What Are the Symptoms of Cataracts?

Cataract Symptoms You Need to Know

Although they affect nearly forty million people in the United States, many people are not familiar with the symptoms of cataracts. Cataracts are typically considered an eye problem for the elderly, and it is true that the most common type of cataract happens as people age. However, there are other types of cataracts, too.  You can develop cataracts at any age from eye trauma or they can be a side effect from many different prescription medications. Because cataracts are the leading cause of preventable blindness, it is a good idea to learn to recognize the symptoms.

• Clouded, blurred or dim vision. As the cataract grows, the blurred vision will become worse.
• A difficulty with vision at night. People suffering from cataracts may see halos around lights, be bothered by glare from headlamps, and have trouble focusing.
• Increase in the eye’s light sensitivity. Photophobia is common with cataracts, but it can also be a symptom of other problems. Any change in your eyes’ sensitivity to light warrants a visit to your eye doctor.
• Frequent changes in eyeglass or contact lens prescription. As cataracts form and progress, they change the shape of the eye’s natural crystalline lens, which changes the focal power. This causes people to seek a stronger prescription, but in the long run, surgery is really the only cure.
• Loss of contrast sensitivity. Contours and shadows may appear less distinct, and colors may seem to yellow or fade.
• Double vision in a single eye. Ghost images and double vision are always reasons to see the doctor immediately.

Cataracts can come on gradually, and, because they start out only affecting part of your lens, you may not immediately notice major changes in vision. Any time your vision changes, it is important that you see a doctor. Sudden vision changes like blurred or double vision make a visit to the ophthalmologist even more imperative. People with cataracts may want to seek relief from glasses or LASIK, but glasses may prove ineffective, and cataracts require lens replacement, rather than LASIK. In Dallas, LASIK for all sorts of disorders, as well as specialized cataract lens replacement, is provided with expertise by the committed staff at Tylock-George Eye Care and Laser Center. If you are suffering from symptoms of cataracts, Tylock can help.