A cataract is when the lens of your eyes becomes cloudy and dense. This condition is very common in older people. This is caused by the proteins in your eyes that have broken down and caused things to look blurry and less colorful. Having this condition is like looking through a dirty, dusty, and foggy windshield. Although cataracts are not painful, they cause discomfort by making your eyes very sensitive to light.

A cataract starts to develop at around age 40, but sometimes symptoms show until after 60. A cataract develops very slowly; it usually affects both eyes but doesn’t usually form at the same time. According to the National Eye Institute, over half of the United States’ population have cataracts by the time they turn 80 years old.

Symptoms

The most common symptoms of cataracts can also include:

• Having blurry vision
• Seeing color as faded
• Hypersensitivity to glare and bright lights
• Poor night vision
• Needs bright light when reading
• Double vision
• A constant need to change prescription glasses

Cause

Aging is the most common cause of cataracts, though the following could also be one of the risk factors and reasons you may get cataracts:

• Having a history of cataracts in the family
• Smoking
• Medical problems, such as diabetes
• Had an eye injury or surgery
• Spending a lot of time under the sun, without eye protection
• Taking certain medications that cause the early formation of cataracts, such as corticosteroids

Prevention

One way of protecting or slowing down the development of cataracts is by protecting your eyes from the sun’s ultraviolet light rays by wearing sunglasses. Having your prescription glass with an anti-UV coating can also be of great help too.

Treatment

Cataracts can lead to vision loss when left untreated. Although some cataracts can stop growing, they don’t get smaller or heal on their own.

If your cataract is already preventing you from doing your usual daily activity, your doctor might already suggest you do surgery to treat your cataract. Surgery to remove cataracts is proven to be safe and has a very high success rate. It only takes about eight weeks for your eye to generally heal after surgery.

After surgery, you may still have some blurriness. But you should notice an improvement in your vision within the first weeks. You may also need to wear glasses after the surgery.

Having cataracts in both eyes, the surgery would be several months apart. Not having the surgery at once will give both eyes the chance to heal. A cataract is one of the very common reasons people lose their vision, but it can be treated. You should discuss your symptoms with an ophthalmologist and create a treatment plan designed for you and your condition.

If you experience any symptoms of cataracts, contact our ophthalmologist to immediately schedule an appointment. There is no substitute for the quality of life that a good vision can offer. So, taking care of your eye health is very important. Our team at the ophthalmology department can assist you with your condition. You can visit Doral Health and Wellness Ophthalmology Center at 1797 Pitkin Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11212, visit our website at http://www.ophthalmologybrooklyn.com/, or call 1-347-384-5690 to schedule an appointment.