Are You – or Someone You Love – at Risk?

Dear Friends,

Are You – or Someone You Love – at Risk?

Do you know what the following are symptoms of?

Painless blurring of vision.
Sensitivity to light and glare.
Double vision in one eye.
Poor night vision.
Fading or yellowing of colors.
Frequent changes in glasses or contact lens prescriptions.

While these symptoms may sound mild, they’re actually the warning signs of cataracts, a condition that is the leading cause of blindness worldwide, but also one of the most curable causes of vision loss.

Now, before you say, “Cataracts – that’s for Grandma!” you should know that more than 20 million Americans age 40+ have cataracts, and the condition is sometimes found in young people and even newborn babies.

A cataract is the clouding of the eye’s clear lens, similar to a window that’s “fogged” with steam. When the lens becomes cloudy, light rays can’t pass through it easily and vision becomes blurry, resulting in the symptoms listed above – and sometimes blindness.

The good news? Cataract surgery is one of the safest and most frequently performed surgeries, and the procedure improves vision in most patients. Better than surgery is early detection and treatment, which starts with regular eye exams. Wearing sunglasses that offer protection from harmful UV rays – and wearing them year-round – is also very important.

August is Cataract Awareness Month, a great time to do a great thing for those you love – and yourself: Visit http://preventblindness.org/eye_problems/cataractFAQ.html or call Prevent Blindness America at 800-331-2020 for information.

Sincerely,

Jeffrey Stanton