While cataract symptoms may not dramatically impact your daily life at first, they undoubtedly worsen as the eye lens continues to cloud. Recognizing warning signs early will allow you and your eye doctor to closely monitor your cataract progression until the time is right for surgery.
Common Cataract Signs You Might Be Ignoring
People often overlook early-stage cataract symptoms, or write them off as just natural age-related vision loss. And while it’s true that cataracts are a natural part of aging, the symptoms and lifestyle impacts of cataracts are distinct and should be mindfully diagnosed, monitored and treated.
People often begin to suspect they may have early-stage cataracts when they experience one or more of a handful of common symptoms. They might notice, for example, that their vision is a bit cloudy or has the effect of looking through a lightly frosted window when watching television. Likewise, this clouding can make reading more difficult. Nighttime driving can also be challenging, as streetlights and oncoming headlights produce halos.
And those are just a couple common examples. Overall, these are the key cataract signs to watch for:
1. Vision that seems blurry, dim or clouded
2. “Halos” around lights when you look at them
3. Difficulty seeing at night
4. Double vision in your impacted eye
5. Coloring that seems to fade or have a yellow tint
Diagnosing Cataracts
An optometrist or ophthalmologist can identify cataracts through a comprehensive eye exam. You can expect the professional to analyze your vision, and to ask several questions about your medical history and whether you’re experiencing any issues with your vision. It's important that you remain open and honest about any challenges you may be facing.
What Happens If You Have Cataracts?
If you do have cataracts, you may not need surgery right away. Some people live for years without major lifestyle disruptions due to cataract symptoms. Symptoms will, however, inevitably get worse and eventually require surgery to correct. It’s important to see your eye doctor regularly to monitor your cataract progression.
When the time is right for surgery, you can rest easy knowing that cataract surgery is one of the safest and most effective surgical procedures available. The American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) reports an overall success rate of 98% or higher for the more than three million cataract surgeries performed in the U.S. each year.
Advances in laser-assisted cataract surgery have made the cataract surgery procedure even more precise and introduced faster, pain-free recovery. Many patients report improved vision before even leaving the recovery room.
If you suspect you may have cataracts, or if it’s just been a while since your last comprehensive eye exam, contact North Florida Cataract Specialists and Vision Care today at 352-373-4300.