A cataract is a dense, cloudy area that mainly develops in the eye's lens. It forms slowly and eventually affects your vision. Clouded vision can interfere with any activity that requires a clear vision, like playing cards, knitting, reading, watching TV, applying makeup, and more. Fortunately, Wight Eye Care in Loves Park, IL, our optometry team diagnoses, monitors, and treats cataracts to restore your eyesight. Keep reading to learn more about cataracts.

Symptoms

Cataracts form gradually, so you might notice changes in your vision once the condition is advanced enough to block or scatter light as it enters your eyes. This may cause symptoms like the following:

• Double vision
• Blurry or cloudy vision
• Trouble seeing at night
• Glare and light sensitivity
• Seeing a halo around lights
• Yellowing or fading of colors

Risk Factors 

Anyone can get cataracts. However, there are other risk factors for the condition, such as:

• Age
• Obesity
• Diabetes
• Smoking
• High blood pressure
• Excessive exposure to sunlight
• Previous eye injury or eye surgery

Diagnosis

Your optometrist will assess your vision by performing a comprehensive eye checkup for cataracts. This can include tonometry to measure your eye pressure and an eye chart test to assess your eyesight. You might also have some drops put in your eyes to dilate your pupils. In that case, the optometrist will advise you not to ride or drive.

It would be best to have a friend or a family member accompany you. Other tests we perform include checking your perception of colors and sensitivity to glare.

Treatment

When symptoms appear, you might improve your vision with brighter lighting, new glasses, magnifying lenses, or anti-glare sunglasses. If these measures don’t work and the cataract has progressed enough to impair your eyesight, we recommend surgery.

Cataract surgery is a simple, painless procedure that helps remove a cloudy lens and replace it with an artificial lens called an intra-ocular lens (IOL) implant. This device is also coated with a material to help protect the eyes from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays. Our optometrist will provide pre- and post-operative care for the best visual outcome.

Contact Wight Eye Care in Loves Park, IL, for Cataracts Treatment

At Wight Eye Care in Loves Park, our team of experienced optometrists offers comprehensive eye care services like vision testing, eye exams, and diagnosing and treating eye complications like cataracts. Contact us today to book your appointment if you observe any signs of cataracts.