Eyecare Treatment: Things You Should Know About Cataracts

A lot can go wrong with your eyes, given the sensitivity thereof. Eyes are very delicate parts f the body that can be harmed and damaged by different factors, both internal and external. To have eye complications can be limiting in the quality of life you lead. It is why people are advised to consider visiting an eye doctor Glendale, CA regularly. As you age, anything you can do to take better care of your eyes is worth doing.

What Is Cataract?

It is an eye condition where the eyes have a clouding. Patients with cataracts have poor vision, where they relate their visual experiences to one viewing an object through a fogged-up window. This clouding of the eye is a defect that happens gradually. At first, patients do not notice any signs of cataracts. Their vision, however, deteriorates with time as the cataract advances. It is a common eye complication for people over the age of 40. This is mostly when the clouding on the eye’s natural lens is severe and, therefore, affects vision.

Cataracts make it difficult for patients to go about normal life activities. Such patients have trouble reading, or even telling apart the facial expressions on people’s face. As for driving, their vision is worse at night, posing other risks thereof. Advanced stages of cataracts also cause blindness, which has been the leading cause of visual impairment in the world.

Types of Cataracts

The types of cataracts that patients suffer from differ. The differences feature the different parts of the eyes that are affected by the cloudiness. The different types include the following:

• Subcapsular cataract – this is the type that occurs at the back of the eye lens. The cataract is common among patients of diabetes. Still, people who consume a lot of steroid medication are at a higher risk of this type of cataract.
• Nuclear cataract – it is the type that occurs on the nucleus of the eye, which is the most central part of the lens. This type of cataract is usually associated with aging, with more old people suffering from it than younger ones.
• Cortical cataract – it attacks the lens cortex. This type of cataract starts in the periphery of the lens, and gradually progress to the central nucleus.

Cataract Symptoms and Signs

Given that cataract is a condition that manifests gradually with time, it can be difficult for patients to identify any signs and symptoms. Most people do not consider their eyesight problematic until the advanced effects of cataracts begin to kick off. Even then, there are some signs and symptoms you can watch out for, which will guide you on whether or not you should talk to a cataract surgeon near you. Some of them include:

• cloudy vision – if at any point you feel like your vision is blurry. Then it should be a cause for alarm. With cataracts, you will feel like you are looking through a misty window.
• Glaring light – if both artificial and natural lighting appear too bright and glaring for you, this can be a sign of cataracts. This is especially so if you notice such changes that have not happened to you before.
• Unclear colors – colors may not appear as they should when you have cataracts. This is especially noticed when you are driving at night and all the car lights and traffic lights are glaring and confusing.
• Need for brighter light when reading
• Rings and halos on light – if you look at a source of light, for example, a lamp, you should not notice a halo or ring around the light. This could, in this case, indicate the presence of cataracts.

The symptoms you witness when you have cataracts will differ from those of other people. This will be affected by the type of cataract you have, and how advanced the condition is.

Treatment and Preventive Options

Depending on how advanced your cataracts are, the treatment options vary. Some severe cases of cataracts can only be treated through cataracts surgery in Glendale, CA. this surgical intervention will clear out the clouding in your eyes and improve your vision. However, prevention is much better than cure. This ranges from lifestyle changes like reducing alcohol consumption, to wearing sunglasses when outdoors.