What Are Cataracts?

Cataracts are the most common treatable cause of poor vision. Our eyes have a natural lens that works to focus light on the retina, giving us a clear and sharp image of the world. As we age, this lens can harden and become cloudy. This clouding of the lens is called a cataract.

Causes of cataracts

Most often cataracts are simply the result of the aging process. They can also be caused by ultraviolet (UV) exposure, injuries to the eye, use of certain medications, certain medical diseases, genetic inheritance, or occasionally vitamin deficiencies.

Symptoms of cataracts

Most people start to experience problems with glare while driving at night. They may notice a loss of color, detail or sharpness on items such as road signs, magazines, or television captions. They may also see a large change in prescription during their annual eye exam. Although many people notice a cataract in one eye first, they tend to progress at similar rates in each eye. An eye exam will help determine whether other conditions are contributing to a recent decline in vision.

Eye glasses and cataracts

An eye examination will determine the total health of a person’s eye. It screens for several disorders such as macular degeneration and glaucoma. It allows us to tell if a change in prescription will improve their vision, even with cataracts. However, when cataracts are dense enough, vision cannot be improved with glasses.

Prevention of cataracts

Wearing ultraviolet (UV) blocking sunglasses in bright sunlight may help slow the progression of cataracts. Investing in a good pair of UV blocking sunglasses is a simple way to provide vision protection. Additionally, maintaining a healthy diet with an adequate amount of antioxidants and vitamins may help slow the development of cataracts and contribute to overall good health.

When to remove a cataract

When cataracts cause enough vision loss to interfere with your daily activities, removal should be considered. Patients no longer have to wait for the cataract to become “ripe”. If left untreated, cataracts may become so advanced that they can cause other eye diseases like glaucoma and uveitis, which often leads to irreversible vision loss.

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