Cataracts

Taking your eyes out of the clouds: detecting and treating cataracts

Mr. Magoo may have been an endearing source of laughter, but those who suffer from cataracts are not likely to find humour in blurred vision. Cataracts, often associated with cloudy eyes, represent the most common cause of vision loss among people older than 40.

If you or someone you love is showing symptoms of cataracts, you should know the eye condition is highly treatable, with very good success rates. 9 out of 10 people who have cataract surgery regain anywhere from 20/20 to 20/40 vision. This article will explore these options, as well as the common symptoms of cataracts. We’ll then dispel a common myth.

Frosty windows to the world

Having cataracts can be “a bit like looking through a frosty or fogged-up window.”

The technical definition of cataracts is less romantic. It represents the dying cells in the eye’s lens, which, as they accumulate, turn the lens yellow and cloudy. This is a natural and unpreventable result of aging. In fact, cataracts develop so slowly they do not disturb eyesight early on. However, with time they will eventually interfere with vision and many of your everyday pleasures such as reading, taking a drive (especially at night) or seeing the meal a friend had just prepared. This is why early detection is critical.

Detecting the clouds

Because cataracts begin small and then expand, it could be hard to detect vision loss early on. This is why annual eye exams are so important, especially as we approach that road sign that reads “40.” If you have not yet made an eye exam yet, look for these symptoms:

• Clouded, blurred or dim vision
• Increasing difficulty with vision at night
• Sensitivity to light and glare, and seeing halos
• Frequent changes in eyeglass or contact lens prescription
• Fading or yellowing of colors
• Double vision in a single eye

The long-term effect of cataracts, untreated, is blindness. However, those who seek treatment can pursue life with healthy, normal vision and all the happiness it entails.

 

Treating cataracts and avoiding risks, myths

In the early stages, cataract-impaired vision can be improved with prescriptive lenses, magnification or even better lighting. Your doctor can advise on all of these options. Once the cataracts progress to the point of hampering daily life, you should consider surgery.

In the meantime, take note of some of these cataract risk factors. Avoiding them can help slow its progression:

• Ultraviolet radiation (sunlight – wear sunglasses)
• Smoking
• Prolonged use of steroids
• Statin cholesterol medicines
• Obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure
• Hormone replacement therapy
• Significant alcohol consumption

 

Along with the risks, let us close by dispelling one myth about cataracts: They cannot be prevented with eye drops. No medicine has been approved that can cure or delay cataracts – also, technically, Mr. Magoo was nearsighted.