Dr Brad Bowling
Eye Surgeon
Cataract
A cataract is a clouding of part of your eye called the lens. The lens in the eye works like the lens in a camera, focusing
light on the ‘retina’, the layer at the back of the eye corresponding to the film in a camera. Your vision becomes blurred because
the cataract is like frosted glass, interfering with your sight. The only treatment for cataract is an operation to remove the
cloudy lens and replace it with a plastic lens. Diets or drugs, including eye drops, have not been shown to slow or stop the development
of cataract.
Glaucoma
The inside of the eye receives nourishment from a clear fluid circulation. If the drainage of this fluid
stops working properly, intraocular pressure can rise and lead to glaucoma, a disease in which the nerve at the back of the eye (the
‘optic nerve’) develops progressive damage that can lead to loss of sight. In most patients, damage from glaucoma affects the
peripheral (outer) part of the field of vision in the early stages; a patient therefore typically does not notice any problems until
the condition is advanced, when effective treatment is usually more difficult.
Macular degeneration
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common reason for legal blindness in the developed world. It may be divided into a more slowly progressive 'dry' form and a more aggressive 'wet' form. Both affect primarily the centre of the field of vision, so interfere particularly with reading. Until relatively recently, there was no effective treatment for most cases of wet AMD, but ocular injections (usually pain-free!) now give improved or stable sight for many patients.