With age, it’s normal to develop cataracts. Cataracts cause the transparent natural lens in your eye to become cloudy and obscured, worsening vision over time.
Although most people will develop cataracts, you may not realize you have cataracts at first or notice any changes to your vision. However, you may only realize you have cataracts once you develop impaired vision that impacts your daily life and activities.
In the early stages, you can use a stronger eyeglass prescription, more powerful lighting, and magnification devices to help compensate for vision loss due to cataracts. However, these are only temporary measures.
Eventually, if you have cataracts, you’ll get to a point when impaired vision starts seriously affecting your quality of life and ability to function. Once cataracts make it more challenging to do the things you love or even every day hobbies, it could be time to consider cataract surgery.
Keep reading to discover if it’s time for cataract surgery and what that could mean for your vision!
What is a Cataract?
A cataract means your eye’s natural lens is cloudy, leading to blurry or fuzzy vision. Usually, the natural lens is clear and transparent and focuses light onto the retina to create sharp images.
As a cataract develops, the cloudy area of the lens blocks and spreads more light rays attempting to pass through. This prevents a sharp, crisp image from reaching the retina.
Over time, cataracts make your vision more blurry, foggy, or diminished. You may start feeling like you’re looking at the world through a dirty window.
The lens in each eye contains mostly water and protein. A cataract forms when proteins in the eye clump together. A cataract gradually takes up more space, making the lens cloudy.
Most cataracts occur due to aging. However, they can also occur due to factors like diabetes, excessive use of corticosteroids, diabetes, not using proper protection in the sun, and injury.
Signs You Could Have Cataracts
If you have cataracts, you may experience changes to your vision like:
Blurry Vision
The most common sign associated with having cataracts is blurry vision. You may also notice fuzziness, colors seeming more faded, or a need for using brighter light to see things more clearly while doing fine-focus tasks.
Glasses may help initially. However, you may find that they no longer help as your cataract worsens.
Seeing Glare, Halos, and Starbursts Around Lights
When you have cataracts, you’ll start seeing glare, halos, and starbursts around light sources. These are seen due to scattered incoming light rays.
Clumsiness and Difficulty Navigating Your Home
As your vision progressively worsens, you may start finding it more challenging to get around your home or start injuring yourself more. With impaired vision, you may bump into your furniture, trip over edges or steps, or knock things over and hurt yourself.
Double Vision in One Eye
One of the more foreboding symptoms associated with cataracts is double vision in only one eye. Double vision in one eye can be a sign of having cataracts, as the two eyes have different vision clarity.
Yellowed, Muddy Vision
You may notice that colors lose their luster if you have a cataract. You may find that things look dull or yellowed, objects look muddy or blurry, or you can no longer tell the difference in contrast.
Frequent Eyeglass Prescription Changes
Before cataracts, you may have worn glasses and contact lenses to help you see clearly. However, if you have cataracts, these visual aids will no longer be as effective.
You may find that frequent prescription changes to your glasses and contact lenses are necessary for seeing clearly, at least temporarily.
How Do You Know If It’s Time for Cataract Surgery?
If cataracts and their development make it more challenging to do what you love or need to do, it’s time to consider cataract surgery. Most cataract surgeons will only recommend the procedure if your cataracts interfere with your quality of life. You may want to think about the procedure if:
Cataracts prevent certain activities like:
- Cooking meals safely without burning or injuring yourself
- Doing household chores like washing the dishes
- Paying bills or balancing your checkbook
- Enjoying your favorite hobbies like golf, watching your favorite show, staying active, or knitting
- Seeing your grandchildren
- Driving to get where you want to go
- Reading books, using your phone, or sending emails
If your quality of life is suffering, you owe it to yourself to determine if you could benefit from cataract surgery. After all, if you want to see clearly, cataract surgery is the way to go!
Talking to Your Ophthalmologist About Cataract Surgery
If you’re considering cataract surgery, you need to have an honest dialogue with your eye doctor. Together, you can determine if it’s time for cataract surgery and better vision.
An experienced cataract surgeon can discuss the latest surgical approaches based on your visual and lifestyle needs. You may go over what you want your vision to be like, how active you are, if you want to reduce your dependence on visual aids after cataract surgery, and any other questions you may have.
Having any of these questions answered ensures you develop the best plan for cataract surgery. Only cataract surgery can help you see clearly and treat cataracts.
Cataract surgery is a very common procedure that many patients undergo annually. But for the best results, talking to your ophthalmologist will ensure you know what to expect and what potential results will be like.
Are you ready for better vision? Learn more about cataract surgery and if it may be time for this procedure by scheduling your appointment at Herschel LASIK & Cataract Institute in Orlando, FL, today!
