What Are Cataracts?

About Cataracts

A cataract is when your eye’s natural lens becomes cloudy over time. Your lens helps to bend and refract light rays that come into your eye to help you see. The lens is clear early on in your life.

What Are Symptoms of Cataracts?

If you have a cataract, your natural lens has become cloudy. It is like looking through a foggy or dusty car windshield. Things appear blurry, hazy, or less colorful when your lens becomes a cataract, and you may need more light in order to see well or to read.

Most cataracts develop during the normal aging of your natural lens. One of the first symptoms that may be noticed is glare from bright lights, making it difficult to see. This may be more evident at night while driving into oncoming headlights or while walking towards streetlights.

What Are Cataracts? Crestview & Okaloosa County

Learn More About Cataracts

Your ophthalmologist or other eye care provider can examine and test your eyes to make a cataract diagnosis. This comprehensive eye exam will include a refraction as well as a dilation.

Your ophthalmologist will test your vision and examine your cornea, iris, lens, and the other areas at the front of your eye. This is accomplished by using a special slit lamp microscope that makes it easier to spot abnormalities.When your eyes are dilated, the pupils are wide open, so your physician can clearly see the back of the eye. Your physician will look for signs of a cataract. Your ophthalmologist will also look at the health of your optic nerve, retina, and vitreous.

If you have a cataract and are asymptomatic, continue routine appointments with your ophthalmologists or eye care provider until it becomes visually bothersome.

If you have a cataract that is symptomatic by either bothersome glare from bright lights during the day or night, or if your best-corrected vision is 20/50 or worse, consider cataract surgery. Dr. Alabata performs both traditional cataract surgery as well as laser cataract surgery.

Schedule now by completing this form or calling us at (850) 331-3937 to discuss with Dr. Phil Alabata if you are a candidate for cataract surgery. A referral is not required.

Schedule a Consultation

About Dr. Alabata

Phil Alabata, D.O., completed his ophthalmology residency at the world-renowned Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas. He completed his Glaucoma Fellowship at the distinguished Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, GA. Dr. Alabata brings over 20 years of experience and proficiency in many different areas of eye surgery.

Dr. Alabata practiced as a military physician for nine years and was instrumental in providing refractive surgeries for special operations soldiers by innovating Fort Benning’s Warfighter Refractive Eye Surgery Program.