time for surgery, and how laser cataract surgery can give you the best outcomes.

Do you need to have cataract surgery? The procedure involves removing your cataract by removing your natural lens from the eye.

Cataracts form on the natural lens, necessitating its removal. Removing the cataract from the lens is impossible without extracting both.

But to see clearly, you still need a lens in your eye. A critical component of cataract surgery is replacing the natural lens with an artificial one.

The artificial lens is called an intraocular lens or IOL. The IOL takes over the job that the once clear natural lens was able to accomplish before you developed cataracts.

With an IOL, you can see clearly after having cataract surgery. There are several kinds of IOLs.

Choosing the right intraocular lens before you have cataract surgery can feel like a daunting task. Luckily, this is not a decision that you have to make alone.

Your cataract surgeon at Sierra Nevada Eye Center can recommend the best one for you based on your visual goals and needs after cataract surgery. But how do you know if you’ve chosen the right IOL before you have your cataracts removed?

Keep reading to find out how to select an IOL with the best cataract surgeon in Reno and Carson!

Have you recently found out you have glaucoma? It’s more prevalent than you may think, as it’s a common age-related eye condition.

You may not realize that glaucoma is also one of the leading causes of blindness in adults over 60. While glaucoma often does lead to blindness, there are things you can do to preserve your vision.

There is no cure for glaucoma, meaning that any damage it causes to your vision is irreversible. However, treatments are available to slow down the condition’s progression and further vision loss.

One of the keys to keeping glaucoma under control is to receive an early diagnosis. From there, you can start treatment before experiencing any visual symptoms. Keep reading to learn more about glaucoma treatment and why it’s a viable option!

Is your vision cloudy, foggy, or starting to decline? These are some signs that you may have cataracts.

Cataracts are one of the most common age-related eye conditions. Although anyone can develop them, they are most common in adults 40 and older.

Many age-related eye conditions aren’t curable, only manageable through early detection and treatment. However, with cataracts, you can have them removed by having cataract surgery.

One of the most pressing questions for cataract patients is when to have cataract surgery. Should you have the procedure right after receiving the diagnosis?

For many patients, having cataract surgery right away may not be necessary. Keep reading to learn more about cataracts and understand when it’s best to have cataract surgery.

Do your eyes feel dry, irritated, or tired? You may have a condition called dry eye syndrome.

Dry eye syndrome is a chronic eye condition that millions of people get diagnosed with yearly. As a result, having dry eyes is very common and can be triggered by several things.

If you’ve ever had dry eyes, you know how uncomfortable they can be. Dehydration can undoubtedly contribute to dry eye, and its frustrating symptoms, especially temporary dry eye.

But hydration alone isn’t always enough to alleviate your symptoms. Hydration can be a part of dry eye treatment, but you should consult with your ophthalmologist about your symptoms and ask for their treatment recommendations.

Many forms of treatment for dry eye are simple lifestyle changes and home remedies. Sometimes, however, you may need more intensive treatment from your eye care professional.

Before seeing an eye doctor, it can be helpful to know what dry eye is, what it feels like, and what can cause it. Keep reading to learn more about dry eye and how hydration can be a valuable part of your treatment regimen!

Going to the eye doctor is crucial for keeping your eyes healthy. The hope is that you see your eye doctor and leave with a clean bill of health.

But to make the most of your appointment at Sierra Nevada Eye Center, you should come prepared. If your vision has suddenly changed and your eyes feel drier or more irritated, your eye exam is the best time to discuss these issues.

Addressing these concerns sooner than later can help you get the care you need, including treatment if necessary. No matter how old you are, eye exams are essential for healthy eyes. Not sure what to ask your eye doctor before your next appointment? Keep reading for 6 of the best questions to ask your eye doctor!

Many people struggle with dry, irritated eyes from time to time. But when your eyes frequently feel dry, gritty, and inflamed, it may be due to dry eye syndrome.

It may also be due to a condition often associated with dry eye syndrome called blepharitis. Blepharitis is a common condition that can cause minor irritation.

But when left untreated, this eye disorder can cause significant eye health problems and even vision loss. It’s essential to see your eye doctor at Sierra Nevada Eye Center if you experience dry eye or blepharitis symptoms so you can receive prompt treatment.

To do this, you need to know what blepharitis symptoms look like, as well as how it can damage your vision. Keep reading to learn more about blepharitis!