Cataracts are one of the most common age-related eye conditions you can develop. They can mature very slowly over years or even decades and often affect adults as young as 40.
If you have cataracts, you may not even notice them at first. But gradually, they’ll make your vision worse and worse and can even cause vision loss.
Luckily, there is a way to treat cataracts, and that’s by having cataract surgery. Cataract surgery completely removes your cataracts, restoring any vision loss caused by them.
Since cataracts develop so slowly, though, cataract surgeons don’t always recommend having cataract surgery as soon as you find out you have cataracts. If your cataracts are still in the early stages of development, you may not have any significant visual problems.
Cataract surgeons recommend having cataract surgery when your cataracts begin to affect your quality of life. This can be subjective, so it can be helpful to look out for signs that your cataracts are affecting your daily life. Keep reading for four signs that it may be time for cataract surgery!
1. Stronger Reading Glasses are No Longer Effective
It can be harder to focus on things up-close when you get older because of a common condition called presbyopia. Having presbyopia is the reason why so many people need reading glasses.
Sometimes, cataract symptoms can be mistaken for presbyopia. But cataracts don’t make it harder to see up close.
They can make your vision blurry and make it harder to see without a direct source of light, making it harder to complete fine-focus tasks like reading.
An indication that your struggle with reading is with cataracts and not presbyopia is that a stronger reading glasses prescription won’t help if you have cataracts. If you often find new prescriptions no longer effective, you should consider cataract surgery.
2. You Struggle To See Without Direct Light
Another indication that your vision issues are due to cataracts is that you cannot see very well without plenty of light. You may find you need a direct light on anything you’re working on.
You may need to turn the brightness all the way up on your phone or computer. Your eyes will also be sensitive to light, so spending too much time in direct lighting can make it harder to do tasks that take a long time since you can only tolerate so much. If this is an issue for you, consider cataract surgery.
3. You Have Trouble Driving at Night
Because cataracts make it harder to see in low light and make your eyes more sensitive to light, driving after dark can also be a challenge. Since cataracts make you see more intense glare and halos from light sources, headlights from other cars can be nearly blinding.
If driving at night is difficult, it’s a sure sign you should look into cataract surgery. Stay off the road at night until you’ve had cataract surgery and can see clearly once more.
4. You’ve Injured Yourself Due to Poor Vision
If you ever injure yourself because you can’t see well enough, it’s time to consider treatment. Whether it’s just tripping over something in the dark or a fall down the stairs, physical injury means your cataracts are significantly impacting your life.
Do you think it may be time for cataract surgery? Schedule a cataract consultation at Shepherd Eye Center in Las Vegas, NV, and regain your independence!
