Are you starting to experience cloudy or foggy vision? Is it more challenging to drive at night and do activities that need focus? These are some of the warning signs that you might have cataracts. There are many other signs that you could experience too.
You have cataracts when the eye’s natural lens starts to become cloudy. Without cataracts, the natural lens should be clear and easy to see through.
Those with cataracts often describe it as looking through a foggy or frosty window. If you have blurry vision from cataracts, you may find it harder to drive at night, read, or see facial expressions.
Cataracts are a common eye condition that most individuals experience as they age. Keep reading for the five most common signs of cataracts to watch out for!
1. Vision Changes
Most patients develop cataracts slowly over time. Early on, they do not impact your vision.
But as time goes on, your cataracts grow, and your vision will slowly become affected. Having regular eye exams is the best thing you can do if you want to keep an eye on your cataracts.
It allows your eye doctor to watch the progression of cataracts as they develop. This is one of the many benefits of regular exams. Some of the most common vision changes patients experience are a foggy, blurry, or faded vision.
Another symptom patients can experience with cataracts is a sensitivity to light. For some individuals, they see glare and halos when they look at lights.
When this starts to happen, normal levels of light might be too strong for you. Cataracts make it harder for light to enter your eye, which can make you have double vision in one of your eyes.
2. Needing More Light
Another common sign that you may have cataracts is needing more light. This will often become the clearest if you are trying to take part in activities that need a lot of focus.
To complete these tasks, you may find that you need more light than normal. Having more light might be beneficial for reading or sewing.
Early on, having increased light levels could be beneficial. As your cataracts continue developing, needing more light may not help anymore.
3. Difficulty Driving at Night
Cataracts can make it very difficult to see the difference between light and dark. Some patients with cataracts experience headaches from headlights and streetlamps.
If they are driving at night, this will become even harder. Also, some patients with cataracts see halos around lights while driving at night. This could become dangerous.
4. Color Discoloration
As cataracts develop, colors will start to look dull or faded. For example, what once was white will start looking more like a light yellow.
This is because the cataract is a yellow or brown color. As a result, it may make everything else look more yellow or brown as well.
5. Many Changes in Glasses or Contact Lens Prescriptions
As your cataracts mature, your vision will continue changing. Many people with cataracts find they need frequent changes to their glasses or contact lens prescriptions.
Having these frequent changes in your vision is one symptom of having cataracts. If you notice that your vision has changed drastically and quickly, it may be time to see an eye doctor about if you have cataracts.
When your cataracts impact your lifestyle, talk to your eye doctor about cataract surgery.
Do you think you have cataracts? Schedule a cataract screening at Loden Vision Centers in Nashville, TN to find out!
