The Vital Information You Need on Cataracts and How They Affect Your Vision
- posted: Jul. 12, 2021
At Eye on Health here in Phoenix Arizona, we understand how it feels when you notice your vision just isn’t what it used to be. It’s frustrating! You try to blink more or use eye drops, but something just seems off. When you visit our expert optometrist, you can find out if all you need is an updated prescription — or if you’re dealing with something more serious, like cataracts.
Cataracts result from the normal aging process in our eyes. It isn’t some weird growth, and it doesn’t mean you did anything to cause it. The lenses in our eyes refract (bend) light to help us see. We’re all born with naturally crisp and clear lenses, like a brand new window.
(We know, you don’t like reading the dreaded words: “aging process.” But we pride ourselves on sharing the facts — and we reassure you, cataracts are 100% normal.
Keep reading to learn more about the causes, symptoms, and how to treat cataracts. Dr. Balocca loves serving the Phoenix community and educating his patients on their eye health, so let’s jump in.
What Causes Cataracts and Why Does It Happen?
Here we go again with the age talk. But in all seriousness, age is the most common cause of cataracts. Water and protein make up most of your eye lenses. When we’re young, this combo disperses evenly across our lenses and the light easily passes through to our retina. (The retina lines the inside of your eye like wallpaper and detects light so you can see.)
As we age, those proteins start to build up on your eye lens and cause cloudiness.[1] A cataract is basically a cloudy lens, like a dusty window you can’t see much through. As you might imagine, the severity varies from person to person.
When clumps of protein build-up, it changes the way light enters your eye. Just like a filmy window cuts down light coming into a room, a cataract cuts down how much light passes through the lens reaches your retina, leading to vision problems.
This change often starts to occur after the age of 40, but most people won’t notice symptoms until 60 or beyond.[2] Early cataracts don’t usually show any symptoms, because time is the main factor for protein build-up. While getting older is the most common reason cataracts form, a few other reasons include [2]:
Eye Injury
Inflammation in the eye
Diabetes
Smoking
UV Damage (from not wearing UV sunglasses)
Other medical conditions or medications
While this list could grow, the most common cause is aging — and it’s normal. When your vision isn’t at its best, we understand that concerns you. It’s important to work with a compassionate and qualified eye clinic to get the personalized answer you need.
At Eye on Health, it’s our mission to provide you with the best eye-care services Phoenix has to offer.
How Do I Know If I Have Cataracts and What Are The Symptoms?
Don’t worry, it’s not like you’re going to wake up on your 60th birthday and not be able to see! Many people have cataracts and don’t even know it. And every person is different; what your brother noticed might be very different from what you or your friend experience.
When you do start noticing issues related to cataracts, you may find some changes in your vision.
The most common symptoms of cataracts are [3]:
Blurry or clouded vision
Sensitivity to light
Glare or halos around lights
Difficulty with night-time driving
Colors seem faded or yellow
Double vision
An old prescription could cause many of these symptoms, but the culprit could also be a more serious vision issue. You don’t want to let a small symptom turn into a life-changing problem, and a trusted optometrist makes all the difference. Continuing to make (and keep!) yearly eye exams supports your eye health and keeps you seeing your best.
Cut out the guesswork and let our optometrist take care of your eye care needs. Who knows, maybe all you need are some eye drops because you have dry eyes! (Read more about dry eye on our blog here.)
Schedule an appointment today if you’re experiencing any cataract-like symptoms.
What Does a Cataract Diagnosis Mean For You?
If you’re diagnosed with early-stage cataracts and don’t notice any problems with your vision, then you just need to keep up with your annual appointments to monitor the progression. As the old saying goes, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!” If you aren’t struggling in any area of your vision, then you don’t need to worry about your cataracts.
No, they won’t magically disappear, and yes, over time they’ll likely get worse — but every person is different. Remember the dirty window? The severity of build-up and symptoms vary. Personal and consistent eye care is the name of the game as we age! (And we all get there, so it’s okay, really.)
On the other hand, if your cataracts are progressing to a point that it’s ruining your enjoyment of the beautiful Phoenix sunshine, then let our expert optometrist guide you. He’ll set you up on a clear path to improved vision with a detailed eye exam and tailored recommendations.
You may need more than a pair of new glasses or contacts. Dr. Balocca will educate you on your specific eye health and refer you to a recommended cataract surgeon, if necessary. We know, eye surgery sounds scary, and having a trusted team of experts helps soothe those fears. You should always feel comfortable with your eye surgeon before proceeding with surgery (as there are always risks).
Cataract surgery involves removing your natural cloudy lens and replacing it with an intraocular lens (IOL). The IOL has specific measurements to make sure you see the best possible with your new lens.
Cataracts are one of the leading causes of blindness globally because many countries don’t have access to good health care. Luckily, if you have cataracts and live near Phoenix, Eye on Health connects you to our preferred cataract surgeons. Cataract surgery seems intense, yet it’s one of the most performed surgeries in the world to help people restore and improve their vision.
Visit us to see if this procedure fits your needs right now. We’ll get you back out to play in the Phoenix sun in no time!
Contact Us at Eye on Health For Your Cataract Evaluation
Having issues with your vision is concerning, but you don’t need to worry or suffer any longer! For the communities of Scottsdale, Tempe, and Glendale, take advantage of our compassionate, educated optometrist nearby! Eye on Health is here for all your eye-care needs.
We understand how important your vision is to you — and we’re here to help in any way we can. Dr. Balocca prides himself on educating his patients and providing high-quality eye care services with his practice.
We can’t overemphasize the importance of routine eye exams for your eye health — especially if you or your loved ones are over the age of 60. (We know, that darn ‘age’ word again. We won’t tell, ever!)
We hope your cataracts aren’t causing you vision problems, but contact us at Eye on Health if they are. We take the best care of you and your vision needs.
Schedule an appointment today here or call us at 480-809-0550!
Stay safe out there, and we look forward to seeing you in our Phoenix Office soon!
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Our Location
Estrella Medical Plaza
9305 W. Thomas Rd. Ste. 455
Phoenix, AZ 85037