Cataracts? I'm only 34.

So I went to the eye doctor today because my prescription in my right eye had gone to E36 M3. The lady told me I need to go see a specialist because she thinks it is a cataract. Great, sounds like surgery.

Anyone here ever had cataract surgery?

I have not, but a friend of my wife's had cataracts removed from both eyes well before she was 40. It seems to have gone successfully with no issues. The best of luck and medical science to you!

Well, I just set an appointment with an ophthalmologist but the appointment isn't until June. Looks like I get to exercise my medical insurance a little.

No surgery yet, but my optometrist discovered one in my right eye a few years ago as well. Same problem as you, eye sight problem that can't be corrected with a new prescription, things then going downhill from there. I'm in my mid-forties so it's also considered a little young for cataracts, but apparently it's not unheard of. And yes, depending on how bad they are, surgery is the only option.

I did get a second opinion which confirmed the diagnosis and we've been monitoring the situation since. The cataract isn't growing bigger so we're postponing the surgery - in my case because of my eyesight, the specialist told me they'd have to do both eyes because I'm so short sighted unless I want to essentially have a myopic lens with a -4 diopter prescription put into my eye, which I really don't want to.

Upside is that after surgery, the lens that's put in your eye will give you close to 20/20 vision as they'll calculate it such that you don't need a prescription to correct it. However, if I understood this correctly - I'm not a medical professional - the lens they put in is a fixed focus lens so you'll definitely need reading glasses afterwards.

BoxheadTim wrote: However, if I understood this correctly - I'm not a medical professional - the lens they put in is a fixed focus lens so you'll definitely need reading glasses afterwards.

This is correct.

Oh great... I really need to see the eye doctor...

In reply to BoxheadTim:

In all honesty, if I have to wear reading glasses, so be it. Just like having a receding hair line, I don't care.

The eye doctor today said it was such a drastic change in my right eye that it has to be a cataract but she was having trouble seeing into my eye because of the little "jelly floaters". If I heard her correctly, instead of a -4.50 it's something way higher like -10. I didn't even think they went that high. She gave a set of contacts to put in but it is still messed up.

Thanks for the info BoxheadTim, I will learn more when I go to the ophthalmologist in June. I'm glad I have insurance.

I know this is weird, but I really want it corrected so I can shoot rifles again. I know, what an awful priority.

Anti-stance wrote: If I heard her correctly, instead of a -4.50 it's something way higher like -10. I didn't even think they went that high. She gave a set of contacts to put in but it is still messed up.

It does go up higher than that, one of my aunts has a -13 prescription...

It's interesting that your prescription seems to have changed that much, in my case it staid fairly similar, it's just that the amount of correcting it does isn't as good as it used to, but upping it doesn't make much of a difference either.

My experience has been somewhat like Tim's. My optometrist was really inquisive about whether or not I had ever taken steroids (due to having Crohns's). Apparently they contribute to cataracts a lot. I asked about lasik surgery and he said "don't waste your money. They can fix that WHEN you get cataract surgery".

BoxheadTim wrote: I'm not a medical professional - the lens they put in is a fixed focus lens so you'll definitely need reading glasses afterwards.

Not a medical professional either. Some friends have had adjustable lenses installed, so no glasses were needed. Others have had a near lens in one eye, and a far lens in the other, so again no glasses were needed.

In reply to BoxheadTim:

She said that was a huge increase and rather odd. She also said that corrective lenses weren't going to help very much. She was right, -10 didn't really help. It was like seeing 2 images, 1 clear and 1 blurry from the same eye. She also said she couldn't see into my eye very well to see the clouding. So perhaps it maybe something else?

When I am wearing my glasses and try to look with just my right eye, sometimes it's a little clearer if I blink a little bit. Almost like if you have something in your eye but doesn't hurt or irritate your eye.

I dunno, I just need to see what the real eye doc has to say. I just wanted to hear if anyone else has experienced cataracts because WebMD and other health websites make me feel like a hypochondriac.

