The American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery states the importance of cataract awareness. Knowing what cataracts are can motivate you to prevent them. It can also make each eye checkup more meaningful, especially if you are of a certain age. Here are the details that you must know about a cataract’s symptoms, causes, and treatments.

The Symptoms

The first sign of a cataract is an area of blurry vision. This blurriness may worsen as your natural lens turns cloudy even more. Over time, you may find your entire field of vision is blurry. There could also be some color changes in what you see. Your surroundings may seem to be brownish or yellowish. This can disable your ability to identify colors, especially purple or blue.

You may have difficulty engaging in activities that involve color recognition. These activities include reading and driving. Here are other symptoms that you may experience:

• Frequent changes in prescription contacts or glasses.
• Difficulty seeing at night.
• Double vision.
• Halos around light sources.
• Light sensitivity.

The Causes and Risks

Your natural lenses have protein and water. They are behind your iris and pupil. Proteins in your lenses keep them clear. But aging makes these proteins stick together. This results in cloudy vision. As time passes, these clumps of proteins grow bigger until they affect the majority of your visual field.

Most cases of cataracts result from aging. But some individuals develop them from childhood or are born with cataracts. This premature onset of lens clouding is called a congenital cataract. Some cases of congenital cataracts are from a uterine infection or trauma. Genetic causes can bring about these cataracts as well. Congenital cataracts often leave your vision alone. But if they do affect your sight, they will need surgical correction right after the diagnosis.

The Treatments

Once cataracts appear, you can perform practices that can slow the worsening of cloudiness. These practices can also help you adapt to a life with cataracts once they worsen. Wear UV-protective sunglasses. See your eye doctor for regular eye checks to update your eyeglass and contact lens prescriptions. Get brighter lights for your work area. If your cataracts worsen, you can use magnifying devices to help you do your tasks.

Full-blown cataracts can go away with a simple lens replacement surgery. The eye doctor will remove the cloudy natural lens and replace it with an artificial one. Pushing through with your surgery will depend on how much the cataracts are interfering with your life and your health. As long as you can still function well, surgery can wait. Discuss the surgery with your eye doctor if it is already necessary. This can help you prepare well for it. Talking to your family about the surgery can help you get the necessary support that you will need.

Currently, there are still no medications available to reverse cataracts. Individuals with high blood pressure or diabetes have a higher risk of developing cataracts. Make sure to take your maintenance medications according to your doctor’s instructions. This can help slow down the onset of cataracts as well.

Learning more about cataracts can help you slow their progression down. It may also help you adapt to a life with cataracts if you already have it. At Eyes On Preston Park, we help our patients manage their eye conditions by providing high-quality products and services.

 Feel free to visit our clinic in Plano, Texas, for a one-on-one consultation. You can reach us at 972-519-0006 if you want to set an appointment or inquire about our cataract treatment packages.