One of the blessings that we don’t often realize is good eyesight. Handling glasses, contact lenses, and surgeries are a big hassle. Blessed are those people who don’t have to deal with any of these things. With the innovations and increase in technology use, more and more people are getting weak eyesight, and some end up losing vision to some extent. One of the prevalent diseases related to the eyes is cataracts. It is the leading cause of vision loss in older adults. It has its signs and symptoms that develop over the years. If you don’t know much, then here is all you can learn about cataracts; 

What Is It? 

Cataracts are a leading cause of vision loss in older adults. It is caused by the opacifications of the lens of the eye. Our lens is entirely transparent in its natural form and allows the light to pass through it and go straight to the retina, from where nerves carry the information to the brain. This enables us to see the objects in front of us and our surroundings. Throughout one’s life, some substance starts depositing in the lens gradually and causes it to become more and more opaque.   

Symptoms

Symptoms include blurry vision, double vision, glare, and trouble seeing at night, among others. Sometimes some colors may appear more, and some light may appear brighter than they are. Some patients also reported seeing a halo around the lights; others report a change in their prescription glasses. The nature and severity of symptoms depend on cataract type and whether it is located in one eye or both. These symptoms are not specific to cataracts and can also happen in other eye diseases and require a careful examination by an ophthalmologist (eye doctor).

What Are the Risk Factors for Developing Cataracts?

Certain conditions, such as diabetes, can increase the risk of cataracts. Patients taking steroids are also predisposed to getting it. Smoking alcohol and a family history of cataracts are additional risk factors, so is prolonged exposure to the sun. Lastly, a history of eye diseases, surgeries, or trauma to the orbit can significantly increase the chances of developing a cataract in that eye. 

How Can I Reduce My Risk of Developing Cataracts?

Wearing sunglasses in a hat with a brim to block the sun, reducing alcohol intake, and quitting smoking are some of the measures that can be taken to reduce your chances of developing a cataract. Eating healthy is also very important. Sometimes people can develop cataracts despite having low-risk factors because it is also considered an aging-related condition, but following these precautions will delay its onset.

How are Cataracts Treated?

Initially, just changing the prescription of the glasses takes care of the vision-related issues, but as the disease progresses, surgery is often needed to remove the affected lens and replace it with an artificial lens. Most people do not require glasses after the lens is replaced. Cataracts are a surgical condition, and there is no medical treatment for them. Some experimental therapies are being researched, and hopefully, in the future, this disease would be treated without surgery.

There has been a significant increase in diseases related to the eye. It is because of the excessive use of smartphones, laptops, and screens. It is essential to give your eyes some break and take care of them. Another way to ensure that things are secure is to get a good health insurance policy quote. A good policy quote will cover you and provide a subsidized rate when needed. So don’t forget to sign up for one. Take care!