Koch Eye Associates Dr Alex Gerber on Cataract Awareness

Alex Gerber: A cataract is a general term for diseases of the natural lens inside the eye.

Alex Gerber: Typically we refer to those changes that happen with age. They happen over a very long time, and they cause progressive gradual vision changes. They can also happen after a trauma or an illness or after the use of certain medications. Those can significantly reduce the vision really, really fast.

Alex Gerber: It's important to get checked for cataracts on a regular basis. Having your cataracts out can not only improve your vision and the quality of your life, it can also save your life. Studies have shown that even mild to moderate cataracts can increase the risk of falls, really bad fractures like hip fractures, even death after motor vehicle accidents.

Alex Gerber: The past several decades have seen amazing advances in the technology of the implants that we use to replace the natural lens of the eye in which the cataract forms.

Alex Gerber: Prior to them, patients who had their cataracts out required really thick glasses. These days, with the use of these implants, chances are you won't need glasses for your driving or your reading, even those that have a lot of astigmatism as well.

Alex Gerber: Koch Eye offers the use of the specialty implants as well. That can reduce the need for the use of any type of glasses at all as well as the ability to do the procedure with the assistance of a laser. That really adds more safety and precision to anybody's cataract procedure.

Alex Gerber: It's very exciting. We get to stay on top of the newest technology that's out there, and offer all these services to our patients, which again not only improves the safety of their procedures and also the precision because the safety of the procedure, as soon as an individual notices symptoms, they can have their cataract out to improve their vision and their quality of life.

Alex Gerber: Anybody who has noticed that their reading vision is just not what it used to be, or if they're having some problems driving around, especially at night or when it's raining out or really foggy, things like glare and halos especially from oncoming headlights, should come in and see us, have their pupils dilated so we can give you a really good check for any cataract symptoms.