Cataracts | Salisbury Eyecare & Eyewear

Is Your Vision Becoming Hazy or Clouded?

When you look at your eyes, do you notice your lenses becoming milky or even yellow? Are you finding it hard to see clearly, even when you’re wearing prescription glasses or contact lenses? If you’ve said yes to either question, there is a chance you may be developing cataracts.

But what can you do to manage them? By visiting us at Salisbury Eyecare & Eyewear, we can provide the help you need so you can enjoy the clearest vision possible while living with cataracts. Please, book an appointment with our team today!

What are Cataracts?

So, let’s break down cataracts. A cataract is a common eye condition that occurs when your clear crystalline lens becomes rigid and opaque, leading to a milky, hazy, or yellow-ish discoloration. As this develops, it can affect your vision quality and even cause blindness in severe cases.

Nearly 20 million people have cataracts, and the condition is responsible for 51% of blindness worldwide. But how do you know if you’re developing or at risk of developing cataracts?

Symptoms

If you have cataracts, some symptoms you could experience include:

Faded or muted colors
Blurred vision
Double vision
Frequent prescription changes for your glasses or contact lenses
Light sensitivity
Glare or halos appearing around light sources
Refractive errors like nearsightedness or farsightedness

Risk Factors

The aging process usually causes cataracts, but other risk factors could include:

UV damage
Smoking
Diseases like diabetes
Long term use of certain medications like steroids
Eye injuries
Long-term and excessive alcohol consumption

Common Types of Cataracts

Nuclear Cataracts

Nuclear cataracts occur in the center of your clear crystalline lens. When they first develop, symptoms may only affect your visual quality, like causing nearsightedness or even a slight improvement in your overall vision. But over time, your lens may develop a yellow or brown color, leading to vision problems.

Cortical Cataracts

Cortical cataracts first develop as small wedge-shape streaks on the outside edges of your lens. As it develops, these wedges eventually grow to cover the entire lens, leading to poor vision quality.

Posterior Cataracts

Posterior cataracts are different in that they develop at the back of your lens, directly in the path of light entering your eyes. This form of cataracts, which could develop faster than other cataract types, can affect your near vision and even cause glare and halos from light sources.

Congenital Cataracts

If you were born with cataracts or developed them early in your life, you may have congenital cataracts. Genetics may cause this form of cataract, but other conditions like galactosemia, neurofibromatosis type 2, myotonic dystrophy, or rubella may also be at the root of its development.

Managing Cataracts

Glasses & Contact Lenses

In mild cases of cataracts, refractive errors could be corrected using prescription glasses and contact lenses. Please book an eye exam to determine your prescription and other needs your eyes might have!

Cataract Surgery

In more severe cataract cases, your only option might be cataract surgery. Cataract surgery replaces your cataracts lenses with artificial intraocular lenses.

We Can Help!

No two eyes are the same, and each one could need two different solutions to manage their symptoms. The only way to find out what your eyes need is to have regular comprehensive eye exams.

We love helping our patients find the vision they deserve, so please book an appointment with us if you’re starting to notice cataracts developing in your eyes.

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How To Find Us

We are located at the corner of Council and Jackson Street in a Victorian home. Our office is nestled behind St. John’s church and next to First Baptist church.

Parking Options

There is street parking available on Council street in front of our office. There is also a parking lot available across Jackson street in the First Baptist church lot.