How Do You Know If You Need Cataract Surgery?
Are you having trouble focusing on an object when looking at it? When you concentrate, does it appear doubled? Or, is your vision blurry or cloudy?
If so, you may have cataracts. Before you panic, keep reading to learn more about cataracts and how cataract surgery can help.
What Is A Cataract?
A cataract is the result of aging. The older you get, the more likely you will develop a cataract, and most people do at some point in their lives.
As you age, proteins in the natural lens in your eye break down and clump together. As the proteins clump up, they create a milky or frosty color in your lens.
This fogginess makes it hard to see. It causes blurry vision and makes colors appear dull.
If left untreated, cataracts worsen over time and eventually cause vision loss. Cataracts are the leading cause of blindness, but they are treatable.
Cataract surgery gets rid of cataracts and, in some cases, can give you the best eyesight of your life!
How Can You Tell If You Have Cataracts?
Only your eye doctor can determine whether you have cataracts. But if you have one or more of the following symptoms, schedule an appointment for a cataract screening.
Blurry Vision
When you have cataracts, your vision becomes blurry or cloudy. Cataracts create a milky opacity in your lens, which blocks light from reaching your retina. When light doesn’t directly hit your retina, it is impossible to have clear vision.
Your Eye Prescription Has Recently Changed
If it seems like your eye prescription has changed a lot recently, you could have cataracts. Another sign of cataracts is your vision is stable in one eye but continuously changing in the other. It’s possible to have a cataract in one eye.
Double Vision
If you see double, but it goes away when you cover one eye, there is a good chance you have a cataract in that eye. This double vision happens because the foggy lens scatters light as it enters your eye.
Light Sensitivity
Having a cataract can make it hard to keep up with routine day-to-day tasks. Cataracts may force you to use all the lights in your house to see.
They also make you need very bright lights to read. But then they make this same bright light cause eye pain and headaches.
Cataracts also make driving at night difficult and dangerous. The glares from street lights and oncoming cars create severe visual distortions that can impair your vision.
How Do You Treat Cataracts?
Cataract surgery is the only way to treat cataracts and regain clear vision. During cataract surgery, your natural lens gets removed and replaced with an intraocular lens or IOL.
The surgery is an outpatient procedure performed in your doctor’s office. Afterward, you go home to rest and recover for a few days.
The IOL used in cataract surgery determines the quality of your vision after the procedure. Your doctor will help you find the best IOL for your needs and lifestyle.
There are different IOLs for different vision goals. A multifocal IOL will help you see without glasses at various distances.
Monofocal IOLs correct your vision at one distance. That means you still need to wear glasses after cataract surgery with a monofocal IOL.
Most insurance plans and Medicare cover cataract surgery with a monofocal IOL. Multifocal IOLs and other premium lenses are not covered by insurance, but they offer more outstanding vision capabilities. They may be worth the out-of-pocket costs if you desire visual freedom.
If you think you may have cataracts, don’t wait any longer to get your eyes checked and treated. Schedule an appointment at Pinke Eye Center in Shelton, CT today to get a cataract screening!
