Posted by: Eye Health Northwest in Cataracts on October 23, 2024
Are you wondering whether you’re at risk of developing eye conditions like cataracts? As the leading cause of blindness in the world, it’s natural to want to know if you’re at risk and when you may develop cataracts.
During a comprehensive eye exam, your eye doctor can determine whether you have cataracts, but can they know whether you will get them in the future? Keep reading to learn more about whether your eye doctor can tell you when you will develop cataracts.
What Are Cataracts?
Cataracts are cloudy patches that develop on the natural lens of the eye. The lens is a flexible disc that helps focus light that passes through the eye to assist in clear, focused vision.
The eye’s lens is made of proteins, which can change and deteriorate over time. This can result in clumps of protein that create discolored or opaque spots called cataracts.
When cataracts first develop, they can be so small that they don’t cause any symptoms. As they continue to progress, you may notice symptoms like:
- Blurry, cloudy vision
- Frequent changes to prescription for glasses or contacts
- Sensitivity to light or glare
- Difficulty seeing in low light
- Colors look dimmer
- A yellowish or brownish cast to vision
- Double vision
Even if you’re not experiencing cataract symptoms, your eye doctor may identify them during a routine eye exam. They often form slowly over time, so you may not even notice you have them until they begin to affect your vision.
Can My Eye Doctor Detect Cataracts Before They Develop?
Your eye doctor cannot tell when or if you will have cataracts before they develop. However, there are certain risk factors that can make you more susceptible to getting them sooner.
The most significant factor is age, as almost all adults will develop cataracts at some point in their life. The proteins in the natural lens of the eye that form cataracts break down as you age, so the older you are, the more likely it is that you’ll develop cataracts.
Other risk factors include:
- Smoking
- Having a family history of cataracts
- Using corticosteroids
- Having conditions like diabetes
- Excess sun exposure
- Having a history of eye injuries or procedures
- Having undergone radiation treatments on the upper body
- Having eye conditions like uveitis, glaucoma, or retina pigmentosa
- Exposure to air pollution, pesticides, or industrial chemicals
If you have one or more of these risk factors, you should schedule frequent eye exams with your eye doctor at EyeHealth Northwest. They can help detect your cataracts early on and provide treatment recommendations based on how far they have progressed.
How Do Eye Doctors Treat Cataracts?
Early cataract symptoms can be manageable with certain lifestyle changes. Your eye doctor may adjust your prescription to improve your vision.
Increasing lighting and adjusting brightness on screens can also make it easier to do daily tasks. However, once your cataract symptoms begin to make daily activities like reading or driving difficult, it’s time to consider cataract surgery.
Cataract surgery is the only way to reverse vision changes caused by cataracts. It is a quick and minimally invasive procedure that involves removing the cataract-affected natural lens of the eye and replacing it with an intraocular lens (IOL).
These lenses prevent cataracts from developing in the future and can address common refractive errors like nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. EyeHealth Northwest offers monofocal, toric, multifocal, extended depth of focus, and Light Adjustable Lens IOLs.
Each of these lenses offer different benefits to suit your lifestyle and vision needs. During your cataract surgery consultation, your eye doctor can help determine the best IOL to achieve your desired visual outcome.
Do you have questions about cataracts or cataract surgery? Schedule an appointment at EyeHealth Northwest in Portland, OR, today!
