Deciding When The Time Is Right For Cataract Surgery

When your eye doctor discovers you have cataracts, he or she may not recommend surgery right away. If your early cataracts do not interfere with your vision, your doctor may watch how they progress over the years and decide when the time is right to remove them. Here are some signs that indicate when it's time to start considering cataract surgery.

Seeing Halos Around Lights

When your cataracts get to a certain stage, you'll begin to have problems with glare from sunlight and you'll probably see halos around street lights. That means it will be unsafe for you to drive at sunset and after dark. Your regular vision may not be affected too much yet, so you may want to postpone your surgery. In that case, you'll have to give up driving at night, and that could affect the quality of your life. It might make it difficult to get home in the evenings if you're still working, plus you'll have to avoid nightlife unless someone else drives. Having cataract surgery will eliminate problems with light halos and night driving so you can resume your normal lifestyle.

Problems With Blurry Vision

One problem with cataracts is your vision gradually gets worse as you get older and are more prone to falling. You may not judge the distance of steps very well. You may not see things like a curled rug or a pet lying on the floor. Falling and breaking an arm or hip is something you definitely want to avoid later in life when it takes you longer to recover. As the lens of your eye gets cloudier, your vision becomes more blurry. This affects both your far and near vision. It also affects your ability to discern similar colors such as purple and black.

When your vision is so blurry, you can't read your medicine bottles or food labels, you should talk to your eye doctor about having the surgery. By that point you may also have trouble seeing the television and working on your hobbies, which will have a negative impact on your life. Having cataract surgery restores your vision so you can stay active and independent as you age. It might even be possible for your doctor to fix your other vision problems at the same time you have your cataracts removed depending on what type of artificial lens is implanted.

There are other things to consider about having cataract surgery too, such as your general health and other medical conditions you may have. When you have cataracts, it's important to visit your eye doctor regularly, so he or she can monitor their growth and you can let the doctor know how your vision is affected. If your cataracts grow slowly, you may never need surgery. If they grow fast, you'll want to get the surgery before your vision is seriously impacted.


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