Cataract surgery
Cataract surgery is usually offered on the NHS if you have cataracts that are affecting your ability to carry out daily activities.
For example, surgery may be offered if problems with your vision are causing difficulties reading, driving, or looking after someonein your care.
In the past, people with cataracts were encouraged to wait until they could hardly see. However, these days surgery to remove a cataract can be carried out at any stage once your sight has been affected.
Thereare no national guidelines stating what your level of vision needs to be before cataract surgery is carried out, although individual NHS clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) may have their own criteria outlining when cataract surgery should be offered.
In some cases, cataract surgery may be recommended if you have another eye condition,such as Diabetic retinopathy ,that can't be monitored or treated properly if you have cataracts.
Cataractstend to getgradually worse over time, although it isn't possible to predict how quickly this will happen.
Most people with cataracts will need surgery eventually, but immediate treatment may not be necessary ifyour vision isn't significantly affected.
It doesn't become more difficult to remove a cataract if you decide to wait before having surgery.
If immediate treatment isn't necessary or you decide to wait before having surgery, other measures may be helpful in the meantime, such as:
There are no medications, eye drops, or dietary supplements that have been proven to improve cataracts or stop them getting worse.
Read about cataract surgery, a procedure to treat cataracts, where changes in the lens of the eye cause cloudy, blurry, or misty vision.
Find out when cataract surgery is offered on the NHS. It's usually recommended if cataracts are affecting your ability to carry out daily activities, such as reading and driving.
Find out what happens before, during and after cataract surgery.
Read about recovering after cataract surgery, including advice about when you can drive and return to everyday activities.
Read about the possible complications of cataract surgery. The main problem that can occur is a condition called posterior opacification (PCO).
Brenda Alworth had two cataract operations, with the second four years after the first.