Is It Cataracts Or Something Else?
Have you been experiencing blurry vision? Are you developing a sensitivity to lights and glare?
These symptoms can be signs of cataracts or other medical conditions. It is important that when you start noticing changes in your vision to go see a doctor.
Sometimes vision changes are a part of life or age. Other times, they can be a symptom of a more serious medical condition. Let’s take a look at if it is cataracts or something else.
Blurry Vision
This is one of the more general symptoms of cataracts. People can experience blurry vision for a variety of reasons.
These reasons can include astigmatism, farsighted vision, nearsighted vision, and age-related farsightedness. Blurry vision is also connected to cataracts.
Difficulty with Vision at Night
While this sounds more general, fewer vision problems have this as a symptom. Glaucoma and nearsightedness are the two other conditions besides cataracts that have this as a symptom.
When people drive at night and have cataracts, it can result in issues with seeing between light and dark. They may also see halos and glare around lights.
Sensitivity to Light
This is a more general symptom because it can be connected to so many different conditions. Examples include migraines, hangovers, a tension headache, eye inflammation from allergies, and dry eyes.
Light sensitivity is also often connected to cataracts. When you have cataracts, it is harder for light to enter your eye, which can make it harder to see.
Needing More Light for Activities
This is a more specific symptom with cataracts. It is also connected to macular degeneration and sensitivity to light. Cataracts make it difficult for light to enter your eye, so you need more of it to see.
If you like to do detail-oriented tasks like reading, sew, or talk to people in person, more light can be helpful. These tasks need more focus and attention to detail than other activities.
Noticing Halos Around Lights
Halos around lights are often a symptom connected to cataracts, but it is also linked to common conditions. These conditions include nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, and a side effect of procedures like LASIK.
Most people with cataracts see halos around lights while driving at night.
Needing Frequent Changes in Your Glasses or Contact Prescription
This symptom is primarily associated only with cataracts. For most individuals with cataracts, they develop slowly over time.
But they can develop more rapidly and you may not know why your vision is changing so much. You might try getting new prescriptions to see if they help you avoid cataract surgery.
If you have cataracts, getting new prescriptions are a temporary solution.
Colors Look Faded or Yellowish
This can be connected to many different medical conditions. It could be a vision disorder, diabetes, macular degeneration, glaucoma, Alzheimer’s, or leukemia.
Noticing that colors look faded or more yellow is also a very common sign of cataracts. If you notice items that you once knew as being white looking more yellow, it could be a sign of many conditions.
Frequent eye exams are the best way to keep your eyes healthy. Concerned that you may have cataracts or another eye condition? Schedule an appointment with one of the doctors at Complete Eye Care West in Columbus, OH!
