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Neglected Cataracts Can Lead To Increased Rates Of Falls Among Older Adults

shurkin_son - stock.adobe.com - illustrative purpose only, not the actual person

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), ninety-four million people are living with either moderate or severe distance vision impairment or blindness due to cataracts.

Cataracts develop slowly and can be hard to catch since they will not impair vision right away.

Eventually, though, people with cataracts might describe their eyesight as cloudy or similar to peering through a fogged-up lens.

Moreover, better lighting and prescription eyeglasses can help combat cataracts in the beginning.

But, according to the Mayo Clinic, once cataracts progress and interfere with your day-to-day life, cataract surgery is necessary.

And in older adults, not only can day-to-day habits be interrupted, but incidences of falling can also increase due to faulty vision.

In fact, falls are actually the leading cause of injury in older adults, and many of these incidences are a result of inaccurate sight.

This is a problem especially prevalent among adult Australians, who often wait too long to undergo cataract surgeries on their first and second eye within the public health care system.

Nonetheless, recent research published in the Medical Journal of Australia found that obtaining these surgeries as soon as possible is essential in lowering the rate of fall injuries in older adults.

shurkin_son – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purpose only, not the actual person

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