Re:Vision say that as people get older they sometimes don’t realise that their world has become grey or dull, and while there is no substitute for regular eye checks, the next best thing you can do is be aware of what to look out for.
Most age-related cataracts develop slowly, remaining symptom-free for years or decades. Because your eyes are able to compensate for minor visual disturbances, even a medium-sized cataract may not necessarily cause a noticeable change in your vision. Only after years of growth, when the cataract affects a significant amount of your lens, will the first cataract symptoms become noticeable.
However, in some rare cases or in people at high risk, cataracts may develop quickly (over several months). Therefore, regular eye checks are important for everyone – not just for people who wear glasses or experience symptoms.
The early signs and symptoms of cataracts are blurred vision, glare sensitivity, faded colours, double vision and haloes around lights. Blurred vision is often the first sign of a cataract. A cloudy lens is like a layer of frosted glass, which blocks some of the light that would usually pass through to your eye. The cloudy lens also disrupts the light that does manage to pass through, resulting in blurred vision.
With glare sensitivity the cloudy lens of a cataract scatters some of the light in different directions, which creates glare and sensitivity to bright lights. Similarly, with faded colours, as the cataract forms, the lens hardens and becomes more yellow. This hard, physical barrier blocks light and acts like a yellow filter. Because of this, the vibrancy and brightness of colours does not make it through to the eye.
With double vision, the cloudy lens may split incoming light in two, instead of focusing it at a single point. This can produce double vision or a ghost-like image next to objects. When light scatters, it may also produce a glow (halo) around lights or bright objects.
For poor night vision all vision will appear dim and/or distorted due to the cloudy barrier. Low-light conditions, especially in combination with glare sensitivity, tend to make your already reduced vision much worse.
Cataract removal is a painless, quick, proven method of restoring vision and can be carried out by one of Re:Vision’s sub-specialised cataract surgeons at their Day-Case Theatre in Auckland. There they can provide immediate bilateral sequential cataract surgery (both eyes done, one shortly after the other). This has always been very popular. It gives a much faster overall recovery and better visual function far more quickly, and minimises time off work for both the patient and supporting family members, so for more information on eye doctors and cataract surgery please go to https://www.revision.nz .
