Out of the five senses of our body, our sight is perhaps the most precious of all. That’s why any change in our ability to see can be a cause for alarm. If you have noticed changes in your vision, even if it was a temporary occurrence, you need to take note and have it examined by a professional as soon as possible. For example, if you are starting to notice clouded vision in one or both eyes, you might be developing cataracts, and that can alter your vision in significant ways moving forward.
What are Cataracts?
The only way to make progress in your quest to maintain healthy eyesight is to understand what you are contending with. That is why this definition of cataracts provided by the Mayo Clinic is extremely useful:
A cataract is a clouding of the lens of the eye, which is typically clear. For people who have cataracts, seeing through cloudy lenses is like looking through a frosty or fogged-up window. Clouded vision caused by cataracts can make it more difficult to read, drive a car at night or see the expression on a friend’s face.
As noted here, cataracts can disrupt many routine activities that you might otherwise take part in throughout your day. Unfortunately, cataracts often develop slowly and might not disrupt your vision at all in the beginning. That is why you must be on alert to any changes in your eyesight. The earlier that you catch an eye disorder like this, the easier it is to correct it.
Symptoms to Note
At Chang Eye Group, we advise our patients to be on the lookout for the symptoms and causes of cataracts so that they can see one of our eye doctors in Pittsburgh as soon as they realize there is an issue. Among the symptoms that might manifest in a patient are:
- Trouble Seeing at Night – This is often first noticeable while trying to drive at night. If it has become more challenging to read road signs, then you might be experiencing a decrease in your ability to see at night.
- Seeing “Halos” Around Light – A halo effect might appear around light fixtures for those who are suffering from cataracts. Those halos aren’t truly there, but it appears as though they are in their eyes because of the damage that the cataracts are inflicting on their vision.
- Double-Vision – Seeing double in one or both eyes can also be a warning sign that cataracts are developing. This is not something that anyone should see at any time, and it is certainly a cause for concern for anyone who might experience this.
- Fading of Colors – Do colors not appear nearly as vibrant as they once did? This could also be due to damage to your vision caused by cataracts.
- Sensitivity to Light or Glare – Everyone has a sensitivity to light when that light gets overly powerful. However, if you notice that you experience an excessive amount of sensitivity to light or glare, then you might be dealing with something more serious.
You might experience any combination of these symptoms, and you might even experience symptoms that are not contained on this list. Simply note that these are the types of complaints that patients who suffer from cataracts often mention. As long as you are aware of the warning signs that cataracts might be developing within your eyes, you can schedule an eye exam to discuss your symptoms with an ophthalmologist as soon as possible.
What Causes Cataracts?
Now you know what kind of symptoms to be alert to, but you still might have a burning desire to understand the root causes of cataracts. Our eye doctors in Pittsburgh at Chang Eye Group see many patients with cataracts, and we know that the root cause of this issue can differ from person to person. Research into the disease continues, but there are certain factors that are known to contribute to the likelihood of developing cataracts.
Here is a helpful list of potential causes of cataracts developed by the Washington School of Medicine in St. Louis:
- The Aging Process – The most common reason why patients develop cataracts is simply due to the aging process. Our eyes, like every other part of our body, aren’t built to last forever. As we age, the proteins within our eyes begin to break down and clump together. This can be a factor in the cloudiness that we might experience in our vision as we begin to age.
- Smoking – There are a whole host of reasons to give up smoking, and the development of cataracts belongs on that list. Smokers are at a higher risk of developing cataracts, and they should speak with our eye doctors in Pittsburgh about why this could cause eye problems for them moving forward.
- Alcohol Consumption – Speaking of lifestyle factors that can contribute to cataracts, alcohol consumption is another concern to keep in mind. Excessive alcohol consumption has been linked to the development of cataracts, and it is something worth monitoring as well.
- Diabetes – Those who have diabetes are also at a higher risk level for developing cataracts. The high blood sugar levels can interfere with the eye lens and increase the possibility of developing cataracts.
These factors, among others, can contribute to an increased risk of developing cataracts. Keep this in mind as you think about how you can best keep yourself protected from the damage that cataracts can bring into your life.
Action Steps That You Can Take Today
There are certain actions that you can take today to put yourself in the best possible position to combat the development of cataracts in your life. These steps include:
1) Establish a Healthy Diet for Yourself
We all understand to some extent that we should try to maintain a healthy diet to keep our body functioning at the highest levels. However, you might not have realized that doing so can help with your eyesight. Try to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into your diet to ensure that you are consuming the vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that you need to live the healthiest lifestyle that you possibly can.
2) Give Up Smoking
It is a challenge for someone who has picked up a smoking habit to get rid of that habit. However, you should aim to give up smoking in your life if you want to minimize health issues as you age. That’s why you should try to quite smoking if you want to give yourself the best shot at avoiding the dangers of cataracts.
3) Schedule Regular Eye Exams
We can go over the cataract treatment options at Chang Eye Group if we determine that you have cataracts. Scheduling regular eye exams will help us to make this diagnosis more quickly than we might have been able to otherwise. Our highly trained and experienced ophthalmologists will take a look at your specific patient profile and make recommendations for how you can make changes to your life to reduce the risk of cataracts.
If you have already developed cataracts, then we will review the best treatment options with you. Contact us today to schedule a comprehensive eye exam at Chang Eye Group in Pittsburgh.