Are You Experiencing Cataract Symptoms?
Is your vision foggy or cloudy? Do colors look faded or less vibrant than they used to?
These are a few of the signs that you may have cataracts. Cataracts occur when proteins in the lens of the eye begin to break down.
When this happens, the lens becomes cloudy and harder to see through. For some people, the signs of cataracts may develop slowly over time.
You may not even realize you have cataracts at first. But for others, the symptoms can be obvious.
If left untreated, they may impact vision and can even cause blindness. If you feel your eyesight has deteriorated, it’s important to be aware of the signs and symptoms of cataracts.
Cataract Symptoms
Everyone is different and may not suffer from all the symptoms of cataracts. To treat cataracts, you’ll need to have cataract surgery. But here are some of the signs to watch out for.
Blurry, Cloudy Vision
With cataracts, you may experience a general decline in vision or a localized blurry spot. A cataract starts out small and often goes unnoticed.
One thing you may notice is that things start to look more cloudy. This may start feeling like you’re looking through a dirty window.
As your cataract progresses, your vision will become more blurry with time. Because other things can cause blurry vision, you should see your eye doctor as soon as you notice these changes to rule out something more serious.
Light Sensitivity
With cataracts, you may start to notice that you’ve become more sensitive to light. The sun, lamps, and headlights will affect your vision greatly and could cause you discomfort.
This is because cataracts scatter a lot of light coming into your eyes. As the proteins in your eyes clump together due to cataracts, light entering your eyes won’t have a clear path. This makes it much more difficult to see clearly.
Decreased Perception of Color
Over time, the clouding of the eyes leads to colors appearing less vibrant. Things that are white will look more yellow.
Generally, cataracts cause colors to seem faded. Since color changes occur at a gradual rate, most people don’t realize their color perception has worsened before having cataract surgery. Many patients report improvement in their perception of color after cataract surgery.
Difficulty Driving at Night
Cataracts make it hard to balance the bright light from traffic and darkness. Many people with cataracts find it challenging to drive at night.
You may find it harder to read signs at night while driving. Street lamps and headlights may give you headaches or cause painful glare when you have cataracts.
Double Vision
Double vision from cataracts (also known as diplopia) can be experienced when looking through one eye. In the beginning, cataracts only affect a smart part of the lens, making them less obvious.
But with the growth of cataracts, more of the lens will be clouded, distorting the light passing through it. The diffraction from the clouded lens can make you see double, which is bothersome and can lead to vision impairment.
When Should You Have Cataract Surgery?
Before, cataract surgeons usually recommended holding off on having surgery until the cataract was ‘ripe.’ This is no longer the case.
Now, cataract surgery is usually performed once a cataract inhibits your ability to perform everyday activities. If you are experiencing the symptoms above, it’s crucial to get a handle on it right away by seeing your eye doctor.
Concerned that you may have cataracts? The first step is a cataract screening. Schedule one at Short Hills Ophthalmology in Clifton and Short Hills, NJ with one of our eye doctors today!
