Early Symptoms of Cataracts

Cataracts are a leading cause of blindness, especially among senior citizens. However, the condition is rarely diagnosed in the early stages because it tends to be asymptomatic until it reaches an advanced stage.

In today’s post, Downtown Eyes, your local optician, highlights early symptoms of cataracts discusses what patients can do to slow the progression of the condition.

Early Symptoms of Cataracts

Cataracts, or the clouding of the lenses, occurs when proteins in the lenses clump together, preventing light from entering the lens and being transmitted to the retina. The retina is responsible for converting the light coming through the lens and sending it to your brain through optic nerves.

If cataracts are preventing light from entering the lens, you may experience some of the following symptoms:

 

 

• Blurred, cloudy or double vision – One of the early symptoms of cataracts is cloudy vision, which is described by some patients as similar to looking through a foggy window. When cataracts cover a larger part of the lens in your eyes, the light passing through appears scattered, blurring your vision. Some patients also report having double vision.

• Seeing tinges of yellow and brown at night or halos around lights – Some patients with early-stage cataracts report seeing twinges of yellow or brown that become more prominent at night, while others report seeing halos and glare around bright lights when driving at night.

• Discoloration in their vision – The twinges of yellow and brown aren’t limited to nighttime vision—they also extend to your daytime vision.

• Sensitivity to bright lights – Sensitivity to light can cause headaches and affect your ability to drive at night. That’s why if you experience this symptom, we recommend seeing your eye doctor for an eye exam as soon as possible.

Symptoms of Advanced Cataracts

Once cataracts progress to an advanced stage, you may begin to experience these symptoms:

 

 

• Changes in your eyeglass prescription – As a result of steadily deteriorating vision, you’ll need to change your prescription eyeglasses more often. Some patients have noted that even after getting a new prescription, they didn’t notice any significant improvement in their eyesight.

• Reduced color intensity – Patients with advanced cataracts may have trouble differentiating between certain colors because they look faded or yellowed. In particular, patients suffering from cataracts in the advanced stage may not be able to differentiate purples from blues.

• A need for brighter lighting – Patients also have a harder time doing simple tasks such as reading under normal lighting. In general, once your impaired vision starts to interfere with your day-to-day activities, it’s time to see an eye doctor.

Keep in mind that the early symptoms can be subtle. By the time you start to notice the aforementioned symptoms, your cataracts may have already progressed to the advanced stages. That’s why it’s important to undergo a routine eye examination at least once a year. Cataracts are the leading cause of blindness among older Americans, but they’re not the only cause. For instance, glaucoma, also a leading cause of blindness, causes many of the same symptoms as cataracts.

How Cataracts Are Diagnosed

 

 

Cataracts are usually diagnosed through a dilated eye exam. It’s hard for your eye doctor to examine your retina when the pupil isn’t dilated or widened. That’s why your eye doctor will give you eye drops to dilate your pupils. The eye drops usually take about 15 to 30 minutes to take effect and four to six hours to wear off. The National Eye Institute recommends that those aged 60 and above should undergo a dilated eye exam at least once a year.

During the eye exam, your eye doctor might also measure your eye pressure to check if there are early symptoms of glaucoma, another leading cause of blindness. The ophthalmologist will puff air into your eyes to flatten the cornea and test eye pressure. While high intraocular pressure doesn’t necessarily mean you have glaucoma, it is a cause for concern, especially if you have several risk factors.

Taking Into Account Your Risk Factors

Risk factors can give you an idea of how likely you are to develop cataracts, or any eye condition for that matter. Age is the single biggest risk factor for cataracts, which usually develop in people aged 55 and over. As you grow older, the flexibility and transparency of your eye’s lenses decrease, while their thickness increases, making it more likely that cells in your eyes will begin to clump together.

What are the other risk factors?

• A family history of cataracts

• Health problems such as diabetes mellitus and obesity

• Unprotected exposure to ultraviolet rays

• Eye inflammation

• Eye injuries

• Previous eye surgery

• Long-term steroid use

• Smoking

• High alcohol consumption

• A poor diet

It’s important that you talk to an optician or eye doctor about your family history and lifestyle risk factors to develop a strategy on slowing the progression of cataracts.

Slowing the Progression of Cataracts

Fortunately, it is possible to slow the progression of smaller cataracts. Making certain lifestyle changes and wearing UV-protective sunglasses can help prevent cataracts from growing.

Here are a few changes you can make:

• Wear sunglasses with polarized lenses and a wide-brimmed hat – Make sure to choose sunglasses that are specifically designed for UV protection and have a UV rating of UV400 or higher. Sunglasses should be able to block at least 99.9% of UV rays. Polarized lenses can provide protection from glare, while a wide-brimmed hat can enhance your eyes’ protection from UV rays.

• Avoid drinking or smoking – Excessive alcohol consumption and frequent smoking can increase your risk for cataracts. If you can’t completely avoid social drinking, at least try to limit your consumption. And if you’re having trouble quitting, consider joining a support group.

 

• Eat a balanced diet – Include more dark leafy greens, nuts, whole grains, fruits and fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids in your diet. Look for lutein and zeaxanthin as well as vitamin C, vitamin E and zinc supplements, all of which can help reduce your risk of developing cataracts.

• Undergo a routine eye examination – A comprehensive eye exam can detect irregularities in your vision, including cataracts. The sooner eye conditions are diagnosed and treated, the better.

Cataract Surgery

If your cataracts progress and affect your daily routines, you may need to undergo cataract surgery. Currently, cataract surgery is the only proven way to remove cataracts and restore vision.

Cataract surgery involves replacing the clouded lens with an artificial one. Some patients may be hesitant about undergoing an invasive procedure. The good news is that cataract surgery is one of the safest and most common procedures done in the country. It also have a high success state of 90-95% in the US, making it a safe procedure with excellent results. About 90 percent of patients said they noticed a significant improvement in their vision after undergoing cataract surgery.

 

Keep in mind that just like any invasive procedure, cataract surgery is not without risks. However, in most cases, the benefits of undergoing cataract surgeries far outweigh the risks, which tend to be minimal. Before making a decision, it’s important to discuss the benefits and risks of cataract surgery with your optician or eye doctor.

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