I Can See Cloudy Now
Cataracts are a common occurrence as individuals reach a certain age, typically around the 40 year mark. The disease can also happen as the result of an injury to the face or eye. As a result, the eye’s natural lens begins to harden as the tissue within breaks down. Previously clear, this tissue starts turning opaque.
An impossible to clean stain
Trying to see through a cloudy lens is no different from trying to view objects through a dirty window. The cataract may start as a small smudge not difficult to see around but can worsen over time. The eye’s natural lens is primarily responsible for focusing light on the back of the eye, known as the retina. As this lens hardens, light may bend in different ways, missing the back of the eye altogether.
An extra lens can help
Prescription glasses introduce another lens into the picture that can bring images back into focus. Even if an individual wore glasses before cataract formation, this shift in vision could render a current pair ineffective. Changing or adding glasses can help bring light back to the retina for clear images. Clarity through glasses only works as long as the cataract is not severe enough to affect best-corrected vision.
This may take a while
Even if the process takes 40 years, cataracts will eventually reach the point where light struggles to pass through. When this occurs, no amount of prescription glasses is going to be able to help. Because the transition into poor vision is often gradual, cataract patients may not even be aware of these changes. Once this occurs, surgery becomes the best option for restoring eyesight.
A band-aid, but not the solution
Glasses are not a means to treat cataracts but rather a way to circumvent the disease for a time. A new prescription may restore blurry vision for a moment but does not have any effect on the cataract. Eventually, a cataractous lens will win out and can go so far as to cause blindness if not removed.
Don’t wait until it’s too late
Blindness from cataracts is rarely permanent but should be removed surgically before getting to that point. During the procedure, the opaque lens is removed and replaced with a clear artificial lens. As long as no other eye conditions exist, the artificial lens used during surgery can position light back on the retina as intended.
