Cataracts cause cloudy lumps in the eye’s lens, leading to vision loss. Symptoms include dim light, selective blur, and double vision. Cataracts can be removed surgically, and early diagnosis is crucial.
Cataracts develop in the sensitive lens of the eye as cloudy lumps of tissue. Because the lens focuses light into sharp images, just like a camera lens, this causes a particular loss of vision. Symptoms include dim light, selective blur, night blindness, double vision, yellowish or gray colors, or blocked areas of vision. Cataracts form in old age or can accompany other diseases such as diabetes. When caught early, they are surgically removed with a high success rate.
Light enters our eye through the pupil, travels through the lens, and lands on our retina in a focused, clear, colorful image. The lens is susceptible to the accumulation of lumpy strands of protein as they age. This collection interferes with the exact focus and color in an image. While a cataract isn’t a cloud, growth, or infection, it can still be likened to rubbing oil on a camera lens. Looking through the camera, you’d see blurry, obstructed, or shadowed sections in your field of view because the dirt scattered the light.
While the risk for this condition is extremely high in those individuals over the age of 50, they are not the first stage of total blindness in both eyes. These growths can seriously affect common activities, such as reading, driving at night, watching television, or even walking in unfamiliar territory, but they don’t always get progressively worse until you can’t see it at all. An accurate diagnosis by an ophthalmologist can separate your vision problems from diseases of the retina, optic nerve, cornea or brain that could be caused by unrelated eye conditions such as macular degeneration or glaucoma. Consult your doctor at the first sign of vision loss.
Since 70% of people over the age of 75 have at least one cataract, early diagnosis is the most important part of the healing process. Mild cases may be temporarily treated with a different eyeglass prescription or simple lifestyle changes such as driving only during the day or using a brighter light to read. A permanent solution is cataract surgery under local anesthesia. While you should discuss the risks of surgery with your doctor, this common procedure has a 95% success rate. Be sure to visit your eye doctor every 1-3 years, once you pass age 50, to catch problems sooner rather than later.
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