How to protect your vision during the colder months
As winter approaches, we often think about bundling up in warm clothes, staying cosy by the fire, and protecting ourselves from the cold.
Cataracts
What are they?
A cataract is a clouding of the lens in the eye that affects vision. It occurs when proteins in the lens begin to clump together, forming opaque areas that interfere with the passage of light through the lens. This can result in blurry vision, decreased contrast sensitivity, and difficulty seeing in low light conditions.
Cataracts and vision
Most people will develop cataracts in their lifetime. Quite often one eye will be affected before the other.
Ageing is the main cause of cataracts however, they may be formed due to injury to the eye, diabetes and by steroid use. You can also be born with cataracts, although only a very small number of babies are.
If you notice any of the following, this may be a sign of a developing cataract:
- Car headlights dazzle you
- You find it difficult to move from shade to the sunlight
- Colours look different through one eye compared to the other, more yellow or faded
- If you are long-sighted you may need your spectacles less than you used to
You can still drive with cataracts, as long as you meet the vision standards for driving. During your eye examination, your Optometrist will explain to you whether you meet these standards or not, and whether spectacles can improve this for you or not.
Prevention
While there’s no guaranteed way to prevent cataracts, there are several steps you can take to reduce your risk or delay their onset:
- Quit smoking: Smoking has been linked to an increased risk of cataracts. Quitting smoking or avoiding exposure to secondhand smoke may help lower your risk.
- Protect your eyes from UV radiation: Wear sunglasses that block ultraviolet (UV) rays when you’re outdoors, especially during peak sunlight hours.
- Manage chronic conditions: Conditions like diabetes and hypertension can increase your risk of developing cataracts. Proper management of these conditions through medication, lifestyle changes, and regular medical check-ups can help reduce your risk.
- Eat a healthy diet: A diet rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals may help prevent cataracts. Include plenty of fruits and vegetables in your diet, especially those high in vitamins C and E, as well as foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids.
- Get regular eye exams: Regular comprehensive eye exams can help detect cataracts and other eye conditions early, allowing for timely treatment and management.
For further details on our UV protection options please click here.
Treatment
If day to day tasks such as driving and cooking are being affected by your cataract(s), and your Optometrist and Dispensing Optician team cannot improve your vision enough with spectacles, we can refer you to an Ophthalmologist for surgery.
We have a number of different routes available to us to be able to provide you with the best possible care. Once the Optometrist has taken your medical history and current medications, they will assess your cataract, vision and the impact on your day to day. Once all of this information is gathered they will discuss with you the options available to you and the current proposed wait times for surgery. Depending on the information gathered this could be anything from 1 month to 18 weeks.
Once you have been referred you will be invited to an initial appointment. This is an information gathering session, where the outcome of the surgery can be discussed. It may be that you wore glasses for both distance and near, however after surgery, you may only need spectacles for reading. The specifics are unique to you, your general health, current prescription and other factors, but all available options will be discussed with you at this appointment.
