Cataracts happen when the clear lens inside your eye becomes cloudy. This makes your vision blurry, like looking through fog. If you don’t treat cataracts, they can get worse over time and may even lead to blindness. In this article, we’ll talk about the early warning signs of cataracts, what causes them, and how they can be treated.
Early Symptoms of Cataracts
Your eye lens works like a camera lens, focusing light so you can see clearly. As people get older, this lens can become cloudy. That’s when cataracts begin. Cataracts are more common after age 60, but younger people can also get them due to diabetes, eye injuries, inflammation, or skin conditions like atopic dermatitis.
If a cataract becomes very advanced, the pupil (the black center of the eye) may look cloudy or white. Thankfully, most people get treatment before it reaches that stage. Here’s a checklist of early signs that may mean you’re developing cataracts. If you notice any of these, visit an eye doctor soon.
- Your vision isn’t as sharp as before.
- Everything looks dim or blurry.
- It’s easier to see in darker places than in bright light.
- Lights seem too bright, and night driving becomes hard because of glare.
- You see double images or overlapping objects.
- Colors look more yellow or red, and not as vivid as before.
Blurry vision doesn’t always mean you have cataracts, but it can be a sign of other eye problems. Many older adults think blurry vision is just “getting old” and ignore it, which can make things worse. That’s why it’s important to see an eye doctor if something doesn’t feel right.
One strange early sign of cataracts is that close-up vision may seem to improve suddenly. For example, reading small text becomes easier. This isn’t a good sign—it means the eye’s lens is changing shape due to the cloudiness. If this happens, it’s a good idea to get checked for cataracts.
Most cataracts happen because of aging. About half of people in their 60s have cataracts, and most people over 75 do. Cataracts usually affect both eyes, but sometimes just one eye is affected first.
Cataract Treatment
If your doctor finds early cataracts, they may give you medicine to slow it down. This might include eye drops or pills. But medicine can’t cure cataracts—it can only delay surgery.
Surgery is the main way to treat cataracts. The doctor removes the cloudy lens and puts in a clear artificial one. These new lenses don’t focus as well as your natural lens, so it’s best to wait until the cataract really affects your daily life before having surgery. But don’t wait too long either. Regular checkups help find the right time for surgery.
In the past, people had to choose between lenses for seeing far or seeing up close. But now, new multifocal lenses help people see both near and far, making life easier after surgery.
When cataracts are found early and treated properly, recovery is usually fast. Most people can go back to normal activities the next day. And once the cloudy lens is removed, cataracts don’t come back. Still, a few people might have side effects like dry eyes or an infection called endophthalmitis.
Dry eyes can make your eyes tired and vision blurry, but it can be treated with special drops. Endophthalmitis is rare but serious and needs antibiotics right away to stop infection.
We’ve covered the early symptoms, causes, and treatments for cataracts. Other eye diseases like glaucoma and macular degeneration can also cause vision loss as we get older. That’s why people over 40 should have eye exams every 6 to 12 months to keep their eyes healthy.