Cataract is considered the main cause of blindness worldwide and usually affects people that reached a certain age, but infections or accidents can also cause it and in some cases, children were born with this condition.
What is a Cataract?
Cataract happens when protein builds up in the lens of your eye, as a result, the light is prevented from passing through the lens, causing the vision to become clouded. People affected by this condition described the feeling of seeing things around you through a frosty window. Most cataracts don’t develop over the night. It takes years until the eye site is disturbed and your daily routine must be adapted to the new situation. This eye condition affects the ability to drive, to read or watch TV. On the early stages of cataract sight can be improved with glasses and intense light, but at some point surgery will be necessary.
Causes and Symptoms
Cataract is a condition usually associated with the age. The majority of the people diagnosed with this eye site condition are over 40. Unfortunately, the causes for cataract are multiple and not necessarily relate to age. Some people developed a cataract after an accident or as a result of an eye infection. Unfortunately, cases of children being born with this health problem are not rare. Other risk factors for developing cataract are inherited genetic disorders, diabetes, direct exposure to sunlight for long periods of time, smoking or excessive consumption of alcohol.
There are different types of cataracts so the signs and symptoms vary from one person to another, but some of them are common to most cases:
- Clouded or blurred vision
- Double vision in a single eye
- High sensitivity to light
- Fading or yellowing of colors
- Seeing “halos” around lights
- Increasing difficulty with vision at night
- Frequent changes in eyeglass or contact lens prescription
Natural Treatments
In most cases, when the poor vision interferes with the daily activity, doctors recommend surgery for improving the quality of life for those affected by cataract. If the cataract is discovered in the early stages there are some natural treatments that worth a try before deciding to go under the knife:
- Make sure you talk to an eye doctor to write you an accurate prescription for your eyeglasses or contact lenses
- Replace the lamps in your house and office with brighter ones
- Avoid direct exposure of the eye to the sunlight and always wear sunglasses when you go outside during the day,
- Limit your night driving to daytime
- If passionate about reading, use a magnifying glass
Preventing is always better than treating. Scientists haven’t found a way to stop cataract from developing or at least slow it down, but doctors consider this condition to be influenced by certain factors. So if you know you are part of the category with a high risk of developing cataract try to get regular check-ups, reduce or even quit smoking and alcohol consumption.