In reply to Anti-stance:

I had cataracts in both eyes and had the corrective surgeries. There are two options for lens replacement and the more expensive choice (roughly 2X) pretty much precludes the need for glasses or contacts. I chose the cheaper as neither glasses nor contacts are a bother for me.

The procedure is straightforward and quick; the prep time lasted longer than the time under the laser. You wear a patch over the eye for 24hrs until you go back in for the eye test/ post op evaluation. The second surgery is scheduled a couple of weeks after the first and the same things happen all over again.

Be aware that it's possible for scar tissue to form over the eye and it requires a very short and pretty cheap laser procedure to fix it. Unlike the lens replacement, you don't get knocked out and it's done while sitting upright in the doctor's office; less than 5min and it's over. I had this done a couple of years ago which was nearly two years after the initial surgery. The scar removal isn't permanent as I fear I'll need it again this summer. A cash cost less than $300 makes it palatable.

foxtrapper wrote: Others have had a near lens in one eye, and a far lens in the other, so again no glasses were needed.

I just got off the phone with a buddy of mine that is a PA that said exactly this. He doesn't do these surgeries, but he has sat in on them.

He also pointed out that my rather lazy attitude of wearing contacts(sleeping in them) may have been what caused this at a young age. He said most of their patients that get the lens replacement at his hospital are from old age or radiation cataracts, young age is from not taking care of your eyes. He is curious as to why it's only in one eye if from the contacts.

In reply to oldsaw:

Thanks for sharing your experience, good to know what I possibly have to look forward to.

Don't sweat the optometrist's diagnosis too much just yet. The specialist sees this stuff all day long and will be able to do more tests and make a better diagnosis and come up with a plan to correct it. Having gone through something similar at a similar age, the initial diagnosis seemed scary and made me feel old. Its been years now without much change or need for surgery.

All of the above is correct. Had both done about five years ago. One was done,"cold turkey", didn't put me out. Very strange experience. Both worked out just fine but I do have to wear glasses for reading. Not a big deal, you are ready to go the next day.

So I do have a cataract in my right eye. The doctor couldn't figure out why I have one so young and why it is affecting my vision so bad. She pulled another doctor in and he was saying that at my age cataracts are caused from birth, trauma(impact to the eye), or diabetes. None of those apply to me though so though are perplexed to why I have it.

The doc said she wants to see if we can correct it with a better prescription. She doesn't want to do the surgery because insurance would only pay for one eye. Because I would only get one eye done they would not put a -0 lens in, they would put a -3 so it would be balanced with the left eye which is -4.50. I don't want to do the surgery either if they put a lens in that requires a prescription. Berk that!

spitfirebill wrote: My experience has been somewhat like Tim's. My optometrist was really inquisive about whether or not I had ever taken steroids (due to having Crohns's). Apparently they contribute to cataracts a lot. I asked about lasik surgery and he said "don't waste your money. They can fix that WHEN you get cataract surgery".

you are making me very happy to note I have not taken steroids for my Crohnes since I was 20 (almost 44 now) and then only for a couple of months.

In reply to Anti-stance:

I've had both eyes done and a follow-up surgery to remove a film that sometimes forms after cataract surgery in my left eye. Now it's time to do the right.

All things considered we are very fortunate to have Drs. with the skill and the technology to do this. I'm sure cataracts have caused blindness in humans (as well as other species) for many thousands of years.

FWIW, I saw a report recently advocating the use of good sunglasses to thwart cataracts.

I hear cataract converter theft is up recently... or is that cadillac?

They are for old men, I prefer Rincons

Graefin10 wrote: FWIW, I saw a report recently advocating the use of good sunglasses to thwart cataracts.

because glare can sometimes provoke a migraine. I always wear sunglasses when outdoors.

mad_machine wrote:

Graefin10 wrote: FWIW, I saw a report recently advocating the use of good sunglasses to thwart cataracts.

because glare can sometimes provoke a migraine. I always wear sunglasses when outdoors.

I live in my sunglasses.

I can't see E36 M3!

Just thought I'd update that I have had the surgery and it went great. A little pricey even with insurance but I got the extras like the special lens and laser surgery.

glad to hear it!