Cataracts

What is a Cataract?

A cataract is the gradual clouding of the eye’s natural lens, most often occurring with age in our 60s. However, cataracts can also occur earlier — as a result of injury to the eye, uncontrolled diabetes, too much time in the sun without sunglasses, certain medications such as steroids, or smoking, among other causes. Different types of cataracts affect your vision in different ways.

Symptoms are gradual, you may notice your vision becoming less clear, driving at night becoming more difficult, and more glare from bright lights and sunlight, among other changes.

MANAGING CATARACTS

In the earliest stages of the condition, vision problems caused by cataracts are typically corrected by updating your glasses prescription. However, if cataracts continue to interfere with your daily life and severely affect your vision, the next option is to refer you for cataract surgery consultation with an ophthalmologist (a medical doctor specializing in the eye). You may also be recommended for this procedure if your cataracts complicate the treatment of other eye conditions and diseases, like age-related macular degeneration or glaucoma.

If you are noticing a gradual clouding of your vision, we can assess whether cataracts are the cause and take the appropriate steps to help manage them.

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