If you are at risk for cataracts, it is important to know what to look for. This helps with being prepared when it is time to get them removed.
Luckily, you don’t have to do it alone. Schedule regular check ups at Omaha Eye & Laser Institute to maintain good eye health. Keep reading to know which cataract symptoms to be on the lookout for!
Glare/Light Sensitivity
Cataracts can cause light to bounce around inside your eyes, which is often painful. A common cataract symptom is having pain when outside or seeing oncoming headlights. Having this kind of pain is not normal, so make sure to go see your eye doctor as soon as possible.
Blurred Vision
Cataracts affect the lens of your eye. Proteins clump up in it which blocks light from entering. Your brain detects this lack of information as a blurry image.
Blurry vision can also cause stress and headaches, as your brain can’t see properly. This ends up using more energy to compensate.
Poor Night Vision
Blurry vision is even more noticeable at night, particularly when you are driving. During the day, there is more light compensating for vision blocked by cataracts.
If your cataracts are early in development, you may not even notice a change in vision during the day. At night, this is a completely different story.
If you notice seeing at night is more difficult, you should stop driving. This includes having difficulty reading street signs or seeing people.
Not being able to drive may be frustrating, but it’s the safest option for you and others!
Visit your eye doctor and mention your difficulty seeing at night. This is often a sign of cataract development.
Changes in Vision Color
Cataracts not only blur your vision, but they tint your vision yellow or brown. You may also experience a “desaturation effect” as the colors you are seeing don’t seem as bright.
Double Vision
One particularly interesting cataract symptom is double vision. This is when you see a sort of echo or overlapping image with everything you look at.
This can be quite disorienting. With double vision, it could be due to various eye problems, including cataracts.
Different Kinds of Cataracts
There are three kinds of cataracts including nuclear, cortical, and posterior sub-capsular cataracts. The difference stems from where the cataract originates from inside of the lens,
A nuclear cataract grows from the middle of the lens (the nucleus). These are the most common form of cataracts. This form of cataract is most often associated with yellow-tinted vision effect.
A cortical cataract begins at the edge of your lens and grows inward with long triangle shaped arms. This type of cataract often produces glare.
Posterior sub-capsular cataracts form at the back of the lens. These cataracts grow much quicker than their counterparts.
When it comes to cataracts, knowledge is power. It doesn’t help that many common symptoms of cataracts overlap with other conditions. This is why it’s so important to schedule an eye exam with your eye doctor if you notice anything odd or different.
Concerned that you may have cataracts? Schedule an appointment at Omaha Eye & Laser Institute in Omaha or Lincoln, NE today!
