Ipoh Echo’s EYE HEALTH series continues with Consultant Eye Surgeon Dr. S S GILL talking to us more about aspects regarding CATARACT.
CATARACT is a condition when the lens of the eye becomes cloudy and loses transparency, causing blurry vision and making everything seem foggy, filmy, or cloudy. It may also have a variety of other symptoms as well. Let’s look at some others.
NIGHT VISION
For some, it may make it challenging to drive at night as oncoming car lights may scatter, leading to glare and inability to view the road edge. Colours too may seem washed out and dull. One patient who had her cataracts removed and started appreciating colours properly again, actually asked her brother whether he had repainted his car white because she used to always view his car colour to be brownish before having her cataracts out. This is because a maturing cataract makes it difficult to distinguish blue colours over time.
“SECOND-SIGHT OF AGING”
There is a phenomenon called “second sight of ageing” where paradoxically near vision temporarily improves as a result of the increased nearsightedness from swelling of the cataract. You may sometimes hear some elderly person boasting that they do not need reading glasses anymore to read their daily newspapers. This so-called improved vision for the near is usually short-lived and is a symptom of maturing cataracts.
FREQUENT CHANGE OF SPECTACLES
If you find that you have been having to frequently change prescription spectacles every few months, this too may be a symptom of cataracts. Essentially, the spectacle powers or contact lens powers will have to be increased to get acceptable vision to the patient.
UNNOTICED BLURRING VISION
Some patients do not notice their blurring vision because the cataract is significant in only one eye. This is because the fellow eye compensates for the vision requirement for their daily activity. The blurring vision is only detected when the vision of each eye is checked separately, only to be surprised that vision in one eye (with the cataract) is so poor. Rarely, cataracts may sometimes cause double vision (also known as diplopia). Cataracts usually progress gradually and do not cause eye pain.
The eye only becomes painful when the cataract is hypermature resulting in a condition called glaucoma where the eye pressure increases. Therefore, it is important not to wait for the cataract to be too mature before seeking eye treatment. Rapid or painful changes in vision are suspicious of other eye diseases and should be evaluated by an ophthalmologist. Take note of any unusual eye symptoms and get your eyes checked annually if you are above 40 years of age.
Dr. Gill will discuss more on cataracts in the next issue of the Ipoh Echo. For more information, call 05-5455582 at Hospital Fatimah or email gilleyecentre@dr.com
