As you grow older, your vision may start to appear cloudy or dim. This is often due to cataracts. Cataracts occur when proteins in the lens of your eye start to clump together, obstructing the passage of light. The result is cloudy or blurred sight. Cataracts may start to develop around age 40, but their symptoms may not be evident until the age of 60 or 65. Our Kansas City, MO, optometrist from Littlefield Optometry can diagnose this condition during an eye exam. Here’s what you should know about cataract causes, symptoms, and treatment.
Causes of Cataracts
The lens of your eye is composed mainly of water and protein arranged in such a way that allows for easy passage of light. As people age, these proteins may start to clump together, forming cataracts that cause cloudiness and impair your sight. Some factors that can increase your risk of developing cataracts are:
- Overexposure to sunlight
- Chronic health conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes
- The use of certain medications
- Excessive smoking or alcohol consumption
- Eye injury
- Eye surgery
Cataract Symptoms
In its formative stage, cataracts may cause no symptoms at all. As the cataract grows, however, you may experience symptoms such as blurred or cloudy vision, sensitivity to light, the appearance of halos around lights, double vision, loss of color vision, and dim vision when driving at night.
As these symptoms develop gradually, they can often be countered by updating your prescription eyeglasses so you can continue to enjoy good sight. As the cataracts grow and the symptoms worsen, you may need more than a new pair of glasses to restore your sight. When you can no longer perform daily tasks due to impaired vision caused by cataracts, your eye doctor near me in Kansas City may recommend cataract surgery.
Cataract Surgery
Cataract surgery offers a permanent solution to treating cataracts and restoring vision loss caused by this condition. It’s a simple, pain-free treatment that yields successful results. The surgery entails removing the clouded lens of your eye and replacing it with a clear, artificial lens to restore your sight. The procedure can take as little as 15 minutes and is performed on an outpatient basis, meaning someone can drive you home immediately following your treatment.
At Littlefield Optometry, we offer pre and post-op care for cataract surgery. Our optometrist will evaluate your condition and recommend an eye surgeon for your treatment, when needed. Afterwards, we’ll monitor your recovery to ensure no complications arise from your procedure.
See Your Eye Doctor near Me in Kansas City, MO, for Cataracts Diagnosis and Treatment
To schedule a consultation for cataract diagnosis and treatment, contact Littlefield Optometry in Kansas City, MO, at (816) 888-5400.