Everything Turning Cloudy? You May Have Cataracts

15 September 2015

Jaime Allen

If everything is starting to look cloudy to you, you may be suffering from cataracts. You may start having this problem out of the blue, or it may have been happening over time. Below is some information about the different types of cataracts, as well as the treatment you may receive.

Age Related Cataracts

One of the symptoms of having cataracts is cloudy vision, and oftentimes it is related to becoming older. Over 50 percent of people aged 80 or older have cataracts, or have undergone cataract surgery.

When your eyes are working normally, light rays enter your eye, pass through your cornea, and puts a transparent fluid in the front of your eyes. The fluid then goes to the pupil, and then into your eye lens. Once this happens, the lens bend the rays of light to focus on objects to see them correctly. If you have cataracts, protein builds up on the lens, which is what makes everything look different to you. This prevents light from coming through the lens, and you may also have some vision loss.

Cortical Cataracts

If you have cortical cataracts, they start at the outer rim of your lens, and then works toward the center of your lens gradually. Because of this, along with the clouds, you may also see what looks much like the spokes of a wheel.

You may also have problems with glare from lights, or you may see a halo around lights. Your near and distance vision may be disrupted.

Subcapsular Cataracts

Subcapsular cataracts progress quickly, and you may start seeing symptoms within a few months. Subcapsular cataracts affect the back of your lens, and is often found with people that have diabetes, or nearsightedness.

Treatment

If you are in the early stages of cataracts, your doctor may prescribe you glasses with stronger lenses. Making the lights brighter in your home can also help to improve your eyesight. If the cataracts have affected your vision so much that you are having problems seeing at all, the doctor will likely suggest cataract surgery to remove the lenses from your eyes.

According to a study from the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC), 99.7 percent of patients that received cataract surgery would recommend it to their family and friends suffering from the same condition.

Cloudy vision can become dangerous for you, especially while you are driving. Make sure you see your eye doctor, such as Advanced Retinal Institute Inc, as soon as you notice any kind of change in your eyesight so you can receive the proper treatment.

Share

Search