If you’ve ever seen an old mirror with a foggy or cloudy blemish, you’ve already got an idea of what a cataract looks like. Cataracts are also commonly described as how it feels when looking at an impressionist painting. Things are a bit blurry, unclear and it’s almost like someone used a blue filter giving everything a yellow tint. They aren’t painful, but they are a nuisance.
A cataract forms when protein deposits build up on the lens of your eye. You can imagine how that might block light from passing through the lens which leads to unclear vision and can cause loss of vision if left untreated.
We tend to blame cataracts on the aging process, but that’s not the only risk factor. Below we will go over the causes, types of cataracts, signs and symptoms, treatment options and prevention tactics for cataracts.
The Cause: Where Do Cataracts Come From?
Age is the typical answer for cataract development, but that’s not the only way people end up with these little protein deposits on the lens of their eyes. They can be a congenital anomaly, secondary to another medical condition or as a result of a traumatic injury. A baby born with a cataract may still have vision restored if treatment is sought quickly.
Some medical conditions, like uncontrolled diabetes or high blood pressure, could also be the culprit. Another risk factor to be aware of is in taking steroids or diuretics, which are often prescribed for other medical ailments. As if the list of potential causes wasn’t long enough, let’s add cigarette smoking, exposure to toxic substances, and even heavy alcohol use to the ticket.
Let’s sum up the risk factors:
- Natural aging process
- Not protecting eyes from UV rays
- Diabetes
- High Blood pressure
- Subsequent to a traumatic injury or illness
- Smoking
- Radiation or other toxic substance exposure
- Excessive alcohol use
- Extensive steroid or diuretic use history
- Present at birth
If you’re looking at that list in awe, you’re not alone. We were all born, and we are all aging. That’s two risk factors we’ve all got which are completely out of our control. If you couldn’t see the importance of staying on top of your eye health before, you should now.
Types of Cataracts
Nuclear
This is the most common. You’ve probably seen someone, up in their years, with what appears to be a big cloud covering the colored portion of their eye. It might even look a little yellow.
This is caused by the hardening of the lens over time and typically age-related. It’s usually smack dab in the middle of the eye and significantly changes the ability to focus. Think of putting a sheer curtain over a window.
Cortical
These occur on the outside edges of the lens and look like spokes on a wheel pointing inward toward the center of the iris. This type causes blurred vision, problems with glare and depth perception.
Posterior
This type of cataracts is located on the back side of the lens where the membrane is that holds the lens in place. It causes a “halo” type of vision and creates major problems with driving, reading and light glare.
Signs and Symptoms
Please keep in mind that cataracts form over time and you may not even know your vision problems, which seem normal enough, are due to a cataract. Only when they have significant progression are they visible to the naked eye in most cases.
Here are the main signs and symptoms to watch out for:
- Clouded or blurred vision
- Difficulty with night vision
- Double vision in one eye
- Less vivid colors or a yellow tint to objects
- Frequent need for stronger and stronger corrective eyewear
- Increasing sensitivity to lights
- Appearance of a “halo” around lights, especially noticeable at night.
Treatment Options
Typically, the first line of defense is going to be corrective eyewear; glasses or contacts. If your vision can be corrected this way, this is the preferred treatment with many eye care professionals. When corrective lenses are no longer an option, it might be time for surgery.
Cataract surgery, in the most basic form, is simply an outpatient procedure where the surgeon removes the damaged lens and replaces it with a man-made lens.
Can Cataracts Be Prevented?
Short answer: Maybe. There are no studies to date the definitively prove cataracts can be prevented, or even slow their growth. However, many eye care professionals believe there are several strategies that might be helpful.
- Routine eye examinations
- Protect your eyes from harmful UV rays; sunglasses
- Maintain control of other health issues; diabetes, hypertension, etc.
- Smoking cessation
- Get plenty of good, quality sleep
- Proper diet and nutrition
- Limit alcohol consumption.
As always, the importance of routine eye exams and reporting anything unusual to your eye care professional is critical.
