Sunlight or bright lamps may cause pain and headaches when you have cataracts. If you notice that you are squinting more often than you used to, cataracts may be the culprit. If the sensitivity also comes with glare during the day and at night, get it checked out! These are common signs of cataracts.
How do you tell if your cataracts are getting worse? Regular eye exams will help detect the first signs of a cataract worsening. You may also experience more difficulty with activities such as driving at night or reading. If you suspect a change, you should make an appointment with an optician or ophthalmologist.
Many doctors recommend having cataracts removed as soon as they begin interrupting your daily activities. Depending on the progression of your cataract, surgery may either be needed immediately, or at some point in the future.
Clouded, blurred or dim vision. Increasing difficulty with vision at night. Sensitivity to light and glare. Need for brighter light for reading and other activities.
Cloudy or blurry vision
This is the most common symptom of cataracts. It can affect both distance and reading vision which may appear foggy. If left untreated, the clouding of the lens means the cataract will worsen, with less light able to get through the lens.
Most age-related cataracts typically develop over a span of years, so it's a relatively slow process. How quickly a cataract develops does vary based on the individual. In fact, the speed of cataract development can even vary between the two eyes in the same person.
In some cases, it could take 10 years or more for a cataract to progress to the point of causing blindness. However, other types of cataracts, such as those due to diabetes, trauma or certain medications can progress more quickly.
A long-term consequence of cataract surgery is posterior capsular opacification (PCO). PCO is the most common complication of cataract surgery. PCO can begin to form at any point following cataract surgery.
Stage 4: The Moderate Cataract
The lens may be yellow (nuclear cataract). There may be white spokes radiating from the sides (cortical cataract). Spots can collect on the posterior surface of the lens (posterior subcapsular cataract). All cataracts cause blur, glare, and loss of contrast.
Congenital cataracts often occur as part of the following birth defects: Chondrodysplasia syndrome. Congenital rubella. Conradi-Hünermann syndrome.
Some Don'ts: Things to Avoid
Avoiding eating and drinking before your surgery. Don't wear makeup to the surgery appointment, and avoid wearing makeup until your ophthalmologist allows it so that you can better prevent infection. Avoid getting irritants in your eyes.
Although it's never too late to have a cataract removed, it is better to have cataracts removed while they are immature, as this reduces the length of surgery and the recovery time. Earlier removal also means that you avoid the significant visual impairment associated with very mature (hypermature) cataracts.
In a stage 3 cataract, symptoms will be similar to stage 2 but more severe affecting quality of life and daily activities. In addition, the most noticeable change will be that the lens has changed in color from slightly clear or opaque to completely white or deep amber.
Cataracts are a natural part of growing older. However, repeated exposure to UV radiation without eye protection can amplify and speed up this process. Cataracts are the leading cause of blindness worldwide, so it's important to protect yourself however you can.
Cataract surgery poses certain risks. You may need to stop taking medications prior to surgery, which could put your health at risk. After surgery, your eyes need to heal, and you'll have to wear an eye patch for several days. You might experience itching, discomfort, or pain during this process.
In general, cataract surgery is not an emergency surgery but an elective procedure.
A general timeline for cataract progression is broken down between an early and a late stage. In the early stages, a cataract can be small and not impact vision too drastically. In the later stages, the eye can turn milky white, and vision can be significantly impaired.
Posterior Subcapsular Cataracts
Subcapsular cataracts can interfere with reading and create halo effects and glare around lights. People who use steroids or have diabetes, extreme nearsightedness, and/or retinitis pigmentosa may develop this type of cataract.
How long does cataract surgery take? Cataract surgery takes 10 to 20 minutes to complete, depending on the severity of the condition.
Age is the greatest risk factor for cataracts. Age-related cataracts may develop between 40 and 50 years old. Where you live. Recent studies have shown that people who live in high altitudes are more at risk of developing cataracts.
How painful is cataract surgery? Most people feel little or no pain during or after cataract surgery. You'll receive a topical anesthetic (eye drops) to numb your eye during the surgery. Shortly after surgery, your eye may feel gritty or slightly tender, but over-the-counter pain medicine should improve this.
Prolonged exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays can enhance cataract progression. During sunny days when you must be outside, try to wear sunglasses. For the same reasons as stated above, reducing the amount of ultraviolet light that reaches your eyes will help keep cataracts at bay.
Stage 2: The Immature Stage
At this stage, lens opacity is enough to noticeably obstruct vision. If the eye is illuminated from the side, the edge of the pupil casts a shadow on the lens.
While many people will obtain 20/20 vision from their IOL, 30 to 50 percent of people who choose a monofocal IOL will still require corrective lenses after surgery. Schedule a consultation with an eye doctor near you to see if you qualify for surgery.
Traumatic cataracts may be difficult to remove if the trauma affected the lens zonules, or the cataract is very dense.