According to Prevent Blindness America, more than 25 million Americans over the age of 40 have cataracts. Along with that, over 3 million Americans have successful surgery for cataracts every year that provides them with sharper vision. If you have cataracts or symptoms of the condition, our optometrist at Advanced Family Eye Care, serving St. Joseph, South Haven, Benton Harbor, and Stevensville, MI, will evaluate your eyes and provide a suitable treatment plan.
Symptoms of Cataracts
A cataract is a thickening of the lens of the eye. Most people who have cataracts eventually get them in both eyes, but the cataract in one eye may progress faster than in the other. In rare cases, cataracts can develop in just a few months after an injury, but the process generally takes several years.
Some symptoms of cataracts include:
- Decreased Vision: Depending on where the cataract is growing inside the lens, cataracts can make you more nearsighted or more farsighted in the affected eye. You might notice that you need a stronger eyeglass prescription more frequently or you might have trouble driving or watching TV on a smaller screen.
- Glare: Due to cataracts, you may be experiencing more glare, as the surface of a cataract reflects light. You might start noticing haloes around street lights at night or you may not be able to see in bright sunshine when you’re outdoors without polarizing lenses. You may also be blinded by the headlights of an oncoming car at night, even if the other driver has dimmed their lights.
- Nearsightedness: You can start becoming nearsighted due to cataracts. The later stages of cataracts involve a myopic shift, which, provides better close-up vision. You may find that you don’t need reading glasses, but this effect is only temporary. As the cataracts grow larger, the nearsightedness tends to progress.
- Double Vision: You develop double vision, but in only one eye. A cataract can form a lens within a lens that causes double vision that glasses cannot correct and obscures your sight completely.
Treating Cataracts
While there is no cure for cataracts, there are effective treatment options. During surgery, the diseased lenses is removed and replaced with a plastic lens that is permanent. While not every type of lens is suitable for each person, some lenses can even provide correction for presbyopia. The procedure is effective in providing sharper vision and the side effects are usually temporary.
Contact us for Cataract Treatment
Our team at Advanced Family Eye Care, serving St. Joseph, South Haven, Benton Harbor, and Stevensville, MI, can evaluate your eyes for cataracts and provide you with after-care instructions to help you heal after surgery. To learn more about the procedure and schedule an appointment, call us at (844) 398-4022 today!