Do you or a loved one have cataracts? Seeing dogs as cats and cats as frogs can be rather confusing.
A cataract is a clouding of the eye’s lens that affects vision. According to the National Eye Institute, by age 80, more than half of all Americans will either have a cataract or have had cataract surgery. Hence, making it is one of the leading causes of vision loss in the United States.
So, what causes cataracts?
The lens lies behind the iris and the pupil. It works much like a camera lens. It focuses light onto the retina at the back of the eye, where an image is recorded. The lens also adjusts the eye’s focus, letting us see things clearly both up close and far away. The lens is made of mostly water and protein. The protein is arranged in a precise way that keeps the lens clear and lets light pass through it.
But as we age, some of the protein may clump together and start to cloud a small area of the lens. This is a cataract. Over time, the cataract may grow larger and cloud more of the lens, making it harder to see.
Researchers suspect that there are several causes of cataract, such as smoking and diabetes. Or, it may be that the protein in the lens just changes from the wear and tear it takes over the years.
Indeed, cataracts are often paired with the term “age-related,” because they do affect the vision of about half of all people between 65 and 74.
And this is where Medicare can help. Medicare Part B covers cataract surgery, and after surgery Medicare helps pay for cataract glasses, contact lenses, or intraocular lenses you get from an ophthalmologist.
June is Cataract Awareness Month. Visit the National Eye Institute at the National Institutes of Health to learn more about cataracts.
Seeing day to day objects with more clarity can be a relief, but what if we could even help you see Medicare with more clarity. Well, that’s what we’re good at. Customer service is our number one priority, and we would love to “take the mystery out of Medicare” for you. So, contact us now for your free Medigap quote.
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