Posted: Feb 09 2021
Cataracts are a clouding of the eye’s natural lens, which lies behind the pupil. Normally, a lens is clear but with cataracts clouding develops which interferes with the light entering the eye and results in poor vision.
If left untreated, they can lead to progressive vision loss and blindness.
The symptoms
Usually, the development of cataracts is gradual and painless and has little effect on vision at first.
The main symptoms are:
- Hazy vision
- Increased sensitivity to light (glare)
- Reduced night vision
- Colours become less vibrant.
You might not experience all of the symptoms, and they might present differently in each eye, or only in one eye.
Sometimes they develop so slowly that you might not even notice any changes. This is why it’s so important to discuss even small changes in your vision with your optometrist as soon as possible.
Am I at risk?
Most cataracts develop as a normal part of the ageing process and are more commonly found in people aged 65 and over.
Other risk factors include:
- Smoking
- Long-term exposure to UV sunlight
- Certain diseases (i.e. – diabetes)
- Eye injury
- Family history.
How do you treat cataracts?
The only treatment is surgery.
Our optometrists may refer you to an ophthalmologist to determine if your cataracts should be removed. Surgery is usually performed when your vision deteriorates enough to interfere with daily life, i.e. when it affects your ability to drive safely.
Usually performed as a day procedure and under a local anaesthetic, it involves removing the cloudy lens of the eye and replacing it with a plastic lens. For most people, recovery of vision occurs a few days after surgery.
If you’re worried about your eye health book an eye test today. Early detection is vital in treating any eye condition.
Posted: Feb 09 2021
Disclaimer
The information contained here is of a general nature and does not take into account your personal medical situation. The information is not a substitute for independent professional medical advice and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or used for therapeutic purposes. Should you require specific medical information, please seek advice from your healthcare practitioner. Health Partners does not accept any liability for any injury, loss or damage incurred by use of or reliance on the information provided.
While we have prepared the information carefully, we can’t guarantee that it is accurate, complete or up-to-date. And while we may mention goods or services provided by others, we aren’t specifically endorsing them and can’t accept responsibility for them.
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© Copyright Health Partners. 2024 All Rights Reserved.
Health Partners is committed to providing quality and affordable health care, and we value our members and our obligation to protect your privacy. As part of our responsibility in protecting your privacy, from time to time we review our policies to ensure we are meeting our obligations. We have recently made some updates to our Privacy Policy. Please click here to view the Health Partners Privacy Policy.