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Cataracts are conditions where the eye faces a change in the clarity. The lens within the eye slowly reduces in vision and the quality of vision lowers. The natural lens of the eye is found behind the iris. The iris is the colored part of the eye. It lies in the pupil. The iris cannot be visible to the naked eye. It is seen only when it becomes very cloudy.
A person showing symptoms of cataract is akin to sitting in a car and looking out through a foggy windshield. It is also like a photographer who wants to capture photos but cannot because of the “dirty” lens. Cataract symptoms are thus visible in people who have a visual problem and the problem is related to the lens. Cataract symptoms manifest themselves in many ways. These include:
- Vision: The person experiences blurred vision, difficulty in seeing when there is a glare. This happens when the person is walking in hot sun, or when the headlights of the automobile are on. This often happens when the person is driving at night.
- Color identification: The vision loses color identification. The power in the eye keeps changing and such people often go through a condition of near sightedness.
- Ophthalmologist: The visit to the ophthalmologist increases. These people are more often changing the power of their lens.
- Visual quality: The clarity in the lens reduces due to the lens dysfunction.
- Iris dysfunction: The natural lens in the eye is the iris. The iris is totally incapacitated at such times and is seen to make the vision cloudy.
- Second sight: Sometimes people who show symptoms of cataract often find their reading vision is improving. This is because of the increased near sightedness. This increases the swelling in the cataract and enables a person to read well.
- Cataract symptoms show up gradually and are normally not really accompanied with pain. There is no redness of the eye or any other cataract symptoms which worrisome. If there is any severe irritation, then it could be due to some other eye problem, not cataract and should be shown to the doctor immediately.
Cataracts Symptoms And The Medical Examination
The eye docto
r normally observes the symptoms of cataract in a regular, routine examination. The symptoms might not be very severe yet he keeps you informed. Even if the doctor is the first to tell you, you yourself will be the first to know about it. Changes in vision are noticed initially and sometimes the symptoms of cataract head towards a surgery. Normally the age for cataract is after 40 years of age. This is the time, the vision starts getting cloudy. It is also observed that people get cataract and are not aware about it for years together. This is because cataract takes a long time to grow and develop. Cataract is responsible for continuous and slow and long term damage to the eye. It should be kept in mind that surgery is only recommended if the person is suffering from major visual problems. It is imperative that when the cataract symptoms show visible visual problems, then the person should immediately go and visit an eye doctor. Normally the symptoms of cataract start with something as simple as changing the power of the eye. The eyeglass prescription changes frequently and a magnifying lens are used by the person for closer viewing. The lighting is usually not enough for the person and the only recourse in such cases is an eye surgery. The doctor takes this decision based on the person’s capacity to see.
Cataract symptoms are normally observed by the doctors before recommending surgery. In The United States, the person is advised a cataract operation only if the cataract symptoms show functional limitations. If the visual acuity comes down to 20/40 only then the doctors feel recommends surgery. Any symptoms of cataract are not enough to recommend surgery for the patient. The cataract could be ripe too. But it does not require that the person goes for a surgery. The symptoms of cataract are understood, and the functional status is measured formally. The level of destruction of the functioning of the eye is understood. The history of the patient’s eye is taken and this is tallied with the physical examination of the patient. The symptoms of cataract are analyzed and the doctor decides if the functional visual impairment is due to cataract. Then the person is advised to understand the symptoms and go for a surgery and explains the reasons.
