As people grow older, the quality of their eyesight may tend to decline. When people hit the big 4-0, the risk of getting cataracts increases. However, not everyone will get cataracts. So who is at risk of developing this eye condition? What are the common symptoms to look out for?
It pays to know what the warning signs are, so you can seek diagnosis and treatment before the condition worsens. This article will allow you some insight as to how cataracts develop and how to spot the symptoms early.
1 – You Struggle to Read
People think that it is normal to have declining eyesight, especially as they age. However, it isn’t normal for eye health to decline as the bones and joints do. You can be a septuagenarian and still have 20-20 vision. People who have cataracts may struggle to read for a long time before they realize that they have this condition. This is because cataracts slowly and gradually worsen over time.
2 – You’re Getting Older
Another risk factor for cataracts is age. As people get older, the proteins in their eyes change. Along with this change in protein comes the loss of elasticity of the eyes. The tissue begins to clump together and in time, this tissue build-up causes foggy vision, which is just another term for cataracts.
3 – Your Eyes Can’t Seem to Focus on Objects
If you experience blurry vision when you are trying to look at things, especially things that are a good distance away from you, this may be a sign of cataracts. When you are looking at something on your phone, you may also find yourself zooming in on the picture to get a better look.
4 – You Find It Hard to See at Night
You may also find yourself avoiding driving at night because you do not see very well in the dark. This is another sign that the cataracts are getting in the way of your vision. You may see the glare from the oncoming headlights, which will be much more severe the darker the night becomes.
5 – You See Halos
Lastly, you may also see halos. The thickened and clumped-up tissue may force your eye to see a ring of light around a light source. The halos may become more prominent during nighttime.
Conclusion
The process of developing cataracts is a slow one. You may not be able to catch the symptoms until they are extremely severe. Do not get used to squinting at what you are looking at, or putting your book too near your face to read. Catching cataracts early will help you seek treatment to improve your eyesight so you don’t have to bear with otherwise solvable eye problems.
If you are experiencing one or more of the symptoms above, or a symptom that seems to be related to cataracts, it is a good idea to seek the advice of a physician. Keep in mind that this blog post does not replace medical advice and should not be implemented prior to consulting a fully certified medical professional.
Once you have consulted a doctor, if you need to get treatment for cataract treatment, you can visit Valley Laser Eye Centre. We are a vision correction centre and laser eye clinic in Abbotsford, BC with state-of-the-art technology, a comfortable setting, and amazing staff. We are highly trained and want to deliver a seamless vision clinic experience. Come and visit us and let us help you get your vision back.
