Symptoms Of Cataract & How To Treat It

There are many conditions you can develop in your eyes, and they are a part of the body you need to take excellent care of to ensure you preserve your sight. Conditions such as a cataract can impair your vision, and if left untreated, you can lose your vision entirely. If you think you may be suffering from a cataract vision impairment, the first thing to do is book an appointment with your eye doctor and let them assess your situation. Below are some of the things you can expect and how you can treat a cataract to help put your mind at ease.

What Is A Cataract?

You tend to find that cataracts form slowly, and initially, it does not bother the person suffering from it too much. However, over time the lens of the eye becomes cloudy, and it starts to obstruct the vision, making it impossible to see clearly through the affected eye. The naturally occurring proteins in the eye’s lens begin to break down, which is what causes it to turn cloudy. If your vision is changing and you are having problems seeing with one or both your eyes, you will want to see a specialist at your earliest convenience. You can treat cataracts successfully, so it does not mean you will lose your sight unless you do not act.

How To Treat A Cataract?

When you visit the opticians, they will do several tests to judge the quality of your vision, and they will also look at the cataract to see how bad it is. If it affects your vision, they will suggest cataract surgery to remove it, which is a simple procedure done as an outpatient, so you do not need to stay in hospital overnight.

However, what can put people off the treatment is that you will often be awake during the procedure. The doctor will use a local anaesthetic to numb the eye and area around it and ensure that you are comfortable. The surgeon will then cut the lens of the eye and remove it, replacing it with an artificial one. Some people cannot use artificial lenses, which means they will need to wear prescription glasses or contact lenses for them to see.

It does not take long to recover from cataract surgery, and you can then enjoy clear and unimpeded vision. You will need to go back for a check-up with the surgeon, and once given the all-clear, you will be discharged and ready to get on with your life.