Did you know that dizziness improves after cataract surgery?

The obvious primary benefit for cataract surgery is an improvement in vision.

There are also secondary benefits such as

1) Improving sleep

2) Improving mental functioning

3) Reducing the chance of falls

4) Reducing the likelihood of hip fractures

5) Helping patients with dementia

A recent study from the Bradford School of Optometry and Vision Science shows that dizziness symptoms can improve after cataract surgery.

Researchers looked at 287 people with an average age of 76 who were undergoing cataract surgery. They asked them to report symptoms of dizziness before and after their cataract surgery.

The results showed that just over 50% of patients reported dizziness before their cataract surgery. This percent dropped to 38% of patients reporting dizziness after their cataract surgery.

This effect was more noticeable in patients undergoing cataract surgery in their first eye or having cataract surgery in both eyes, than having surgery on their second eye.

Interestingly, this study did not show a difference in the percentage of patients having a fall before and after cataract surgery. Researchers have reported this finding in other studies.

This study also reported that patients fell more if they wore multifocal glasses after their cataract surgery.

Many of my elderly patients do not tolerate multifocal glasses. Thus, it makes some sense not to prescribe them for this group of people.

Cataract surgery has excellent benefits. This recent finding of reducing dizziness is a benefit to my patients who undergo cataract surgery.

Thankfully, cataract surgery helps my patients restore their confidence and independence as well as their sight.

If you have any questions about cataract surgery or its benefits for you, please feel free to call me on 0203 797 2489 and I would be happy to chat some more.

Reference:

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/opo.12243/abstract