Cataracts are a common part of aging and more than 24 million Americans are dealing with cataracts.
Cataracts are caused by the breaking down of proteins in the lens of your eyes that clump together and eventually lead to vision loss if left untreated. Cataracts typically develop slowly and you may not notice any vision changes to begin with.
Here are four hallmark signs of cataracts:
Blurred vision: Blurred vision can be an indicator of different eye conditions and cataracts are one of them. The clumped proteins makes your vision cloudy.
Frequent prescription changes. Due to the clouding of the lens your prescription lenses may no longer help correct your vision or you may find that you have to change your prescription frequently.
Halos around lights: Cataracts clouding the eye's lens makes the light entering the eye scatter, which your brain interprets as a halo around the light. This is typically the most noticeable when driving at night when encountering oncoming traffic or streetlights.
Seeing double: If you are seeing duplicates of an object, it could be cataracts.
If you have any of these symptoms, schedule an appointment with your eye care provider. Cataract surgery is the most commonly performed surgical procedure and is done on an outpatient basis with the procedure taking about 20 minutes. Cataract removal not only improves your vision but it can help reduce eye pressure, which is helpful in preventing glaucoma.
