The Facts of Cataracts

Utah Valley Eye Center in Provo wants all of our patients to be informed when it comes to their eye health. We are ready and willing to answer all your questions ranging from LASIK to general eye care. We wish to take this time to give you some of the facts of cataracts.

What is it?

Cataracts is a clouding of the lens in the eye that affects vision. This can happen in one or both of your eyes. The lens is a clear part of the eye that helps to focus light, or an image, on the retina. The retina is the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye. In a normal eye, light passes through the transparent lens to the retina. Once it reaches the retina, light is changed into nerve signals that are sent to the brain. The lens must be clear for the retina to receive a sharp image.

Causes and Affects

The lens is made of mostly water and protein. The protein is arranged in a certain way that keeps the lens clear and lets light pass through it. As we age, some of the protein may clump together and start to cloud a small area of the lens. This is a cataract. As time progress the cataract may grow and cloud your vision. As your cataract grows in size, you may notice a brownish tint to your vision. At first, the amount of tinting may be small and may not cause a vision problem. Over time, increased tinting may make it more difficult to read and perform other routine activities.

Symptoms

The most common symptoms of a cataract are:

• Cloudy or blurry vision.
• Colors seem faded.
• Headlights, lamps, or sunlight may appear too bright. A halo may appear around lights.
• Poor night vision.
• Double vision or multiple images in one eye. (This symptom may clear as the cataract gets larger.)
• Frequent prescription changes in your eyeglasses or contact lenses.

These symptoms also can be a sign of other eye problems. If you have any of these symptoms, check with your eye care professional at Utah Valley Eye Center in Provo.

If you think you may be developing cataracts there are options available for you to deal with it or have it removed with surgery. It is always a good idea to talk to your eye care professional at Utah Valley Eye Center in Provo to make sure you are getting the optical help you need. Call us today to schedule an appointment with one of our experienced doctors.