Final answer:
A candidate for cataract surgery typically has impaired vision due to a clouding of the eye's lens, known as a cataract. Surgery involves replacing the cloudy lens with a plastic intraocular lens. The decision for surgery is influenced by the severity of vision loss and its impact on everyday tasks.
Step-by-step explanation:
What makes someone a candidate for cataract surgery? A person becomes a candidate for cataract surgery when they have a clouding of the lens in their eye, known as a cataract, which impairs vision. Cataracts are responsible for 50% of all cases of blindness and occur when the lens that allows light into the eye becomes cloudy, reducing the amount of light that enters, and thus impairing vision. Factors influencing the decision to have surgery include the degree of vision loss, impact on daily activities, and overall eye health. Vitamins A and C may help protect against the formation of cataracts. Repeated exposure to UV-B is a risk factor for developing cataracts, particularly for people living near the equator where medical treatment may be less accessible. It is notable that 60% of individuals between ages 65 and 74 will develop cataracts. However, treating cataracts by replacing the eye’s lens with a plastic lens is generally straightforward and successful. When considering intraocular lenses during cataract surgery, the power of the new lens can be chosen to provide perfect distant vision, but the ability to read without glasses depends on additional factors. If a person was nearsighted before, the power of the intraocular lens would be less than the power of their natural lens to ensure correct vision correction. Protection from UV rays using plastic sunglasses can be an effective preventive measure against cataracts.