When Cataract Surgery Is Necessary: 8 Things to Know
Cataracts, which cloud the eye’s natural lens and lead to blurred vision, affect over 20 million Americans aged 40 and older. Cataract surgery removes this clouded lens by replacing the lens with a clear artificial lens to restore vision. However, before you have them, you must recognize the signs of cataracts and know when it is time to have your cataracts removed.
Here are eight key indicators to help you decide when to consider cataract surgery.
1. Understanding Early Symptoms
Cataract symptoms start slowly but worsen quickly if untreated. Early signs of cataracts are:
· Blurred vision
· Difficulty with bright lights
· Frequent squinting
· Difficulty seeing at night
2. Impact on Daily Life
The impact of cataracts on daily activities can be aggravating. Cataracts create vision impairment challenges, which affect your quality of life. You might experience:
· Difficulty reading books or screens.
· Struggles with night driving and seeing road signs.
· Problems identifying people.
If routine visual tasks are becoming harder, ask yourself these questions. Are simple everyday activities like reading books and road signs suddenly more difficult? Is my vision getting worse?
3. Vision Correction Limitations
Frequent prescription changes for glasses or contact lenses can be a sign that you might have cataracts. With cataracts, the limitations of glasses and contacts become more noticeable because they lose their effectiveness. In this case, vision correction through surgery is necessary.
4. Increased Difficulty in Low Light Conditions
Cataracts cause difficulty seeing in low light. Cataracts and driving at night do not mix because they lead to night vision problems. Trouble reading road signs or increased anxiety about driving at night might be a clue that it’s time to consider cataract surgery.
5. The Surge in Glare Sensitivity
A major symptom of cataracts is glare sensitivity. You might have trouble with headlights that make it appear as if halos are around the lights. This sensitivity can make nighttime driving uncomfortable and hazardous because of cataract glare issues.
6. Contrast Sensitivity Loss
Losing contrast sensitivity is another sign that it’s time for surgery. You may have difficulty distinguishing colors. Bright colors might also appear faded or yellowish. This may be because the cataracts affect vision clarity and related tasks like reading fine print, distinguishing objects, and recognizing faces.
7. Consultation with an Ophthalmologist
An ophthalmologist consultation can help save your vision and improve your quality of life. The results of an eye exam for cataracts can provide a cataract diagnosis, assess cataract severity, measure your eye, address the need for surgery, and help you explore treatment options. They will also discuss different types of IOL (intraocular lenses) that could be used.
8. Surgical Procedure and Outcomes
The cataract surgery procedure involves making a SMALL INCISION to remove the cloudy lens and replace it with a clear artificial lens. The surgery typically takes no longer than 30 minutes. The benefits of cataract surgery are restored vision and improved quality of life. Recovery from cataract surgery typically takes about a week.
Getting a cataract eye exam when you first start to experience symptoms can help restore your vision and help you maintain your lifestyle. If you have signs of cataracts, please call 256-705-3937 to schedule an eye exam with an eye doctor at The Eye Center, which has locations in Huntsville and Madison.
We can also help diagnose other conditions, such as macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy, ensuring comprehensive care to focus light properly and improve distance vision for your everyday activities.