August: Designated as Cataract Awareness Month

Month of August has been declared as "Children's Eye and Safety Month" as well as "Cataract Awareness Month" by the nation's leading volunteer eye health and safety organization, Prevent Blindness America.

There are two different sides of needs of eye care, for children, healthy eyes and good vision are not only vital to their ability to see but also their ability to learn and function in today's society and for senior citizens, the modern technology will enable them to live more enjoyable and productive lives.

Protection for eyes of children:
Respected health organizations now warn that good eyesight in children is directly linked to their ability to learn. The American Public Health Association points out that 25 percent of students in kindergarten through sixth grade have visual problems serious enough to impede learning. There are also reports that 60 percent of children with learning disabilities have undiagnosed vision problems. Early detection of eye problems is paramount.

Protection for eyes of adults:
Modern technology has enabled seniors to discover a "whole new world" of eyesight. Seniors are not content to go "quietly into the night." They want to be active and productive as long as they can. In the 1960s, cataracts were removed in surgery only if the eye was completely blind. Surgery was long and complicated, and patients had to stay in the hospital two weeks, often with their heads held in place by sandbags.

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August: Designated as Cataract Awareness Month