Cataracts often develop slowly, and you may have them but be completely unaware of them. Regular trips to the eye doctor can help spot them early and potentially limit their impact on your vision and life.
Generally, it’s unlikely to cause any harm if you can’t notice a cataract. When you begin to notice them, it’s because they have gotten big enough to prevent light from passing through the eye.
Cataracts may cause:
- Cloudy, foggy, or filmy vision
- Nearsightedness
- Changes in the way you see colour
- Problems driving at night (too much glare)
- Trouble with glare during the day
- Double vision
- Glasses/other corrective lenses not working like they used to
A cataract is a buildup of protein in the eye that blocks light. It’s hard to say if they can be prevented because, at this point, professionals still aren’t exactly sure what causes them.
Thankfully, they are not particularly serious and can be treated with some practical ideas or surgery. But don’t worry: surgery for cataracts is not complex. Options are common and simple procedures.
If you notice things getting blurry and cataracts are caught early enough by an eye doctor, you might be able to get by with a new corrective lens prescription.
When you feel like it’s becoming more difficult to read, a brighter lamp or a magnifying glass may help. If glare is becoming too much to handle, try some glasses with an anti-glare coating.
It’s worth chatting with your eye doctor with any vision trouble, and seeing an eye doctor annually is likely the best way to spot anything. If cataracts start making it dangerous to drive or are interfering with your daily life, surgery is likely the best option.