
While cataracts typically develop as a natural part of aging, left untreated, they can lead to serious complications. It’s important to understand those potential impacts and your treatment options, so you can restore your vision and regain your quality of life.
What Happens if Cataracts Are Left Untreated?
People may delay cataract treatment for any number of reasons, including lack of familiarity with the cataract surgery procedure and general anxiety about any form of eye surgery. The good news is the procedure is actually quite simple, with a very low incidence of complications and a success rate of 98% or higher for the more than three million cataract surgeries performed in the U.S. each year.
However, if you leave the condition untreated for too long, a few things can happen:
Your Symptoms Will Get Progressively Worse
Unfortunately, cataracts don’t get better on their own. Over time, they will get progressively worse, along with your symptoms.
Initially, you may only experience mild symptoms, including slightly blurred vision and/or some light sensitivity. As the condition remains untreated, however, you are likely to experience:
- Progressive vision loss
- Impaired night vision
- Faded or muted colors
- Glares around lights
- Double vision
- Difficulty driving and carrying out everyday tasks
You May Develop Hypermature Cataracts
If left untreated, a cataract can grow to the point where the lens becomes dense and completely white or a deep amber color. This hypermature stage is the fourth and most severe stage of cataracts. It is also the most difficult type of cataract to treat.
Hypermature cataracts can also lead to the development of other eye conditions, such as glaucoma.
Eventually, Untreated Cataracts Can Lead to Blindness
Because cataracts cloud your eye’s natural lens, as they progress, they gradually reduce the amount of light that can pass through your retina. Eventually, the cataract will grow to cover the entire lens, becoming thicker along the way and leading to near or total blindness. In fact, cataracts are the leading cause of blindness worldwide.
Early detection and treatment is the best way to avoid this outcome.
Surgery is the Only Effective Cataract Treatment
During the initial stages of cataract development, your ophthalmologist may adjust your eyeglasses prescription to correct for your worsening vision. Eventually, however, surgery is the only effective treatment for the condition.
The cataract surgery procedure replaces the natural cataract-damaged eye lens with an artificial lens implant. This provides a permanent fix, as your cataracts can never come back. When performed by a cataract specialist, such as Dr. Gregory Snodgrass or Dr. Todd Endicott, patients often report improved vision before even leaving the recovery room.
The potential complications of leaving cataracts untreated are far too great to ignore. If your eye doctor has recommended cataract surgery, seek treatment from a specialist. Contact North Florida Cataract Specialists and Vision Care today at 352-373-4300 to schedule your consultation.