Is your vision blurry or distorted? Are you seeing this in double but only in one eye? These are some of the signs of having a cataract.
It may sound young, but you can start developing cataracts when you’re in your forties or fifties. And you may not even be aware that you have one at first.
This is because cataracts tend to develop slowly. It can take years for the symptoms to develop to the point that you notice them.
Keep reading to learn more about cataracts and some signs to watch out for!
Cataract symptoms
The most common symptom of cataracts is blurry vision. It is sometimes referred to as foggy vision.
If you have a cataract, you may feel like you’re looking through a foggy or dirty window. Cataracts form because of proteins building up and clumping together on the lens of the eye.
Most cataracts develop slowly. As they progress, this blurry – or foggy – vision will increase.
This makes it much harder to distinguish bright colors and faces. You may want to consider cataract surgery if it becomes difficult to complete everyday tasks.
Cataracts can also make it difficult to see at night. A common symptom of cataracts is seeing halos appearing around lights.
This could be street lights, porch lights, or headlights from oncoming traffic. When your cataracts reach this point, driving can be unsafe. Don’t drive if your vision doesn’t seem like it’s as sharp or clear as it used to be.
The overarching side effect of cataracts is vision loss. This could be from blurry vision, blinding halos at night, or gradually becoming more unable to see in more of your eye.
Some people only experience vision loss because of having cataracts. Not everyone with cataracts will have blurred vision or see halos around lights at night.
This vision loss can make it hard to see far away, as well as up close. Most patients lose a little more vision each year. But vision loss can also come on suddenly.
If you experience a drastic and sudden loss of vision, you should contact your eye doctor right away. When your vision has become so limited that you can longer complete your daily routine, you will need cataract surgery.
Cataract surgery
Cataract surgery is a painless outpatient procedure. Most patients are in and out in under an hour.
Although it may seem scary, it’s not. You’ll be awake and your eyes are numb thanks to anesthetic eye drops.
These spread over the surface of your eye and ensure you’ll never feel any pain. If you’re nervous before having your procedure, let your surgeon know. They can give you a sedative to calm your nerves.
During the surgery, your surgeon creates a small incision on the lens of your eye. Before removing the lens, the cataract is gently broken apart into smaller pieces.
The entire lens of the eye is removed through this incision along with the smaller pieces of the cataract. After removing the lens, it is then replaced with an intraocular lens, known as an IOL.
The IOL is an artificial lens. Using an artificial lens is a crucial part of the procedure because it provides you with clear vision after cataract surgery.
Before your surgery, you will decide what kind of IOL you want. This choice should take your lifestyle and visual needs into account.
Are cataracts making it hard for you to go about your day? You may want to consider getting cataract surgery.
The first step in the process is a cataract screening. Schedule one today with Westlake Eye Specialists in Austin, TX!
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