All About Cataract Surgery
100% of people will develop cataracts with time
Cataracts are the world’s leading cause of decreased vision. Symptoms may vary. However, cataracts can be treated, and even restore sight and vision.
How do cataracts affect vision?
Cloudy or Blurry Vision
Your vision (even with glasses) isn’t quite clear, and it’s harder to see road signs. Colors may be washed out, and objects/faces may look a bit hazy. Some people with cataracts may feel like they are seeing through a slight fog.
Difficulty reading in low light
With cataracts, you may notice you need more light to read, and have difficulty reading the menu in a dimly-lit restaurant. Though reading glasses may help, the text (especially small print) may not be perfectly in focus, and may take longer for you to make out the words. You may also notice a slight blur or fuzz or shadows around letters/objects from cataracts.
Poor Night-Time and Low-light vision
Difficulty seeing at night
One of the earliest symptoms of cataracts is that, often, your vision at night is poor. You may have trouble reading road signs, and find that seeing things clearly in low-light conditions is more difficult
Glare at night
You may notice a lot of glare from car headlights, street lights, or other light sources at night. This glare may be bothersome, and make it very difficult to see other objects (like pedestrians) or read road signs.
How do I get rid of Cataracts?
Cataracts form as part of natural age-related changes to lens in the eye. These normal eye changes begin to happen around age 40, when many people start to need reading glasses or bifocals. Proteins in the lens start to break down, and as the lens become more cloudy, this is called a cataract. Cataracts are very common among adults 60 and older; though they may occur sooner with medical conditions like diabetes, autoimmune conditions, after using certain medications such as steroids, or a history of smoking. A history of head trauma may also cause a cataract to form years later.
The only way to fix a cataract is through cataract surgery.
Depending on the type of cataract, it may look different between eyes or people.
Further Reading at the American Academy of Ophthalmology
