While not as common as other ocular disorders, cataracts are perhaps the best-known simply due to their reputation of “sneaking up” on those who have them. You may have heard stories yourself about folks whose vision got cloudier over the years — but it was only after a while they realized that their vision was nowhere near as clear as it once was. 

Alongside the whitish hue they can cause in eyes with severe cases, some people incorrectly think that cataracts are unnoticeable until they’re too far gone to fix. This idea causes many patients to have an undue fear of a visual disorder that can be caught and remedied. Happily, nothing could be farther from the truth if you’re being smart about your optical health.

A quick review: cataracts are simply a clouding of the normally clear lenses found in your eyes within the iris. As you age, these lenses can break down to form translucent clumps that don’t effectively feed light to your retinas. Age is the most common cause of cataracts, but they can also be congenital (something you’re born with) or caused by excessive exposure to sunlight. The usual enemies of good health — high blood pressure, smoking, and heavy drinking — also tend to increase your chances of cataracts. 

Not everyone’s lenses age at the same rate, and even between a pair of eyes, cataracts can develop at different rates. However, all cataracts will cause specific telltale signs alongside increasingly cloudy or blurry vision:

Sensitive to Light and Glare

If brightness, like oncoming headlights or indirect sunlight, causes you to wince, it may be a sign that cataracts are amplifying the brightness onto your retinas instead of correctly focusing it. If you find yourself often wearing sunglasses, even when indoors, you might want to have your vision checked for a cataract culprit.

Fading or Yellowing of Colors

While this one can be hard to notice over time, seasonal events can help clue you in if cataracts are slowly causing your eyes to detect less color. If last spring’s flowers seemed a little dull, or if upcoming holiday decorations seem a little less colorful than you remember, don’t chalk it up to bad lighting. This may be your clue that cataracts are diminishing your lenses’ abilities to deliver rich, vivid colors to your retinas.

Need for brighter light for reading and other detailed activities

If you’re noticing that you’re holding books closer to your reading light or turning on overheads for activities that used to only require a lamp, cataracts may be to blame.

Increased Difficulty in Seeing at Night

If you no longer feel comfortable driving at night — due not only to the brightness of headlights but also the lack of visibility even on clear roads — you may be suffering reduced vision from cataracts. This may be hard to tell night-to-night, but if you used to be comfortable driving at night and have recently been asking your partner or spouse to drive, you may be doing so as a result of decreased night vision.

Seeing “Halos” Around Lights

This is a more objective test for those who aren’t sure about the others. If you notice slight halos around lights in your home or lights outdoors at night, it’s likely you have slight cataracts that are distorting these light sources and causing them show up as “rings” in your vision.

Don’t Take Chances With Your Vision

If the above signs sound familiar, don’t wait until you’re sure you’ve noticed them in your vision. Cataracts can’t be corrected without surgery, but if caught early enough, they can be taken care of with minimal vision loss.

We welcome you to schedule an appointment at any of our convenient locations in Roanoke or throughout Southwest Virginia where you’ll get exactly the insight you need about this procedure as well as any alternatives available to you.