Signs And Treatment For Cataracts

Elderly couple dancing after cataracts treatment
Normally, the lens in your eye is supposed to be clear. However, when it clouds, it is known as a cataract. Seeing through this cloudy lens is similar to looking through a foggy or frosty window. The vision that is clouded from cataracts can make it hard for you to read, drive, or even see the expression on the face of your loved one.

Signs of Cataracts

Cataracts develop over time, so you might not notice any symptoms at first. Cataracts may only affect a tiny part of the lens in your eye and you may not notice it until you have lost a part of your vision. However, as cataracts grow larger, more of your lens will become clouded. The light that passes through your lens will become more clouded. This is when you will begin to notice symptoms.

One of the main signs of cataracts is blurred or clouded vision. You may also notice that your night vision is decreasing and that you are more sensitive to glare and light. You might need to have a brighter light when you are reading. There are several other symptoms that you may have as well.

  • Seeing “halo” around a light.
  • Double vision in one of your eyes.
  • Yellowing or fading colors.
  • Frequent eyeglass prescription changes.

Treatment for Cataracts

Sometimes, prescription eyeglasses can help with your vision. However, if that does not work, then the only way to treat cataracts is with cataract surgery. During cataract surgery, your clouded lens will be removed from your eye. An artificial lens will replace your natural ones. This is known as an intraocular lens. It will be placed in the same location as your natural lens.

Sometimes, patients cannot have an artificial lens. This is because other types of eye problems prevent the use of a new lens. If this is the case, then you may only have the cataract removed. With contact lenses or glasses, your vision may still be corrected.

Usually, you will have cataract surgery as an outpatient. This means you will not need to stay in the hospital after having surgery. During the surgery itself, you will have a local anesthetic around your eye to numb it. However, you will stay awake during the surgery.

After the surgery, you can expect to be healed completely within two months. If you need to have cataracts removed from both eyes, you will have the second one done after the first. That way, you will still have at least one working eye.

If you are seeing any of the signs of cataracts, make an appointment at our office, especially if you notice changes in your vision. You should visit our eye center right away if you have sudden eye pain, flashes of light, a sudden headache, or double vision. Treating cataracts will help you focus on your loved ones and less about your vision.

To learn more about treating cataracts, please make an appointment at Jarvis Vision Center in Murray, Kentucky, today.